Associate Instructor (AI) is a title commonly used in higher education institutions, particularly in the United States, to refer to graduate students or academic staff members who assist in teaching or teach undergraduate or lower-level courses. The role and responsibilities associated with the title may vary by institution, department, and region.^[1][2]

The term Associate Instructor is often used interchangeably with or as an institutional variant of Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA), Teaching Fellow, or Teaching Assistant (TA).^[3] However, some universities use the title Associate Instructor to designate graduate students with more extensive teaching responsibilities than a typical TA, including the autonomy to design syllabi, lead entire classes, and assign grades.^[4]

Typical duties of an associate instructor may include: leading discussion sections, labs, or tutorials; delivering lectures independently; holding office hours for student consultations; grading assignments and exams; preparing course materials; managing course learning platforms (e.g., Canvas, Moodle).^[5]

In some institutions, particularly research universities, associate instructors are expected to serve as the primary instructor of record for a course (Instructor of record, IOR), especially at the undergraduate level.^[5]

Associate Instructors are typically compensated through stipends, tuition waivers, or hourly wages, depending on their workload and the funding structure of the institution. They are usually enrolled as full-time graduate students and their teaching responsibilities form part of their professional development and financial support package.^[6]

• Teaching Fellow
• Lecturer
• Academic Ranks (United States)