But Assistant Professor of Computer Science Margo I. Seltzer '83, who teaches Computer Science 50: "Introduction to Computer Science," says her teaching fellows must follow strict grading standards.

"In the courses I teach, grading programs is not subjective," Seltzer says. "There are clear standards stating how many points are to be given or taken off for the possible infractions."

"The teaching fellows are explicitly told not to make judgment calls," she says. "If something is not clear on the standard, they are to raise the issue for clarification."

Of the 18 teaching fellows in Computer Science 50 last semester, six won awards from the Derek Bok Center. Five of those were undergraduates, Seltzer adds.

For the most part, student teaching fellows in the computer sciences agree that it is unlikely that undergraduate teaching fellows would unfairly grade other undergraduates.

"Our high school educations have instilled a notion that education has an embedded power structure where the TF or professor holds a special position," Shelat says.

"Although the assumption is that an undergraduate would be more likely to abuse this situation, I don't think it is the case at all. I simply don't power trip," he adds.

Other undergraduate say grading in computer sciences is formulaic and not at all subjective.

"If an undergraduate were grading an English paper of mine, I would feel awkward," Seims says. "But grading in the sciences is much more algorithmic. If I felt someone gave me a bad grade, I could ask him to justify the points he took off, and if I was graded unfairly, it would be pretty easy to establish."

DeWitt says the use of undergraduate teaching fellows should be accompanied by a system of checks and balances.

"I have had instances where an undergraduate TF graded an assignment of mine in a way I though to be unfair," DeWitt says. "But when I asked another TF or the professor to check over the work, they were happy to do so and get back to me. I can live with this."

Non-Specialists

Although computer science TFs tend to be computer science concentrators, not all undergraduate teaching assistants are specialists in the area in which they teach.

Layzer says he selects teaching fellows for his Core science courses who have received an A in those courses. Layzer teaches Science A-18: "Space, Time and Motion" and Science A-22: "Chance, Necessity and Order."

Layzer says he uses two discussion leaders--an undergraduate and a graduate student in the sciences or a postdoctoral fellow--in each section.