UCSD CAMPUS NOTICE University of California, San Diego |
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OFFICE OF THE VICE CHANCELLOR-RESEARCH AND DEAN, GRADUATE STUDIES December 3, 1998 Dear Student: Below is a copy of a letter I have just sent out to all parents of undergraduates at UCSD concerning the TA strike. I'm sure you will want to discuss this with your parents. I would be happy to hear from any of you who have comments or questions. I truly hope the TA strike is not having an adverse effect on your education at UCSD. Sincerely, Richard Attiyeh Dean of Graduate Studies University of California, San Diego 9500 Gilman Drive La Jolla, California 92093-0003 619/534-6654 (phone) rattiyeh@ucsd.edu (e-mail) __________________________ December 1, 1998 Dear Parents, This letter is to alert you to a strike by some UCSD graduate students who function in many undergraduate classrooms as Teaching Assistants (TA). We want to assure you that our faculty and administration feel a deep responsibility to maintain classroom instruction during this time. We have taken the necessary steps to insure that classes are held, final exams are administered, and grades posted on time. However, we apologize if your student has experienced any educational interruptions during the strike. It may be helpful if we explain the University's position on this matter. Teaching Assistants are graduate students who, while pursuing their studies, also assist faculty in teaching courses. TAs work closely with the faculty by conducting laboratory or discussion sections that relate to materials presented by the faculty instructor during a previous lecture. TAs also help grade assignments and exams, and provide personal tutoring. The TAs play an important role on the campus. The graduate students who are participating in the strike are affiliated with the Association of Student Employees /United Automobile Workers (ASE/UAW). The labor union seeks to force the University to grant these students the right to collectively bargain as employees. It is the University of California's view, however, that TAs are first and foremost students. University policy stipulates that only graduate students can serve as TAs. (When there are not enough graduate students available, advanced undergraduates or qualified non-students are appointed as Tutors.) This is based on our belief that serving as a TA is critical to the educational development of well-prepared and trained graduate students. In fact, there is no better method of learning a topic, and how to teach it, than to get practice under the guidance of an experienced faculty member. Because serving as a TA is a vital component of graduate education, most departments require this experience, just as they require course work and original research. The University believes that the law does not support unionization of TAs. The California Court of Appeals ruled in 1992 that TAs at UC Berkeley were not employees under the Higher Education Employer-Employee Relations Act and are not subject to collective bargaining. Further, the Court agreed with the University's position that collective bargaining would interfere with the student-teacher relationship that is central to the quality of graduate education. Arguments made in support of unionization suggest that the status of the TA is one of uncertainty and without sufficient compensation. There is no question that serving as a TA takes time and commitment. That effort yields substantial educational dividends, and our TAs are well compensated. University policy limits TA appointments to 50% time, or no more than an average of 20 hours of effort per week. A recent survey of public universities placed the compensation received by UCSD's TAs in the top ten in the country. They receive over $16,000 in salary and fee remission for the nine-month academic year, which amounts to more than $24 per hour. TAs are selected because of their academic preparation; evaluations of this preparation are based on the experience and judgment of the faculty. The UAW, in its efforts to unionize at UC Berkeley, has made it clear that it wants seniority to be a primary factor in hiring. We do not concur. And we believe that parents would want their student's TA to be selected on academic merit, not on seniority. We at UCSD believe that this issue is not one of student vs. the administration, but one of the University fulfilling its public obligation to provide the highest quality educational environment for all of its students. Having a union would transform our faculty-graduate student relationship into an employer-employee relationship. Our discussions would change from academic development and student matters to an individual union's rules about collective bargaining. In fact, because we believe so strongly that unionization of TAs would be detrimental to the quality of the education we provide to our graduate and undergraduate students, we cannot in good conscience agree to collective bargaining just to avoid this strike. Please understand that our decisions have the interests of our present and future students as our highest priority. Please do not hesitate to let me know if you have any questions or concerns. If I am unable to respond directly, I will ask one of my associates to get back to you as soon as possible. Sincerely, Richard Attiyeh Dean of Graduate Studies |