The specific responsibilities of a course supervisor vary depending on the geographical area and individual school, but most of these supervisors are in charge of a variety of general tasks. Teaching assistants are frequently supervised by course supervisors in areas such as grading papers and assisting with the preparation of class materials. Educational supervisors must ensure that course materials are ready for students by the class’s start date or a school-imposed deadline. Many of the responsibilities of course supervisors are outlined in policies established by the college, university, or other educational institution.
Course supervisors must adhere to these policies as well as the academic standards set by each school at all times. In order to be paid on time, the course supervisor must frequently meet deadlines for many different aspects of his or her job, such as authoring materials and scheduling exams. Supervisors are expected to be organized because courses must be delivered on a specific schedule, which usually includes specific start and end dates.
Several educational supervisors write their own courses. It is necessary to carefully edit course materials in order to comply with the school’s academic guidelines. A course supervisor must adhere to deadlines for class start and end dates. Supervisors are frequently expected to have the faculty approve all materials, assignments, and exams. Depending on the structure of a particular school, some supervisors are faculty members and others are not.
Educational supervisors are frequently tasked with lecturing and instructing students. They also provide assignments and exam preparation advice. A course supervisor’s other common task is to meet with students who need extra help with the course’s study requirements. The school may require course supervisors to attend exams or assign a teaching assistant to supervise them. It is often up to the supervisor’s discretion whether or not to allow a student to rewrite exams or make changes to exam or assignment schedules, but he or she must usually follow strict school policy when doing so.
Many educational supervisors train and supervise teaching assistants, many of whom are graduate students. They must ensure that the assistants adhere to the school’s grading standards. Regular meetings with his or her teaching assistants are usually planned and overseen by a course supervisor. He or she is expected to attend faculty meetings on a regular basis. Course supervisors may also be required to take development or refresher classes, depending on individual or district policies.