I
think that there are many instances where we find ourselves as students of the university
not seeing eye to eye with the way things are structured administratively with
the University. For instance, one example of this was my freshman year with the
TA’s on campus who essentially were graduate students here at the University. I
particularly remember my chemistry 102 TA mentioning that because she is a TA
for the class she did not have to pay tuition and on top of that she was still
getting paid a small salary. However, towards the end of the semester (first
semester freshman year) I remember her telling all of us to come support her in
a protest against the University because they were no longer pay for their
tuitions and cut their salary by a good amount. I remember right outside of
Henry Administrative building having TA’s protest against this for almost a
week after. This issue was a very big deal because graduate students already
are in or can be in a lot of debt from their undergraduate years and now having
to only add to that debt while in graduate school. On top of cutting paying for tuitions the
University wanted to lower the pay for the TA’s. It is so interesting to see
this in action because in my eyes I completely see why people were upset with
this. If anything I do not think that the University should have lowered wages
if they were planning on cutting tuitions. In this case particularly the
structure favored administration because the school had to make budget changes
and cuts due to funding. It just bothers me when the school could be paying
better salaries to TA’s if not pay for their tuition because they are the ones
who are educating the students here on campus. They dedicate time to have discussions,
and further explain and provide guidance to what professors teach us which in
many cases is a great help to succeed in certain courses. However, in stead
administration finds the need to be paying or increasing salaries and budgets
for our athletic teams. By no means do I think college sports does not deserve
attention but I do think that the way administration sometimes budgets is not
in the best interest for all the students but instead in the interest of the
University image.
Now
being a senior and having roommates who are TAs for the same class, they
themselves complain about how the salary compensation is so low compared to the
number of hours they put in teaching the discussion courses and grading their
quizzes and coming up with their quizzes and etc. It is hard to say how this
could be restructured to favor the students because it really just depends on
the administration and where they want to allocate their money, however, I do
think that in instances such as this, administration needs to take another look
at what really is important and beneficial to everyone.
If my counting is correct, you were a freshman in 2008-2009. This is when the economy was at its worst. Further, the State of Illinois was not fulfilling its obligation about the promised funding for the Campus. (It ultimately did but not in a timely way.) Also there were leadership issues at the University - due to the Admissions scandal - and in the Governor's office.
ReplyDeleteNone of this excuses how the Campus treated the graduate students, but it should be understood in that light. Way back when I was a grad student, I was on a fellowship my first year. I mistakenly thought that it was guaranteed for the whole time. It was not. When cuts in spending have to be made, and made quickly, the Campus will cut spending where it can. The graduate students are, unfortunately, vulnerable because there isn't an ongoing commitment.