lecturer

teaching assistant

postdoctoral scholar

tutor

researcher

University of California Merced

I started as a college tutor with the expectation of the most difficult and awarding part of my college experience. I was not mistaken. The class taken to advance to employment was as wondrous as it was draining. In a normal day of tutoring I found myself waiting for a student to drop into the designated tutoring room, which constantly changed, and to either demand help or to meekly ask for advice on a particular writing assignment. I found myself serving a wide clientele ranging from freshman with 3 page papers to juniors in need of help with portfolios to even graduates asking for grammatical help on research proposals. A well-rounded group indeed. Through this work I learned to understand and quickly attend to the needs of a community of writers. Accordingly, I learned to comprehend the notes and prompts given by educators. Both experiences allowing for a better grasp of the the way higher education operates and the expectations therein. As genuine as the management is/was I felt that there was a lack of direction in the overall scheme of things especially as hours were cut and as the quality of tutor dropped when the formerly necessary tutoring class was deemed unnecessary for the work. Besides that the management was very much in-tune with the employees on the whole. My co-workers, for the most part, were amazing, a sound and fun group of people. As a family of tutors we were able to work together in group tutoring sessions and to work out how to aid each other in times of need such as those times when of illness or overwhelming stress. I found that the hardest part of the job was the waiting. Waiting for students in a silent room and hoping that at least one person would come for help on some assignment. In contrast, the most enjoyable part of the job was the times when I got to see a student(s) learn something new or understand something better as a result of my assistance.

I have enjoyed working as a teaching assistant at the University of California, Merced because I have had the opportunity to work closely with passionate, intelligent professors who care deeply about education, their students and sociology. A typical day at work consists of me attending lecture, taking notes, engaging in classroom discussions with undergraduate students, collecting papers, grading and providing feedback, and responding to student and professor e-mails with clarification on readings and in the case of the professor- how students are digesting the assigned readings. I learned that students are reticent to ask questions so it is important to be approachable and provide positive reinforcement in order to put them at ease and build their confidence. The workplace culture was collaborative because my fellow TA's/Graduate students are helpful and open to distributing tasks evenly. The most difficult part of the job has been getting more students to come to office hours. However, the most enjoyable parts of the job have been the times when students come in for help and find that a little bit of clarification or a learning technique were all they needed to excel in the class. I have been very fortunate to have the opportunity to work with such wonderful co-workers and undergraduates.

Since there isn't a real product to be produced here other than research and students, this place is a magnet for those who thrive on playing politics - dirty politics. There's a serious toxicity in the workplace where the employees are basically "gang members". This means there are many factions within this organization and they fight each other in all nasty ways to gain power and larger budget. All done at the expense of the students while they broadcast to the public how much they care about the students ("Students First" propaganda). The university itself is in constant fight with the city of Merced, but at the surface it tries to fool the public how great they are getting along. The massive and ambitious campus expansion projects going on at the moment is a huge playground of intense dirty politics that provide a massive and cushy corporate welfare at the expense of damaging public finance. The Campus' entire infrastructure is going to be under total control of private corporations. That's the future of this public university?

A typical day consisted of me meeting with my marketing team of four other students and taking the information we received from the engineers, that work closely with us, and translating that into a digestible presentation format that neatly shows our progress on the project and our financial plans. I learned quite a bit about product launch and packaging design as well managing the finances of a limited project budget. The management was us, everything that went on was done under the supervision of the engineering school dean, however we managed our own schedules and time to meet deadlines. My co-workers were hard working , detail-oriented individuals with a drive to finish and to win the competition. The hardest part of the job was making sure that we got the information exactly right when translating it from what the engineers told us into a marketable presentation. The most enjoyable part of the job was being part of a dedicated team that got to create a business plan and advertise the project's capabilities to a board of CEO's on the panel of judges.

