- TA Applications and Hiring
- TA Agreements and Employment Contracts
- NetID, Passwords, OnQ, and Systems Access
- TA Training and Orientation
- Payroll, Payment, Pay Rates, and Income Tax Forms
- Hours and Work Expectations
- Working With Your Instructor
- Common Issues and How to Resolve Them
1. TA Applications and Hiring
When are TA positions posted?
TA positions for the upcoming academic year re normally advertised in June. The majority of Fall and Winter TA positions are confirmed by late August.
A second round of hiring may take place in December based on enrolment and course needs for the Winter term.
Where are TA positions posted?
TA positions are posted on the School of Computing’s TA employment page.
When postings go live, emails are also sent to graduate students and upper-year undergraduate students.
How do I apply for a TA position?
You must apply through the TA application system by the posted deadline. Please review the available courses carefully and select the courses for which you are qualified and interested.
Am I guaranteed a TA position if I apply?
No. TA positions are limited and hiring depends on course needs, enrolment, instructor input, qualifications, and overall fit with the course requirements.
Can I hold more than one TAship?
Typically, a student is eligible for only one TAship per term.
How can I improve my chances of receiving a TAship?
Apply for courses where your background, experience, and skills are a strong match. Upper-year courses often receive fewer applications, so applying for these courses may increase the likelihood of receiving a TAship if you are qualified for the course.
How are TA assignments decided?
Assignments are based on instructor ratings, course requirements, applicant qualifications, availability, and best fit. The goal is to match TAs to courses where they can provide strong support to the instructor and students.
Who confirms my assignment?
The course instructor will normally reach out to confirm the assignment and discuss expectations.
2. TA Agreements and Employment Contracts
What is the difference between the TA agreement and the employment contract?
These are two separate steps, and both are required.
The TA agreement is reviewed and accepted in the TA system. It outlines course-specific information related to the TA assignment and workload breakdown.
The employment contract is the formal Queen’s employment contract. This is issued after the TA agreement has been accepted and must be accepted/e-signed before payroll and employee NetID activation can proceed.
Where do I accept my TA agreement?
You must review and accept your TA agreement in the TA system.
You will not be issued an employment contract until you have reviewed and accepted the TA agreement in the TA system.
I am an international TA. Is anything else required before my contract can be issued?
Yes. International TAs may be asked to provide their Social Insurance Number (SIN) and study permit if this information is not already in the system.
This information is required before your employment contract can be issued, so please provide it promptly if requested.
If your SIN or study permit expires during the term, you will be asked to provide your renewed SIN and/or renewed study permit once available.
When will I receive my employment contract?
Employment contracts are processed after TA assignments are confirmed and after the TA agreement has been accepted in the TA system. You will receive an automated email when your employment contract is ready to review and accept/e-sign.
For international TAs, the employment contract cannot be issued until your SIN and study permit information have been received, if this information is not already in the system.
Should I accept my employment contract right away?
Before accepting/e-signing your employment contract, you should connect with the course instructor to ensure you are able to accept the offer and meet the expectations of the role.
What should I do before accepting/e-signing my employment contract?
Before accepting/e-signing your employment contract, take a screenshot or save a copy for your records. Contracts are not viewable after they have been accepted.
How do I accept my employment contract?
Follow the instructions in the contract email to review and accept/e-sign your employment contract.
When should I accept my contract to avoid payment delays?
Contracts should be accepted by the 15th of the month in order to meet payroll deadlines for payment at the end of that month.
Can I start working before my contract is accepted?
No. You may not begin TA work until both your TA agreement and employment contract have been completed and accepted.
3. NetID, Passwords, OnQ, and Systems Access
What is my employee NetID used for?
Your employee NetID is used to access university systems, including email, OnQ and payroll-related systems.
When can I activate my employee NetID?
Your employment contract must be accepted/e-signed before you can activate your employee NetID.
Please note that your employee NetID will not be available for activation immediately after you accept/e-sign your contract. There is often a systems delay before the employee NetID can be activated, so please wait and try again later if it is not available right away.
If you have activated your employee NetID within the past year, you may not need to complete this step again.
How do I activate my employee NetID or reset my password?
Go to the Queen’s NetID page and click “Activate NetID / Forgot password.”
Your employee number is the same as your student number.
What should I do once my employee NetID is active?
Once your contract has been accepted and your employee NetID is active, send your NetID to your course instructor so they can add you to the course in OnQ.
If you are new to TAing with the School of Computing, you should also contact the School and include your employee NetID so you can be added to the QSC TA training in OnQ.
I already TAed for Computing before. Do I need to send my NetID to the School again?
No. Only TAs who are new to TAing with the School of Computing need to send their NetID to the School for access to the QSC TA training.
