Chancellor Mark Emmert’s announcement about new funding for graduate assistant tuition waivers caused relief and excitement in the graduate school and throughout the entire University.
The Office of the Chancellor announced Monday a $1.5 million allocation to finance an increase in graduate student stipends. Another $.5 million increase is budgeted for next year.
“There has been clear movement to regularly increase stipends for graduate assistants,” Emmert said.
The University’s graduate school has expressed problems with recruiting sufficient graduate assistants because of the lack of stipends offered to them.
Many graduate assistants complain the salary they make from their assistantships is barely enough to cover living expenses, and the high demands of the job prevent them from finding additional work.
The University has implemented the funding plan to eventually provide full tuition exemptions for all full-time graduate assistants in both doctoral and master’s programs.
In fall 2003, the University will provide graduate assistants with a 33 percent tuition waiver.
The University will increase the waiver to 67 percent in fall 2004. In fall 2005, the University will provide graduate assistants with a full tuition waiver.
The estimated cost of a tuition waiver for all current full-time graduate assistants is $3 million.
This money will come from a reallocation of federal and state research funds.
Since graduate assistants are behind so much of the University’s research efforts, some of the money granted to the University for research should support them, Emmert explained.
Court Carney, former history graduate assistant and doctoral candidate, was enthusiastic about the announcement.
“It’s about time,” Carney said. “This will go a long way to attract the type of graduate assistants we need.”
Carney was a graduate assistant, paying full tuition, from fall 1997 to summer 2002.
Although he will finish his time at the University before the waiver goes into effect, Carney is excited because most graduate assistants have waited a long time for this announcement.
Carney said one of the most common complaints from graduate assistants is that while they are teaching and paying for their tuition, students in their classes are attending the University for free.
“A large percentage of the people [graduate assistants] are grading for are on TOPS, but we’re still having to pay tuition,” Carney said.
Earlier this year, the Faculty Senate presented a resolution to the chancellor’s office stating the need for these waivers.
Laurie Anderson, Faculty Senate president, said Provost Laura Lindsay responded quickly and formed a Graduated Student Exemption committee.
“I think it’s a high priority because our assistantships have not been competitive,” Anderson said. “If we’re going to move forward as a University, I think this is an important step.”
Kevin Smith, vice-chancellor for graduate and research studies and Graduate School dean, agreed with Anderson.
“I think this is excellent news,” Smith said. “The graduate assistants on campus are not supported like they should be. This is a tremendous step forward for the graduate assistant programs because it will help make us competitive.”
After this announcement, Emmert can check another accomplishment off his agenda for the year.
“Before the year began, we decided the three greatest priorities were faculty and staff pay raises, graduate student stipend support and support for faculty and staff research and scholarship work,” Emmert said last month after announcing a faculty and staff pay raise.