University of Iowa grad students protest fees and low wages
By Erin Jordan, The Gazette, Cedar Rapids, Iowa | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
"My family of four is below the federal poverty line," said Kedley, of
The Campaign to Organize Graduate Students (COGS) released a paper Friday describing financial insecurity faced by UI graduate students. The union reports 33 percent of UI graduate students earn wages that put them below the poverty level. Mandatory fees, which have increased 500 percent in 14 years, eat into grad students' meager earnings, COGS President
One reason for low pay is many UI departments provide only quarter-time or one-third-time teaching appointments to grad students, she said.
UI Graduate College Dean John Keller said the UI has encouraged departments to offer half-time appointments when feasible, but some programs offer quarter-time or one-third-time positions to spread limited resources to more students.
"Currently, graduate assistants at a 25 percent appointment or greater, receive full tuition and benefits allocations," Keller said in an email to The Gazette Friday.
Some universities, including the University of
COGS has asked the UI to reduce fees for several years, Keller said, but the university's position is that all students -- undergraduate and graduate -- pay fees to support university facilities and services.
"It is true that mandatory fees have increased over time, but each mandatory fee, whether a new fee or an increase to an existing mandatory fee is specifically discussed with student leadership before being submitted for approval by the (
Keller said it's hard to pin a decline in grad school enrollment on the financial burden faced by for grad students. He said the UI still is in the top quarter of
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