Awesome, then perhaps the Fortune 50 company should endow some Professorships (or Grad Fellowships) to reimburse the state public Uni for training its new Exec.
^^^^ Why? Should we also demand companies endow professorships to reimburse state public universities for training their new accountants, IT staff, marketing people?
Isn’t this in fact a symbiotic relationship with schools supplying trained people and companies hiring them? Just what kind of societal changes do you want to implement to save universities from paying a living wage to their TAs?
If we should ask anything of these huge corporations it’s to pay their fair share of taxes, since this is a corporation that didn’t pay any in 2018. All kinds of societal problems would be solved then, including decent wages for TAs.
Actually, it’s quite common. A B-school receives lotsa $ support from the Big Four accounting firms, for example. More importantly, educating IT undergrads, who are paying for UC tuition, and their own cost of living, is much much different than a 5-8 year PhD student who is on a full ride (albeit based on what the Uni considers full $ support.)
Judging by constant university budget shortages and the obviously inadequate TA salaries paid at UCSC (and elsewhere) – it’s not common enough, LOL.
A lot of university research is of little to no value. Grad students publish in some obscure journal read by a handful of other grad students. The impact and citation statistics bear this out. A lot of this can be thought of as a jobs program for the over-educated.
No, their research helps to further our understanding of the world and gives them practice for future research. This is literally one of competitive advantages of this country.
The definition of UNIVERSITY implies a very broad approach to learning. There are schools that offer only subjects “of value” as you put it. I assume you’re referring to subjects that directly lead to jobs. We’ve got schools like that, they’re called trade schools. Universities and trade schools serve very different missions.
Much research which goes on today and seems (especially to amateurs) “useless” becomes of huge value tomorrow. It’s why the most technologically advanced nations are also ones with the most sophisticated universities. Because they understand that.
No, I’m not just being contrary. The value of TA’s, and of college itself, is being grossly overstated here.
@roethlisburger said it well in #84.
Also remember that 2 out of 3 people in the US do not have a bachelor’s degree. I’m not the one needing convincing of the value of TA’s and universities. They are. And they have spoken by saying they will not be a slush fund for people to practice research that will likely disappear into a black hole. They are, in no way, “amateurs.”
College is a good fit for some, but not all people. The contributions of ALL people is how we command respect in the international community.
And you think belittling education and abstract research is the way to command respect in the international community?
I guess the students’ real beef should be with their colleagues at other campuses who voted to approve the contract.
(Welcome to a majority vote and a downside to statewide representation.)
http://goodtimes.sc/santa-cruz-news/ucsc-grad-students-respond-firing-admin/
@bluebayou - From the article - “organizers say that it must not be paid for by increasing undergraduate tuition.” I think it is admirable that the students don’t want tuition to increase, but I’m not sure where else the schools will get the money to increase the stipend.
Wow the anti-intellectualism is appalling. How exactly have they spoken? I don’t think they would object to increased funding for public schools/colleges. Especially when they have kids who would be attending those schools.
Research helps us to apply the knowledge we have learned in a practical way. You’re way underrating it. There are other things we can cut with regards to universities if need be.
They kinda have spoken, through huge cuts to the UC budget over a long period of time.
^I meant the US as a whole not just California.
The second most technologically advanced country in the world is China. Do you think they spend a lot of money on research in gender studies? Does Tsinghua even have a gender studies department?
Not that long ago, an increase in OOS/international students caused a big political uproar that led to the cap on OOS/international students.
Also, the Michigan model runs the flagship much more like a private university where SES background of the students skews much higher than at any UC (Michigan policies that make it more difficult for those from low SES backgrounds include CSS Noncustodial Profile, legacy preference until very recently, and poor transfer credit articulation from Michigan community colleges). Going to that model would move away from UCs’ commitment to increase opportunity for those California residents from lower SES backgrounds. Of course, this commitment does require greater financial aid expense than in the model that Michigan and many other states use.
Why didn’t the union negotiate pay levels that vary between campuses based on cost of living?
great question, which is something that the UCSC grad students should have raised when they voted overwhelmingly to reject the contract. But they maybe stuck with the outcome – not sure if they even have the legal ability to quit the statewide UAW rep and sign up with another rep. (they’ve been statewide with the UAW since 1998.)
The article cited in posts #89 & #96 above contains a noteworthy error with respect to current tuition charged residents & non-residents at UC-Santa Cruz.
The article puts the figures at $14,000 & $30,000 when the actual school year tuition for non-residents is significantly high at slightly over $43,000, not just $30,000.
P.S. The article suggests that the primary reason that the UC-Santa Cruz TAs opposed the current contract was not the $2,4000 a month salary, but the meager 3% annual cost-of-living increase.
Also, I have read of several TA hardship cases. Not sympathetic to the ones described as the matter is in the control of the TAs & spouse. For example: One hardship case because TA’s spouse lost his or her job. (So get another job. This is a strong economy.) Others cite expected birth of a child. (Now who’s fault is that ? Simply a case of poor & irresponsible planning.)
As far as for ungraded student work: All should just be given a grade of “pass” unless it would result in a substantial hardship for the individual student.