Author: gsuweb

Solidarity with UChicago for Fair Tuition

Early this month, GSU circulated the UChicago for Fair Tuition petition for tuition relief in the midst of the current economic crisis. Now we’re excited to announce that our steering committee has voted to endorse their campaign.

The University of Chicago has enough money to support all those who work and study here. That includes funding doctoral students in this crisis, and providing tuition relief to undergrad and AM students, as well as cancelling the hefty fee charged to upper-year doctoral students known as “advanced residency tuition.” The Fair Tuition campaign has been clear that they will not accept tuition reduction at the expense of workers, including grad workers. Such trade-offs are not necessary—the money is there.

COVID Petition: One Member’s Testimonial

Last week we launched our new petition enumerating basic COVID-19-related demands for the University. The petition has already garnered a lot of response, including testimonials from grad workers whose research has been affected by the outbreak. Member Hilary Barker sent us the following:

I was five months into a fourteen-month archival research stint in Rome when I returned to the States in late February for a short visit with my family and found myself unable to return to Rome. My project is entirely formulated around archival work which may not be possible to resume for many months. I was lucky enough to be fully funded for the proposed research period by two external fellowships, one of which is now “on pause‚” and the other one is continuing but obviously contributing to my current at-home expenses rather than funding time in Rome. It’s a serious question when I’ll be able to resume onsite research and whether I will be able to stick to my planned schedule for completion as it will be difficult for me to write significant sections of the dissertation without the archival data from which to draw conclusions. Furthermore, because my trip home was scheduled before the lockdown in Italy began and I had thought I would be able to return, I left nearly all my possessions including books and research materials in an Airbnb there, which I am having to continue to pay for to ensure that the owner does not dispose of my things.

Many of us have been feeling increased work pressure as the pandemic has limited our access to labs, libraries, archives, and field sites—this is why our first demand is an extension of time to degree and funding for all grad student workers.

In the following weeks, we’ll continue to share members’ stories as we work collectively to advocate for COVID-19 relief measures. If you’ve been experiencing issues with your research or work, you can contact us at gsu@riseup.net with your story. Even if you don’t want to share your story publicly, our union is here to offer assistance. Recently our organizing efforts helped a member fight for—and win back—a teaching job that had been offered by the University and then unfairly revoked.

And if you haven’t already, read about the petition on our website and sign it here!

Get more involved!

GSU’s strength is in the work of members. And though we aren’t able to gather in person, that work still continues, in union committees and throughout departments. Cliche as it may sound, the need for organizing in the current may be greater than ever before. So we invite you (yes you, reading this!) to get more involved. This form from last week’s General Members Meeting offers a number of ways to plug in. Let’s come together across social distance to defend our rights as workers. Join in!

Vaughan Collins for Trustee Liaison

This week, the GSU Steering Committee voted to endorse Vaughan Collins’s candidacy for Graduate Liaison to the Board of Trustees. Vaughan is a first-year Masters student in the School of Social Service Administration and served on the Advisory Committee to the Office of the Dean of Students at their previous university. You can read Vaughan’s candidate statement here, and contact them directly here to share your concerns or comments.

The Graduate Liaison serves as a representative to the Board for grad workers, bringing our concerns and recommendations directly to the University Trustees. We’re excited to support Vaughan’s campaign, and to continue building coalitions across the university so that we can advocate for our members, even as we keep fighting for recognition.

Things That Make You Go

Tuesday morning, we got an email from the Provost that inspired us to dust off the “Things That Make You Go ” feature of this newsletter. With three bullet points proclaiming the university’s financial support, there were only two direct links. One of those led to university web page which linked to other FAQs geared specifically to undergrads; another linked to emergency funding programs from the Bursar that max out at $3,000. Grad workers who might be facing greater expenses were referred to their deans of students—a suggestion that neatly ignores the difference in available resources between departments and divisions. Moreover, whatever the official policy, we’re getting reports that members are being denied assistance.

