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<p>Does Stanford rely on TAs as many large research universities do? More than probably. Are all TAs, GSI, or whatever one calls them cut from the same cloth? Highly improbable. There is a world of difference between a PhD student short of presenting his or her dissertation and a TA who just deplaned from a foreign country who is expected to be a TA as part of his Master’s degree at one of the huge public universities. </p>
<p>But again, that is mostly in the eye of the beholder. As I wrote some do not seem to find that problematic and can look beyond being taught by people with lacking language skills or real teaching experience. The fact that Stanford does it does not make it “more” acceptable from the student’s perspective. It remains a shameful abdication of the faculty commitment and dedication to teaching.</p>