Formation of Graduate Student Collective

Students recognized the growing financial and emotional challenges of themselves and their peers. Met and formed the GSC to collect, analyze, and present data to UR administrators for help.

Sent out the survey

Sent out survey and petition to School of Medicine and Dentistry (SMD) and Arts, Sciences and Engineering (AS&E) graduate students.

Nearly 500 survey participants shared challenges associated with being low-income grad student workers. 1083 signatories (including students, faculty, alumni) agreed that stipend increases were urgent. Complete analysis of survey results.

Open letter to the administrators

GSC sends open letter (email) to the UR administration detailing three demands.

• Raise all current graduate student stipends to meet the calculated livable wage for Rochester ($34,741).
• Guarantee that health insurance (including vision, dental, and health fees) is covered in full for graduate students.
• Adhere to an inflation-dependent annual stipend increase between 2.5-7%.

First meeting with the administration

President Mangelsdorf did not attend the pre-scheduled meeting. In her place, Vice Provost Sturge-Apple and Provost Figlio attended.

Promise for an action plan!

UR President's Office responds to GSC email promising an action plan by no later than September 1, 2022.

SMD Dean Rick Libby delayed meeting with the collective.

AS&E Dean Nick Vamivakas declined request for a meeting with the collective.

President announces mandatory provision of health-insurance to all full-time Ph.D. Students

Announcement does not specify that the financial burden will be placed on individual departments to pay for coverage. Announcement includes that they are "working with the deans of each school in a University-wide review of our stipend structures in our PhD programs."

Deadline for an action plan passes with no contact from the administration.

A trial childcare subsidy program released

Office of the Provost emails university Ph.D. students to introduce a limited childcare subsidy program for rollout in Jan. 2023. Promises more information on eligibility will be shared with students in November.

If you missed this announcement, you can find it here.

Meeting #2 with the administration

Eight Graduate Student Collective (GSC) representatives met with the Vice Provost and the University Dean of Graduate Education - Melissa Sturge-Apple, AS&E Dean of Graduate Education - Nick Vamivakas, and SMD Associate Dean of Graduate Education - Richard Libby.

GSC asked about the timeline for stipend evaluation. We were told that stipends would be assessed as part of the overall departmental reviews going on in AS&E but no timeline was communicated. GSC asked for graduate student input and representation in these discussions and is told to exercise existing avenues such as the GSS and GSA.

Administration ceases communication with the Graduate Student Collective (GSC)

In our follow-up emails with Vice Provost Struge-Apple, we were informed that the Provost Office is ceasing further communication with the GSC. Citing that they will "be using existing student leadership organizations for this [issue]".

Application to recognize the collective is denied

The AS&E Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs (GEPA) office denies the Graduate Student Collective's 12/05/2022 application for formal group recognition. GEPA indicates that the GEPA mission overlaps with the Graduate Student Association (GSA), despite GSA's support for this group.

The Student Collective holds its first town hall meeting with graduate students from across university schools.