A Quick Response to Some Concerns

1. Fundraising
Contrary to what's been going around on the list, the problem is not that the university isn't concerned with fundraising! What we have been told repeatedly by several different administrators is that it is always extremely difficult to raise money for graduate student aid. This is not a problem just confined to this university (although this university does have specific fundraising difficulties because of the relatively small undergraduate population it has now, as well as historically). Moreover, fundraising drives take years, so even if the university decided right now to undertake a massive fundraising campaign for graduate students, it wouldn't really help with our immediate situation. So as far as fundraising it concerned, its kind of a moot point unless anyone has some very specific ideas about where large sums of money could be raised quickly. This is not to say that more general fundraising suggestions won't be helpdul for the long term--I just want folks to keep it in perspective that a fundraising campaign will not solve our current woes.

2. Faculty
Faculty support for our cause would, I think, be helpful, but perhaps only in a limited sense. That is, the letters of general support that we got form some departments is certainly helpful, but unless faculty are actually willing to really pressure the admin on our behalf, I don't know how far that will get us. But by all means if you know faculty who might actually 'campaign' for improved gard funding, by all means pass us their names. Even better, if you know any faculty who would be willing to sign on to a voluntary 1-2% pay cut to put in a graduate aid fund, get them to speak out. I suspect it would completely embarass the admin if faculty were willing to pay out of their own pockets to help our efforts.

3. Unions and applying pressure to the admin
Greg, Brian, Averill, Erica and I chatted recently about the situation of things so far, and I can assure you that we're all trying to develop strategies to make our point about the necessity of improving graduate student aid from a lot of different angles. Erica is committed to working with us in putting this matter before the Trustees, and Averill is serving as something of the summer stand-in for Dave on GC/union matters. Frankly, I don't think we need to be worried about these things not being in an especially good state of organization over the summer. Right now, our work with the Committee is still going ahead, even if it doesn't always look all that promising, but we are not anywhere near having our backs against the wall at this point. I think that if we need to apply a little external pressure, we'll have plenty of time to do that come fall. And even if the whole unionization movement won't be in a position to extert any pressure until much later, even with minimal organization I believe we will be able to use the threat of unionization to our advantage if need be.

4. Overall attitude
I just want to say that while I have been, and still am to some extent, a bit pessimistic about this process, I don't want that to be confused with the university taking an "obsructionist" attitude. A lot of the people we've spoken too, including Provost Rosenbaum and most of the regular members of our committee, really do want to do something to improve the current situation. The challenge I think is really about thinking outside of the box and coming up with ways to stretch and finesse the little money we have, and ways to make persuasively appeal to the university's academic ideology. This will be a difficult task, but I don't think we need to get the Molotov cocktails ready just yet.

We've got our last meeting for several weeks tomorrow. Updates to come!

Comments by Jenn

I met with the people setting up the grad union initiative. The first concern it has been decided is to try and generate enough representation from the various departments. This means that it is pretty much back to square one and not in any position to be able to start leaning on the admin any time soon.

It seems to me the problem is that the admin continues to ignore our importance in the framework of this university. Given what the values of the admin are this means they don't see us as

a) going to give them money in future years
b) going to either hurt or help their reputation

I think in order to get them to move on these issues we need to prove them wrong. I would suggest the following.

a) we need to make it clear that the reason past alums don't give is that they are too poor and too pissed off to be interested in this and the university could benefit by ending this line of thought

b) bring a motion to the faculty senate (or whatever similar body we have) to support the funding of current students

c) talk to current donners who do contribute and try to get them to not donate unless the university agrees to really address the inequality amoung its current students.

Lastly on the 'there isn't currently enough money issue'. Someone suggested to me that we could ask the university to promise raise funds for loan forgiveness in the future. This iniative would both give the university time to raise money and target those who suffered most under the current funding plan.

Committee Updates, Provost Rosenbaum