The exact duties of a course supervisor will depend on the geographical area and individual school, but there are also many general tasks for which most of these types of supervisors are responsible. Course supervisors often supervise teaching assistants in areas of grading papers or helping to prepare class materials. Educational supervisors have to ensure that course materials are properly prepared for students by the start date of the class or a deadline set by the school. Much of what course supervisors must do is usually specified in policies set by the college, university or other educational institution.
These policies, as well as the academic standards set by each school, must be upheld at all times by course supervisors. Oftentimes, the course supervisor must meet deadlines for many different parts of his or her job, such as authoring materials and scheduling exams, in order to be paid on time. Since courses have to be delivered on a particular schedule that usually includes particular start and end dates, supervisors are expected to be organized.
Many educational supervisors author their courses. Carefully editing course materials to work within the school's academic guidelines is required. Timelines for class start and end dates must be followed by a course supervisor. Supervisors are often expected to have all materials, assignments and exams approved by the faculty. Some supervisors are faculty members, while others aren't, depending on the structure of an individual school.
Lecturing and teaching students are often main tasks of educational supervisors. They also give out assignments and tips for exam preparation. Meeting with students who request extra help with the course study requirements is another common task of a course supervisor. Course supervisors may be required by the school to attend exams or they may assign a teaching assistant to oversee them. Giving a student permission to rewrite exams or make adjustments in examination or assignment schedules is often up to the discretion of the supervisor, but he or she usually must follow strict school policy when allowing these changes.
Many educational supervisors instruct and manage teaching assistants who are often grad students. They must ensure that the assistants support the school's standards for consistent grading. A course supervisor typically plans and oversees regular meetings with his or her teaching assistants. He or she is usually expected to attend faculty meetings. Depending on individual or district school policies, course supervisors may also be required to take development or refresher classes.