Column: IU is committed to improving grad worker experience. We can do it without a strike
At Indiana University, our graduate students and student academic appointees (SAAs) are crucial members of our academic community. They are central to our research, vital to undergraduate teaching, and a source of energy that permeates the university.
Though I am in my first year leading my alma mater as provost, from my earliest days back on campus it was clear that our institutional support for some of our SAAs did not match the significance of their personal and professional contributions.
Concerns raised by students were valid and timely, and we have worked diligently to pursue progress and rebuild trust.
Advocates rightfully called for increases in SAA stipends. They rightfully urged action on student fees. And they rightfully called for greater equity for international student SAAs. Action from the university on these topics, and many others, was overdue.
In news:Indiana University gives grad workers all they've asked for — except a recognized labor union
It was critical not only for us to recognize these issues, but to meaningfully address them as a community.
The Task Force on Graduate Education is the product of our campus-wide consensus toward action, and I am deeply grateful to the faculty, staff, and students who make up each of the task force’s many working groups.
Through their work and due to their recommendations, we’ve secured important and permanent improvements for our SAAs.
The increase in SAA minimum stipends to $22,000 for a half-time, 10-month appointment puts IU in the top half of the Big Ten when it comes to graduate student compensation. We’ve committed to periodic review and increases in stipends to ensure we remain competitive based on bi-annual benchmarking against peer institutions in the Big Ten.
The university has waived mandatory graduate student fees and the international student fee for SAAs, as well as course-specific fees in the programs that charge them.
We are also pursuing strengthened and more transparent grievance processes, creating a new graduate student advisory committee, and enhancing support for SAA health and wellness needs on matters ranging from sick leave to health insurance.
Finally, new committees within the Bloomington Faculty Council and the College of Arts and Sciences will provide important forums for ongoing dialogue and action on issues of importance to SAAs, while also providing oversight and transparency regarding the university’s pledged actions.
Election season:Will Indiana's near total abortion ban motivate college students to vote?
On each of the primary concerns raised by student advocates, we’ve been able to make substantive improvements and meaningful progress – yet our work is far from complete. Additional working groups will lead to action on subjects ranging from healthcare, diversity, equity and inclusion, career and professional development, and more.
I understand the skepticism from those who may have initially questioned our willingness to act, but I hope the progress shown thus far demonstrates our good faith in seeking to permanently improve graduate education at IU, and to honor the personal and professional contributions of our SAAs.
Against this backdrop of progress, I join others in urging students to reconsider their calls for a work stoppage. The consequences of a strike would be costly to our entire community, and most critically, for our undergraduate students, who – pending the extent of a work stoppage – could face major academic disruptions, financial implications and other significant ramifications.
I have every faith in the sincerity of the concern from graduate students, but I urge them to pursue progress alongside us.
I believe our goals are largely the same – to create at IU one of the nation’s leading research institutions for graduate education. I know this aspiration is within our reach if we choose to continue working together.
Rahul Shrivastav is provost and executive vice president of the Indiana University Bloomington campus.
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Provost Shrivastav urges grad workers not to vote for work stoppage
