On June 29, the University Graduate Student Association (GSA) and Student Government collaborated to release a joint statement in order to address the safety concerns of graduate students for the upcoming fall semester.
University Graduate Student Association President Lexie Malico, a Ph.D student in chemistry, talked about the collaboration between both organizations in the released statement.
“It’s the first time we’ve done a joint statement like this,” Malico said. “And I think it’s also the first time that GSA and Student Government have worked so closely together to address graduate student concerns.”
Work on the statement began June 24, following Chancellor Randy Woodson’s request for administration to increase face-to-face activity in the upcoming fall semester and the Graduate Student Association Town Hall. According to Malico, Student Senate President Coleman Simpson, a second-year graduate student in agricultural and human sciences, sent an inquiry to co-write the statement in order to address issues unresolved by university administrators. Editing and revisions were provided by various graduate students and Student Government legislators, such as the student body president and vice president.
According to Simpson, the focus of the statement was addressing key issues faced by graduate students in light of COVID-19. The statement asks university administration to reverse the 60% face-to-face class requirement, so graduate students are not forced to teach in-person courses and risk contracting COVID-19. Privacy protections are also requested for graduate students to address administrators asking graduate students to reveal personal health information in case they choose not to teach in-person courses over safety concerns.
Confidential report procedures are also requested by the statement for graduate students to report administrative exploitation, such as being pressured to teach in-person courses and academic backlash. The statement also requests a graduate student task force be implemented.
“We ask for a task force that’s chaired by a graduate student and co-chaired by a member of the leadership from the graduate school,” Simpson said. “That can work on addressing COVID-19 grad issues but meeting annually and throughout the year to address long-term graduate issues.”
According to Malico, the statement also serves to address some of the more systemic issues graduate students at NC State have been facing over the past couple of years. The statement asks for the creation of a graduate student Bill of Rights, detailing protections and rights, increased stipends for graduate students and affordable health care.
Graduate students at NC State have faced various issues regarding pay and health care, including $1,228.80 in student fees and a $5,500 out-of-pocket student health care limit, which doubles if the provider is out-of-network, against an average salary of $20,000.
“$27,000 is the living wage approximately in Raleigh, so why are graduate students living below that?” Malico said. “Especially when we’re looking at the current economic situation, how untenable it is and how buying groceries becomes even harder.”
Both Malico and Simpson expressed disappointment over the graduate student town hall, saying too much information only covered basic concerns, much of the information was already relayed through email and the undergraduate student town hall, and that critical concerns were not answered. Attendees during the graduate student town hall were also discontent with the lack of transparency, as the livestream had its chat functions turned off and questions were preselected by administrators.
“I think that administrators gave the answers that were easy in the town hall,” Malico said. “What we’re looking for now are the answers to the hard questions, the difficult questions, the uncomfortable questions. We need to have those answers at this point.”
The statement requests the University respond and adhere to the outlined demands by July 15, followed by supporting signatures from both Student Government legislators, graduate students and undergraduate students.
“We wanted to give the University enough time to actually consider our statement and really talk through some things on their end before chatting with us,” Simpson said. “We didn’t want to give such a quick turnaround, especially since the timing with the Fourth of July.”
For more information, visit the University Graduate Student Association and Student Government website. A link to sign the statement can be found here.
