Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
GCGFC Proposal
GCGFC Proposal
DATE: May 2, 2007
TO: Robert J. Zimmer, President
Thomas F. Rosenbaum, Provost
David A. Greene, Vice President
Martha Roth, Deputy Provost
Martina Munsters, Deputy Dean of Students
FROM: Current Doctoral Students in the Divinity, Humanities, and Social Sciences Divisions
RE: Proposal for Changes to Current Doctoral Funding
The recent Presidential Funding Initiative demonstrates the University's dedication to continuing its legacy as a leader in academic excellence and graduate research. Current doctoral students unequivocally applaud the University's foresight and courage in making dramatic improvements to graduate funding. By its own terms, the Initiative recognizes that the financial struggles of extant students called for a renewed commitment to graduate funding.
The University has embraced this commitment, but it has failed to respond to the existing problem that generated the Initiative: the economic difficulties faced by the current doctoral population in the Divinity School, Humanities, and Social Sciences. In the University’s attempts to bolster its competitive edge and to create parity with competing institutions, minimal resources have been dedicated to current graduate students. Only $1.5 million, or 3%, of the Trustees' $50 million commitment has been allocated to the current doctoral population.
The following proposal has emerged from the organized collaboration of students from 32 departments and committees in the Divinity, Humanities, and Social Sciences Divisions. A committee of student representatives from those departments has carefully created each component of this proposal, which was ratified and refined according to input received from an online survey that over 580 students participated in.
Stipends
The University has committed to providing incoming students with five years of stipend funding at $19,000/yr. By making this gesture, the University has dedicated itself to supporting much of the cost of living during the academic year. The University “Graduate Guide to Student Loans and Federal Work Study” states that the estimated personal cost of living will be $21,921 for the 2007-2008 9-month academic year. Current doctoral students in our divisions receive stipends unacceptably lower than this base cost of living estimate.
- All students within the first five years of their doctoral program shall receive a stipend of $19,000 for the remainder of their first five years of the Ph.D.
Summer Stipend
Doctoral students are expected to work towards their degree twelve months of the year. Without funding for summer studies, current students are forced to seek summer employment, resulting in the lengthening of time to complete degree requirements. The limited quantity of competitive summer stipends currently available is grossly inadequate for addressing this problem.
- All graduate students in their first twelve years of doctoral work shall receive two summer stipends of $3000, pending departmental confirmation of sufficient academic progress towards the degree.
Health Insurance
The University has acknowledged that healthcare is essential for students' intellectual and personal productivity. There is no compelling reason why this coverage should be limited to students in their first five years of doctoral study.
- All students shall receive full health insurance coverage in their first twelve years of doctoral work. Students beyond their twelfth year shall have the option of purchasing the student health insurance plan.
Tuition
Doctoral tuition and fees present an unnecessary and frequently crushing financial burden to students, slowing their progress toward degree and forcing them to focus on subsistence rather than scholarship.
- Academic tuition and fees shall be waived for all students in their first twelve years of doctoral research.
Teaching
Within our divisions, compensation for teaching positions has not been increased or adjusted since 1998, resulting in a net decrease in real personal income. The University lags far behind its peer institutions in this regard. Additionally, because the University does not have clear guidelines for teaching responsibilities, teaching assistants who feel exploited have little or no recourse. We appreciate the University's assurance that teaching opportunities will not fall below their current level.
- Compensation for teaching assistants, instructors, and preceptors at the University of Chicago shall be raised to a level that matches the yearly pay for equivalent positions at peer institutions; this amount should be adjusted for cost of living increases on an annual basis.
- The University shall establish clear guidelines for the duties and responsibilities of teaching assistant positions, including the maximum number of hours required.
- Each year, the University shall demonstrate empirically that the current level of teaching assistant positions has not diminished as a result of the recent funding initiative.
International Students
- The University shall recognize the financial hardships of international students. Towards this end, the university shall create grant opportunities to serve in the place of funding available only to U.S. citizens, and in an ongoing dialogue with international students, the University will investigate additional ways to address their specific financial challenges.
We are confident that the Administration understands the importance of each of these issues, and we look forward to continuing to work with you on them.
