MEMBERS OF THE ACADEMIC SENATE, SAN DIEGO DIVISION
Academic Senate Message on Fall 2022 Graduate Independent Study, Research and Teaching Course Grades
With the ongoing strike by Graduate Student Researchers (GSR) and Academic Student Employees (teaching assistants/readers/tutors), represented by the UAW, questions have arisen about the difference between work for which a student is being paid and might be striking, and academic studies for which a graduate student is enrolled in a course. The issue emerges most directly with regards to graduate courses for independent study and research (298s and 299s) and teaching (500s). In some departments, these courses are designed to be taken by GSRs in concert with either training or research activities (298, 299) or when conducting instruction as a teaching assistant (500). GSRs and TAs are typically paid for ~50% of their time. The key question is whether paid work as a GSR or TA can be separated from their academic effort in 298, 299, and 500 courses.
The UC Administration has taken the view that if a student is taking a course for academic credit, it is not an employment activity. From this perspective, the academic requirement for coursework associated with their research must be fulfilled by graduate students and if it is not, a U, or Unsatisfactory, grade is appropriate.
The UAW, however, considers withholding participation in research courses for GSRs and in teaching courses for TAs to be a protected activity. From this perspective, striking students cannot be required to participate in these courses, and U grades due to strike participation are not appropriate. The UAW has acted on their opinion by filing charges with the California Public Employee Relations Board in cases where they feel UC employees have violated the Higher Education Employer-Employee Relations Act (HEERA) by asking students to continue their participation in research and teaching classes while on strike. In these cases, the UAW has asked Instructors to alter their U grades.
These conflicting interpretations are not likely to be resolved any time soon. Mutually satisfactory resolution of these differences is likely to lead to changes in the graduate funding model and expectations for paid work and academic effort. The Senate is already engaged in working on these issues.
We want to call attention to how different interpretations between paid work and academic work in enrolled courses for Fall 2022 is resulting in conflict on our already polarized campus. Striking students feel anger and betrayal upon receiving U grades because they believe their actions are legally protected. Instructors and Principal Investigators are also feeling anger and betrayal because they are experiencing hostility from some students, even though they are following grading policies as they understand them. We are saddened by this conflict and fear its impact on the long-term relations between faculty mentors and student mentees.
We call for patience and generosity from all sides. The strike will end at some point and then we must rebuild our university community and our faculty-student relationships. Please keep this in mind as you submit grades for graduate students.
