Graduate Grading Assistant

The Pennsylvania State University•University Park, FL

4d•Onsite

About The Position

The Workforce Education and Development Program within the Department of Learning and Performance Systems is seeking a Graduate Grading Assistant to support WFED 119: Career Planning and Life Design, beginning in the Fall 2026 semester. The position is ongoing, and the successful applicant may be invited to continue in the role in subsequent semesters. WFED 119 is a large-enrollment general education course that guides undergraduate students through career exploration, self-assessment, goal setting, and a team-based action learning project. The course meets twice weekly at University Park and enrolls approximately 100 students. The Grading Assistant works under the direction of the course instructor to evaluate student work accurately and on schedule, to provide constructive written feedback, and to help maintain complete and current course records. This position does not involve lecturing, serving as instructor of record, or setting grading policy.

Requirements

Applicants must be currently enrolled Penn State doctoral students at the time of hire and must remain enrolled for the duration of the appointment.
Typically requires enrollment as a Penn State doctoral student in good academic standing.
Prior experience evaluating college-level written work or comparable evaluative experience.
Demonstrated ability to apply a scoring rubric consistently across a high volume of submissions.
Strong written English.
Dependability with deadlines.
Comfort working with the University's learning management system and basic spreadsheet software.
Completion of University FERPA training is required before the first grading assignment, and strict confidentiality of all student records must be maintained at all times.

Nice To Haves

Doctoral study in Workforce Education and Development, Human Resource Development, Counselor Education, Educational Psychology, Higher Education, or a related field.
Familiarity with career development theory and assessment tools.
Experience with a classroom engagement platform.
Prior teaching assistant or grading experience in a large-enrollment undergraduate course.

Responsibilities

Grading individual written assignments throughout the semester using the rubrics provided by the instructor, and meeting the agreed turnaround time following each deadline.
Grading the mid-semester and end-of-semester submissions, including reflective and presentation-based work.
Reviewing team project deliverables and recording team presentation scores from the instructor's evaluation notes.
Writing brief, respectful, and specific feedback tied to the criteria of each rubric.
Maintaining the course gradebook, verifying entered scores, and reporting missing or late work to the instructor.
Reviewing class participation and attendance records and reconciling them with the gradebook.
Compiling summaries of team peer evaluation results for instructor review.
Referring grade appeals, academic integrity concerns, accommodation questions, and student wellbeing concerns to the instructor rather than resolving them independently.
Participating in a brief weekly check-in meeting with the instructor and course teaching assistants.
Providing occasional in-class support during team presentations or other course events as requested.