But the questions really started to flow in the latter part of the Provost’s message. In response to questions about why the admin claims to be unable to reduce tuition, she wrote that “the vast majority of the university’s endowment is legally restricted.” But “vast majority” is a vague term. On its own, the Impact and Inquiry campaign that ended in December raised $5.43 billion. Even if 90% of that were hopelessly restricted, it would leave $543 million. That covers our funding packages MANY times over. And might that be more in line with the mission of the university than, say, subsidizing a neighborhood luxury apartment building? It kind of makes you go …

On April 7, 2020, University of Chicago President Robert J. Zimmer sent an email to all faculty, academic appointees, and staff announcing the measures that the University will take in response to the financial impact of COVID-19. These cuts will undoubtedly have huge effects on the nature of graduate education at this institution. We are providing screenshots of the email below, followed by the text of the email for accessibility.

To: Faculty, Other Academic Appointees, and Staff

From: Robert J. Zimmer

Subject: Financial Implications of COVID-19

Date: April 7, 2020

During recent months, the University of Chicago and our faculty, students, and staff have been focused on the health impacts of COVID-19. We have taken significant steps to protect the health and safety of our University community. We have worked to act responsibly in this global pandemic towards the larger communities of which we are a part and to which we have a responsibility, and through several initiatives to offer support to and partnership with our South Side communities.

While the health issues continue, the global, national, and local economic impact of the pandemic is already profound, and for some time likely to become only more so. This will have severe consequences on the finances of the University. The expected financial impact on the University and its duration is likely to be as great as or even greater than in the financial crisis of 2008-09. It will be complicated by the uncertainties of the trajectory of the ongoing global pandemic. These financial challenges for the University will be similar to those faced by universities and colleges around the country. 

Some salient aspects of financial challenges include:

•                     Increased national economic stress, resulting in economic challenges for many families and requiring increased financial support for a number of our students, which we are committed to providing.

•                     With the dramatic decreases in equity and other financial markets, a corresponding decrease in the value of our endowment and hence in the annual payout from the endowment to support the University’s work.

•                     For similar reasons, a decrease in the expected philanthropic contributions to the University from our alumni and friends.

•                     Significant decrease in net revenue in the Medical Center due to the extensive work connected to COVID-19, with a corresponding decrease in available Medical Center support for academic work.

•                     Increased costs associated in programs dealing with COVID-19 health matters.

•                     Uncertainties in the credit markets that are important for new capital projects.

•                     Uncertainties in private and federal research funding opportunities following the COVID-19 crisis.  

As a result, the University will be asking every academic and administrative unit to make significant adjustments in expenditures, both immediately and in the next academic year. It may be necessary to continue some of these adjustments into the future as we gain clarity about the trajectory of the pandemic and the resulting national global economic dislocations. Certain underlying principles will guide these adjustments.

•                     All student financial support commitments will be fully honored and increased financial support will be provided to those College students with increased demonstrated need. 

•                     The University is deeply committed to maintaining the most intellectually free and challenging environment and in doing so to provide the most empowering education for students and foster the most original and impactful research of our faculty.

The provost will be working with the deans, vice presidents, and other leaders to articulate and implement financial adjustments. Every unit of the University will be called upon to participate. Among high level steps we will be taking as a University and that will apply broadly include:

•                     All individual faculty, staff, and administrative salaries for the academic year 2020-21 will remain at current levels (except when contractually required). 

•                     New staff hiring will be strictly limited to those fully supported by external grant funding or critical to the core mission of the University.

•                     Academic hiring will be slowed.

•                     Discretionary spending will be suspended.

•                     Non-personnel expenditure reductions will be implemented. The details of implementation will be directed by the provost through the work with deans, vice presidents, and other leaders.  

The University’s financial support for students is dependent upon the philanthropic contributions of our alumni, friends, and parents. The Odyssey program began with a $100 million anonymous gift in 2007. We have made it a priority to systematically expand this program, which has been enabled by thousands of individuals – including trustees, alumni, friends, parents, faculty, and staff – providing further philanthropic support for the Odyssey program. Given the increased demand for financial support, we will be prioritizing this direction for philanthropy in the coming year. As a start, every officer of the University (president, provost, and vice presidents) will make a significant new personal financial commitment to the Odyssey program, and we encourage those in our community who are in a position to make such a commitment to seriously consider doing so in this time of increased financial challenge for many of our students. To make a contribution, please click here.

The financial actions we will be taking are necessary to protect the University’s ability over time to support students and their education, faculty and their research and teaching, and the impact that we can have on the betterment of the quality of human life. These will be difficult actions for all of us. I thank all of you for the hard work that implementing these steps will entail, and for your commitment to the mission of the University.