GSI for COGSCI 200 (Winter 2027)

University of Michigan; Ann Arbor (MI); On-site; USD 28,000 - 34,000; Part time

Job summary

The Weinberg Institute for Cognitive Science at the University of Michigan is hiring up to 5 Graduate Student Instructors (GSIs) for Winter 2027 to lead discussion sections for COGSCI 200 (3 sections, ~75 students).

GSI duties include attending lectures and discussion days, holding at least 2 office hours weekly, leading discussions, grading, and collaborating with the teaching team. Applicants must be UM graduate students in good standing and available Thursday/Friday afternoons.

Qualifications

• Enrolled as a graduate student in good standing.
• Available to teach Thursday afternoon and Friday sections.
• Experience with Canvas.
• Academic preparation for teaching the course material.
• Willingness to develop innovative approaches in the classroom.
• English proficiency evaluation if instruction was non-English language at previous institution.

Responsibilities

• Attend all lectures and discussion days; verify your schedule against the course.
• Hold at least 2 office hours per week.
• Lead discussion sections and plan lessons.
• Grade assignments per lead faculty instruction.
• Meet weekly with the teaching team and respond to emails.
• Additional items listed in fraction calculation form.

Skills

GSI experience

Thursday/Friday teaching availability

Innovative teaching approaches

Education

Graduate student in good standing

LSA graduate students preferred

Tools

Canvas

Job description

Job Summary

The Weinberg Institute for Cognitive Science is looking to hire up to 5 GSIs in the Winter 2027 term to lead discussion sections in the following course:
COGSCI 200, 3 sections (anticipated enrollment: 75 students)

Responsibilities*

• Attend all lectures and scheduled discussion days for the course. Verify your own course schedule against the schedule for the course to which you are applying as a GSI. All GSIs are required to attend the lecture and assigned discussion sections. Note that both lecture and discussion sections are scheduled as in-person instruction.
• Hold at least 2 office hours each week.
• Make discussion section plans and lead the sections as instructor.
• Grade assignments, per lead faculty instruction.
• Meet weekly with the teaching team and respond promptly to emails.
• Additional items listed in fraction calculation form

Required Qualifications*

• Enrolled in good standing as a graduate student at the University of Michigan
• Available to teach the needed Thursday afternoon and Friday section times
• Experience with Canvas
• Relevant academic preparation for teaching the course material
• Willingness to develop innovative approaches in the classroom.
• If the language of instruction at a students undergraduate institution was not English, the student must be evaluated by the English Language Institute (ELI) for English proficiency and either pass the GSI-OET or have this test waived by the ELI before they can be eligible for a GSI appointment in LS&A.
  

Desired Qualifications*

• Previous experience as a GSI is desired.
• LSA graduate students are preferred.

Course Description

The goal of this course is to provide an integrated overview of some of the major approaches to understanding the mind and brain; approaches that together constitute contemporary cognitive science. The problems associated with understanding how and why our minds work the way they do are some of the deepest, most important and most complex facing science, and no single discipline can lay claim to privileged status when it comes to making progress. Indeed, much of the recent excitement in the field has come from approaches that draw on the ideas and methods of multiple disciplines. In this course you will get a taste of some of that excitement.

The ideas and methods represented here include those drawn from empirical psychology, linguistics, philosophy, computer science and artificial intelligence, neuroscience, behavioral economics, ethology, and evolutionary biology. Rather than treat each approach separately, we focus on a set of relatively independent topics, each of which engages several of these approaches.

The topics span learning, perception, language, decision making, memory, emotion, morality and happiness. Each time we visit a topic, we will ask: What theoretical issues are at stake? How are they being addressed? What are the key ideas? What are the basic phenomena, how were they discovered, and what counts as an explanation of them? We will start with topics that illustrate some of the fundamental ideas and then branch out from there. The aim is to arrive at an overview of the big ideas of cognitive science; the theoretical principles that constitute our current understanding of how our minds work.

Modes of Work

Positions that are eligible for hybrid or mobile/remote work mode are at the discretion of the hiring department. Work agreements are reviewed annually at a minimum and are subject to change at any time, and for any reason, throughout the course of employment. Learn more about the work modes .

Weinberg Institute staff and the course instructor will review applications. The course instructor will make final decisions about hiring.

Selection Process

Applications are reviewed, and decisions made, based on each applicants knowledge, experience, and past teaching record. Preferential consideration will be given to applicants with relevant academic preparation for teaching the course material.

GEO Contract Information

The University will not discriminate against any applicant for employment because of race, creed, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, genetic information, marital status, familial status, parental status or pregnancy status, sex, gender identity or expression (whether actual or perceived), sexual orientation, age, height, weight, disability, citizenship status, veteran status, HIV antibody status, political belief, membership in any social or political organization, participation in a grievance or complaint whether formal or informal, medical conditions including those related to pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding, arrest record, or any other factor where the item in question will not interfere with job performance and where the employee is otherwise qualified. The University of Michigan agrees to abide by the protections afforded employees with disabilities as outlined in the rules and regulations which implement Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Unsuccessful applications will be retained for consideration in the event that there are last minute openings for available positions. In the event that an employee does not receive their preferred assignment, they can request a written explanation or an in-person interview with the hiring agents(s) to be scheduled at a mutually agreed upon time.

This position, as posted, is subject to a collective bargaining agreement between the Regents of the University of Michigan and the Graduate Employees' Organization, American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO 3550.

Standard Practice Guide 601.38, Required Disclosure of Felony Charges and/or Felony Convictions applies to all Graduate Student Assistants (GSAs). SPG 601.38 may be accessed online at https://spg.umich.edu/policy/601.38 , and its relation to your employment can be found in MOU 10 of your employment contract.

U-M EEO Statement

The University of Michigan is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.

Job Opening ID

285131

Job Title

GRAD STU INSTR

Modes of Work

Onsite

Full/Part Time

Part-Time

Regular/Temporary

Regular

FLSA Status

Exempt

Organizational Group

College Of Lsa

Posting Begin/End Date

10/30/2026 - 11/13/2026

Graduate Students
Graduate Student Instructors (GEO)