UC Merced is a fantastic place to work, offering a dynamic and inclusive environment that fosters professional growth and personal well-being. The university's commitment to innovation and excellence in research and education is evident in its state-of-the-art facilities and collaborative culture. Employees benefit from a supportive community that values diversity, equity, and inclusion, ensuring a respectful and enriching workplace. UC Merced's location provides a serene and beautiful setting, with access to numerous recreational and cultural opportunities. Additionally, the university offers competitive salaries, comprehensive benefits, and numerous professional development opportunities, making it an attractive choice for those seeking a fulfilling and impactful career. The sense of community and purpose at UC Merced creates a motivating atmosphere where employees feel valued and empowered to contribute to the university's mission of advancing knowledge and transforming lives.

I was the field crew supervisor for an ecological experiment in the high-alpine environment. This being the case I worked in an amazing location that required me and my team to hike 4-8 miles per day to perform the research. The research itself was satisfying for someone who enjoys research related data recording, surveying, and sampling. My team that was selected were very energetic, outgoing, happy, and personable.

My issues were with the workload and management. The original project called for just one researcher since they had eliminated 90% of the work from previous years. They had forgotten about some aspects of the project and reinstated the old protocol, while only hiring a few temporary technicians when the workload called for several more. So, we got as much done as we could, sometimes working 70+ hour weeks, but it was way too much work.

A typical day at work would be something like, checking the washroom for things needing to be washed or put away, checking the lab service times and servicing them at the appropriate times, collaborating with coworkers while chatting, and checking the board during down time for our assigned tasks.
There is a lot to be learned as a Chemistry Lab Student Assistant, from the procedure of following and even making SoP's, learning the basics of various machines and their associated programs, the importance of communication and working as a team, and many other small details.
The management and workplace culture while I worked there was good, and it was constantly being altered slightly over time, as with the doubling of the size of UC Merced, several changes had to be implemented over time to the workplace.
The hardest part of the job would probably be proper time management, while the most fun part of the job would have to be the people you work with and get to know very well working in the student labs.

Positives: I worked for one of the larger departments, but every department can be completely different. Any job within the UC system is great for a start and once determined you can listen and learn which areas are the best fit for you to work within. ESPECIALLY if you're a hire from the valley. Demographically, they don't (or didn't) hire from the area - most candidates are not qualified.  If you get in one of the "better" departments you're set, and support is always a given. 

Negatives: Defiantly at my time there was area of big concern with toxic masculinity and narcissism behaviors. Most of it was handled, but at times looked the other way. I watched within, but because I was a in a leadership area it was handled discreetly. The most negative aspect of working there was there some very strong clicks that still are standing to date. If you're not involved or supported by them - you will not advance.   

I worked in a temporary position and was hired as a "career appointment".  As mentioned in other reviews, the quality of management depends on where you're working.  I have always had great supervisors and feel fortunate that I was hired into the department I am now working in.  Innovative thinking, self-sufficiency, and initiative is encouraged and appreciated.  .    .  

Work load varies depending on where you work.  The hardest part of the job (my first round) was learning the acronyms, systems and procedures/protocol.  Second time around, having gained that knowledge, the transition to the new job was much less stressful..

The campus is beautiful and there is always something going on, something to participate in, and most importantly to me, something to learn.

I was a supervisor for two years while I was employed at the University of California, Merced for 3. Promoted a year after my start date to supervisor to take charge of everyday interlibrary loan duties that occurred on a daily basis. 

The job itself is very routine, making sure everything is going smoothly and communication is flowing well. Personally held constant communication with other Interlibrary loan coordinates throughout the country to make sure process go smooth and without any hiccups. 

During my stay here, I learned to manage my time as well as grow my leadership skills. I have trained a few of my colleagues as well as two of my supervisors. The hardest part of the job was acknowledging my leadership and letting myself grow into a position that was created for me as there were not student supervisors in our interlibrary loan department. 

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Lecturer 61 salaries reported	$70,261 per year
Teaching assistant 27 salaries reported	$62,618 per year
Postdoctoral scholar 17 salaries reported	$73,698 per year
Tutor 21 salaries reported	$25.88 per hour
Researcher 1 salary reported	$27.69 per hour

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