DATE: May 2, 2007
TO: Robert J. Zimmer, President
Thomas F. Rosenbaum, Provost
David A. Greene, Vice President
Martha Roth, Deputy Provost
Martina Munsters, Deputy Dean of Students
FROM: Current Doctoral Students in the Divinity, Humanities, and Social Sciences Divisions
RE: Proposal for Changes to Current Doctoral Funding
The recent Presidential Funding Initiative demonstrates the University's dedication to continuing its legacy as a leader in academic excellence and graduate research. Current doctoral students unequivocally applaud the University's foresight and courage in making dramatic improvements to graduate funding. By its own terms, the Initiative recognizes that the financial struggles of extant students called for a renewed commitment to graduate funding.
The University has embraced this commitment, but it has failed to respond to the existing problem that generated the Initiative: the economic difficulties faced by the current doctoral population in the Divinity School, Humanities, and Social Sciences. In the University’s attempts to bolster its competitive edge and to create parity with competing institutions, minimal resources have been dedicated to current graduate students. Only $1.5 million, or 3%, of the Trustees' $50 million commitment has been allocated to the current doctoral population.
The following proposal has emerged from the organized collaboration of students from 32 departments and committees in the Divinity, Humanities, and Social Sciences Divisions. A committee of student representatives from those departments has carefully created each component of this proposal, which was ratified and refined according to input received from an online survey that over 580 students participated in.
Stipends
The University has committed to providing incoming students with five years of stipend funding at $19,000/yr. By making this gesture, the University has dedicated itself to supporting much of the cost of living during the academic year. The University “Graduate Guide to Student Loans and Federal Work Study” states that the estimated personal cost of living will be $21,921 for the 2007-2008 9-month academic year. Current doctoral students in our divisions receive stipends unacceptably lower than this base cost of living estimate.
- All students within the first five years of their doctoral program shall receive a stipend of $19,000 for the remainder of their first five years of the Ph.D.
Summer Stipend
Doctoral students are expected to work towards their degree twelve months of the year. Without funding for summer studies, current students are forced to seek summer employment, resulting in the lengthening of time to complete degree requirements. The limited quantity of competitive summer stipends currently available is grossly inadequate for addressing this problem.
- All graduate students in their first twelve years of doctoral work shall receive two summer stipends of $3000, pending departmental confirmation of sufficient academic progress towards the degree.
Health Insurance
The University has acknowledged that healthcare is essential for students' intellectual and personal productivity. There is no compelling reason why this coverage should be limited to students in their first five years of doctoral study.
- All students shall receive full health insurance coverage in their first twelve years of doctoral work. Students beyond their twelfth year shall have the option of purchasing the student health insurance plan.
Tuition
Doctoral tuition and fees present an unnecessary and frequently crushing financial burden to students, slowing their progress toward degree and forcing them to focus on subsistence rather than scholarship.
- Academic tuition and fees shall be waived for all students in their first twelve years of doctoral research.
Teaching
Within our divisions, compensation for teaching positions has not been increased or adjusted since 1998, resulting in a net decrease in real personal income. The University lags far behind its peer institutions in this regard. Additionally, because the University does not have clear guidelines for teaching responsibilities, teaching assistants who feel exploited have little or no recourse. We appreciate the University's assurance that teaching opportunities will not fall below their current level.
- Compensation for teaching assistants, instructors, and preceptors at the University of Chicago shall be raised to a level that matches the yearly pay for equivalent positions at peer institutions; this amount should be adjusted for cost of living increases on an annual basis.
- The University shall establish clear guidelines for the duties and responsibilities of teaching assistant positions, including the maximum number of hours required.
- Each year, the University shall demonstrate empirically that the current level of teaching assistant positions has not diminished as a result of the recent funding initiative.
International Students
- The University shall recognize the financial hardships of international students. Towards this end, the university shall create grant opportunities to serve in the place of funding available only to U.S. citizens, and in an ongoing dialogue with international students, the University will investigate additional ways to address their specific financial challenges.
We are confident that the Administration understands the importance of each of these issues, and we look forward to continuing to work with you on them.
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