University of Kentucky

Job Title Undergraduate Instructional Assistant for ChemExcel - Fall 2025

Requisition Number DU13355

Department Name 8E030:Chemistry

Work Location Lexington, KY

Salary Range $12.00 / hour

Type of Position Student

Position Time Status Part-Time

Required Education

Qualified applicant must be a current undergraduate UK student with sophomore status or higher; have a cumulative GPA of a 3.0 or higher; have taken Chemistry 105 and 107; made a “B” or better in these courses. Applicants with equivalent credit will be considered. Preference will be given to students with an “A” in these courses.

Required Related Experience

N/A

Required License/Registration/Certification

N/A

Physical Requirements

Lifting and/or carrying light-weight objects; standing for approximately 2 hours at a time.

Shift

Monday and Wednesday afternoons. Exact schedule varies according to course, section(s), schedule, and other factors. Please refer to the course catalog for listing of potential shifts. Assignments, schedules, and shifts are finalized by the Academic Coordinator.

Job Summary

The Department of Chemistry is seeking talented and highly motivated undergraduates to fill positions as Undergraduate Instructional Assistants Type 2 (UIA-II), commonly titled Peer Leaders (PLs) for the ChemExcel Program (CHE 197). PLs lead small groups of students in weekly workshops through problem sets developed by the Academic Coordinator to help their group learn how to solve problems in general chemistry (CHE 107). PLs function more as coaches than instructors or Teaching Assistants. PLs are to maintain the utmost standard of responsibility, integrity, and professionalism while in this position. These positions are dependent upon availability of all instructional assistants.

This position requires a full semester commitment of approximately 5 hours per week per section and includes the following duties, expectations, and requirements:

• Attendance and participation in:
  • One-hour, weekly PL meetings.
  • Orientation activities prior to the beginning of the term which include, but are not limited to learning about UK Student Services including:
    • Counseling Center Services (and Dealing with Distressed Students)
    • Students with Disabilities
    • Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
    • Violence Intervention and Prevention (VIP)
    • Discrimination and Harassment
• Working problems sets in advance of the weekly workshop.
• Monitoring of a maximum of 10 students per section, under the supervision of the Academic Coordinator, in the following capacities:
  • Recording attendance.
  • Facilitating group discussion.
  • Answering questions, providing feedback, and other correspondence in-person and online via email, the course discussion site, or other methods.
• Records maintenance and retention of student coursework via the course Learning Management site as well as hard copies.
• Undergoing observation and performance evaluation conducted by the instructor (or delegate).
• Participation in professional development included in but not limited to orientation, weekly meetings, formal in-lab observations and end-of-semester evaluations conducted by the Academic Coordinator, and with any activities throughout the assignment in which there are discussions of appropriate behaviors befitting a professional in an academic setting.
• Other duties as assigned within the scope of the position.

All PLs receive specific training on course policies. The Academic Coordinator spot-checks grades, resolves any discrepancies or disputes, and determines all final grades.

Students may not exceed 20 hours per week during the academic year for all assignments across campus. First time PLs will only be assigned one section.

Skills / Knowledge / Abilities

Does this position have supervisory responsibilities? No

Preferred Education/Experience

Deadline to Apply 09/30/2025

Our University Community

We value the well-being of each of our employees and are dedicated to creating a healthy place for everyone to work, learn and live. In the interest of maintaining a safe and healthy environment for our students, employees, patients and visitors the University of Kentucky is a Tobacco & Drug Free campus.

As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we strongly encourage veterans, individuals with disabilities, women, and all minorities to consider our employment opportunities.

Any candidate offered a position may be required to pass pre-employment screenings as mandated by University of Kentucky Human Resources. These screenings may include a national background check and/or drug screen.