Graduate students in the biological sciences department aredrafting a letter to the Graduate School to express their objectionto large graduate assistant fees and high insurance, none of whichare paid by the University.
Sherry Dixon-Shulley, a biological sciences Ph.D. student andpresident of Biograds, of which all biological sciences graduatestudents are members, said she joined the Graduate Senate back in2002.
The Graduate Senate is the graduate school equivalent of theStudent Senate. Biological sciences have three representatives inthe Graduate Senate.
“Back then, graduate assistants had to pay their own tuition,”Dixon-Shulley said.
Dixon-Shulley said over the past few years, the Graduate Senatereduced the tuition payments required of graduate assistants untilthe University paid it in full.
However, while tuition costs went down, fees went up.
In essence, the graduate assistants basically still are payingthe same amount they always were, in addition to paying their owninsurance, Dixon-Shulley said.
“This is why we are drafting this letter to the Graduate School– to tell them we are not happy with the lack of progress,”Dixon-Shulley said.
Dixon-Shulley said the financial opportunities for graduateassistants are so limited at the University that it couldpotentially drive graduate students away.
“We are hoping to improve quality,” Dixon-Shulley said. “Thesepotential graduate assistants teach undergraduates.”
Dixon-Shulley said she hopes to first convince the University topay graduate assistants’ insurance.
The Graduate Senate hopes to eventually reduce fee rates,Dixon-Shulley said.
“That would be a good starting place,” she said.
There currently are about 90 full-paid graduate assistantshipsin the biological sciences department, Dixon-Shulley said.
Biological sciences has been budgeted $2.67 million in sponsoredagreements so far this year, said Patricia Territo, director ofaccounting services. This money pays for equipment, supplies,salaries, operating, and hiring teaching assistants.
While biological sciences is budgeted less than $3 million, thisdepartment helped the College of Basic Sciences bring in more than$25 million in grants last year, Territo said.