You should still send your NetID to your course instructor so they can add you to the appropriate course in OnQ.
I cannot access OnQ. What should I do?
First, confirm that your employee NetID is active. Then confirm that you have sent your NetID to your instructor. Your instructor is responsible for adding you to the course in OnQ.
If you are trying to access QSC TA training and are new to TAing with Computing, make sure that you have sent your employee NetID to the School.
4. TA Training and Orientation
Is QSC TA training required?
TAs who are new to the School of Computing are required to complete QSC-specific TA training in OnQ.
Is QSC TA training paid?
Yes. QSC TA training is paid at your normal TA rate. The training takes approximately 1.5 hours.
How do I access the QSC TA training?
Once your employment contract is accepted and your employee NetID is active, contact the School and include your employee NetID if you are new to TAing with Computing. You will then be added to the QSC TA training in OnQ.
Do returning Computing TAs need to repeat the QSC TA training?
Returning TAs who have already completed the QSC TA training generally do not need to repeat it, unless otherwise instructed.
Is legislated training required?
Yes. TAs are required to complete legislated training modules, unless they have already completed this training with Queen’s University.
Is legislated training paid?
Yes. Legislated training is compensated separately from your TA assignment, up to the approved number of hours (maximum 6.5 hours).
What legislated training modules are required?
Required legislated training includes:
- Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act training, including:
- Accessible Customer Service
- Access Forward
- Human Rights 101
- Accessible Instruction for Educators
- Anti-Racism: Building a Foundation for Change at Queen’s
- Health & Safety Awareness Training, including the test component
- It Takes All of Us: Staff and Faculty Training
If you have already completed these modules with Queen’s University, you are not required to complete them again.
How do I check which legislated training modules I have already completed?
You can check your training record through the Queen’s training portal.
This portal allows you to review legislated training modules you have already completed.
How do I confirm completion of legislated training?
When you have completed the required modules, send the School a screenshot showing the date of completion. You can use the Queen’s training portal to review your completed modules and take the screenshot.
This proof is required so that compensation for the training time can be processed.
Will there be course-specific training?
Your instructor may provide additional course-specific training or instructions. Please connect directly with your instructor about expectations for the course.
5. Payroll, Payment, Pay Rates, and Income Tax Forms
What are the current TA pay rates?
Current TA pay rates are:
- Graduate TAs: $50.00 per hour, plus 4% vacation pay and 3% in lieu of benefits.
- Undergraduate TAs: $23.75 per hour, plus 4% vacation pay.
Please note that the undergraduate TA rate may change in Fall 2026.
When will I get paid?
TA pay is processed monthly. Payment is issued on the last business day of the month.
How are TA hours paid?
TA pay is normally distributed over the delivery period of the course.
A full TA contract is 80 hours, typically spread across four months. Some courses are shorter, so the hours may be spread across a shorter delivery period.
Half TA-ships of 40 hours are also possible.
What do I need to do to be paid?
You must complete all required steps, including:
- Accepting your TA agreement in the TA system
- Accepting/e-signing your employment contract
- Activating your employee NetID
- Completing direct deposit setup, if required
- Completing income tax forms if you are a new Queen’s employee
- Completing and submitting proof of required training, if applicable
- Providing SIN and study permit information if you are an international TA and this information is requested
When should I accept my contract to be paid at the end of the month?
Contracts should be accepted by the 15th of the month to meet payroll deadlines for payment at the end of that month.
I accepted my contract by the 15th. Will I be paid at the end of that month?
Normally, accepting your contract by the 15th helps ensure your contract can meet payroll deadlines for payment at the end of that month. Payment also depends on all required onboarding and payroll steps being complete.
I accepted my contract after the 15th. What happens?
If you accept your contract after the 15th, your pay may not be processed in time for the end-of-month payroll deadline. In that case, payment may be delayed until the next monthly pay date.
I have not received payment. What should I check first?
Before following up, please confirm that:
- You accepted your TA agreement in the TA system.
- You accepted/e-signed your employment contract.
- You accepted your contract by the 15th of the month.
- Your employee NetID is active.
- You completed direct deposit setup, if required.
- If you are a new Queen’s employee, you completed the required income tax forms.
- If you are an international TA, you provided your SIN and study permit information if requested.
- If your SIN or study permit expires during the term, you provided your renewed SIN and/or renewed study permit once available, if requested.
- You submitted proof of completion for any required training, if applicable.
- You checked your Queen’s email for payroll, contract, or onboarding messages.
If you have completed all required steps and still have not received payment, contact the School.
Should I contact Payroll Services if I have not been paid?
No. If you are a School of Computing TA and have completed all required steps but have not received payment, please contact the School.
Do I need to complete income tax forms?
Yes. If you are a new Queen’s employee, you will need to complete the income tax forms outlined on the Queen’s Payroll New Employee page.
Please complete any required payroll and income tax forms promptly to avoid payment delays.
6. Hours and Work Expectations
How many hours will I work?
Your total assigned hours will be listed in your TA agreement and/or employment contract.
A full TAship is normally 80 hours. A half TAship is normally 40 hours. Some courses may have different hour allocations depending on course needs, enrolment, and delivery period.
Are hours spread evenly across the term?
Not always. TA workload may vary depending on course needs, assignment deadlines, labs, tutorials, marking periods, exams, and other course activities.
A typical full TAship is spread across four months, but some courses are shorter and the assigned hours may be concentrated over a shorter period.
Payment for hours are distributed evenly. For example, a full 80 hour TAship across four months will be paid at a rate of 20 hours per month.
Do I need to submit timesheets?
TAs are not normally required to submit timesheets, but you should keep your own record of hours worked. This will help you manage your workload and ensure you stay within your assigned contract hours.
What should I do if I am close to exceeding my assigned hours?
Contact your course instructor as early as possible. Do not continue working beyond your assigned hours without discussing this with the instructor.
What are the expectations around timeliness?
TA work often involves time-critical tasks. You are expected to complete assigned work in a timely manner, respond to your Queen’s employee email regularly as directed by the instructor, and meet instructor deadlines for grading or other assigned duties.
If illness or other academic considerations may delay your paid work, inform your instructor promptly.
Who assigns my TA duties?
Your course instructor is responsible for assigning and supervising your TA duties. This may include labs, tutorials, office hours, marking, student support, exam support, or other course-related tasks.
7. Working With Your Instructor
When should I contact my instructor?
You should connect with your instructor before accepting/e-signing your employment contract to ensure you are able to accept the assignment.
You should also connect with your instructor once your assignment is underway to discuss:
- Your role in the course
- Expected duties
- Communication norms
- Marking expectations
- Lab, tutorial, or office hour schedules
- Important course dates
- How to track and manage your hours
Who adds me to the course in OnQ?
Your course instructor adds you to the course in OnQ. Once your employment contract has been accepted and your employee NetID is active, send your NetID to your instructor.
What if I am unsure about my responsibilities?
Contact your instructor directly. They are the best person to clarify course-specific duties and expectations.
8. Common Issues and How to Resolve Them
I have not received my employment contract.
First, confirm that you have reviewed and accepted your TA agreement in the TA system. You will not be issued an employment contract until the TA agreement has been accepted.
If you are an international TA, your contract cannot be issued until your SIN and study permit information have been received, if this information is not already in the system.
Then check your email and junk folder. Contracts are issued after assignments are confirmed, TA agreements are accepted, any required international TA documentation has been received, and contract processing is complete.
I accepted my TA agreement but have not received my contract.
Contract processing may take some time after the TA agreement is accepted. If you are an international TA, confirm that you have provided your SIN and study permit information if requested. Continue to monitor your Queen’s email and junk folder for the automated contract email.
I accepted my contract but cannot activate my employee NetID.
Your employee NetID is not available immediately after you accept/e-sign your contract. There is often a systems delay before the employee NetID can be activated. Please wait and try again later.
To activate your NetID or reset your password, go to the Queen’s University Identity Platform page. Click “Activate NetID / Forgot password.” Your employee number is the same as your student number.
My NetID is not active yet.
Your employee NetID will not be available until after your employment contract has been accepted/e-signed, and there may be a systems delay before activation is possible.
I cannot access the course in OnQ.
Confirm that your employee NetID is active and that you have sent it to your course instructor. Your instructor will need your NetID to add you to the course.
I cannot access the QSC TA training.
If you are new to TAing with the School of Computing, confirm that your employee NetID is active and that you have sent it to the School.
I have not been paid.
Confirm that you accepted your TA agreement, accepted/e-signed your employment contract by the 15th of the month, activated your employee NetID, completed required payroll steps, and submitted any required training completion proof.
If you are an international TA, also confirm that you provided your SIN and study permit information if requested. If your SIN or study permit expires during the term, provide your renewed SIN and/or renewed study permit once available, if requested.
If all steps are complete and you still have not received payment, contact the School.
I completed legislated training. How do I get paid for it?
Send the School a screenshot showing the date of completion. You can check your training record and take a screenshot through the Queen’s training portal.
This proof is required so that compensation for the training time can be processed.
I am not sure what to do next.
Start by reviewing your TA agreement, employment contract, onboarding emails, and this FAQ. Then connect with your course instructor to confirm expectations for your assigned course.