Alex Kvaskov and Kanchi Uttamchandani | News Team
Featured image: Graduate students and union staff have spoken out against the funding model, saying it lacks transparency. | Cedric Cruz
York’s new graduate funding model has finally rolled out this fall, prompting a stormy response from the community. The changes come amid a frosty atmosphere between the university and CUPE 3903, the union representing contract faculty at York, after Vice-President Academic and Provost Rhonda Lenton walked out of a meeting with CUPE.
Graduate students and union staff have spoken out against the funding model, saying it lacks transparency and deprives students of funding.
‘Pure retaliation against CUPE 3903’
Maija Duncan, communications officer for CUPE, says some of the issues facing the union include cuts of 670 graduate assistantships, or GAs, union-busting and lack of summer funding. The 670 figure was an estimate provided to CUPE by York. She says the union is taking legal and political action against the funding model.
GAs are typically involved in organizing conferences, working on journals and performing administrative work for graduate departments and research work with faculty members.
“The Faculty of Graduate studies, [or FGS], has cut most—if not all—of the GAs that they used to fund. They have also added an 80 per cent surcharge to the cost of hiring a GA for faculty members. This has made it unaffordable for many faculty members to hire GAs of their own,” says Duncan.
There is nothing stopping people from applying for these positions, but cuts to hundreds of jobs make the term “union-busting” more than appropriate, adds Duncan.
Grad students weigh in
Jeffrey Zavala, master’s of environmental studies candidate, says that York keeps making supportive statements about mental health, but continues to cut benefits and extensions.
“The issue at stake is that the university is shifting from a model of funding students through employment to the fellowship model,” he says. “This reduces GAs and employment by expecting students to now volunteer their time on various committees or work placement positions, such as unpaid internships.”
Environmental studies doctoral student Julie Chamberlain says the new model is not transparent. She says students received no information ahead of time, aside from the broad strokes about fellowships.
“They can call it ‘simplification’ and ‘transparency’ if they want, but we can see that when graduate students aren’t members of CUPE, it has real effects on their well-being,” she says.
“I think it shouldn’t be lost on anyone that this change is happening the year after CUPE members went on strike and were successful in achieving most of our demands,” she adds. According to Chamberlain, a reduction in unionized positions helps York save money.
Master’s of environmental studies student Michaela Kennedy says her biggest concern about the new model is the cuts to healthcare benefits.
“Access to benefits that cover massage and physio, as well as prescription coverage, has allowed me to stay in school,” she says.
“My migraines have been so bad that it would be difficult to function, let alone complete schoolwork, without these funds,” she adds.
York University Graduate Students’ Association, or YUGSA, President Mina Rajabi Paak believes that the new model is not a real investment in graduate funding. “The new model simply shifts the currently available funds around and works within an austerity budget that YUGSA strongly opposes,” she says.
York responds to claims
Barbara Joy of York media says FGS has been consulting with all relevant stakeholders for the past year to develop an approach to graduate student funding aimed at supporting student success, enhancing the amount of graduate funding and simplifying the funding model.
Joy explains that master’s students will be provided with a fellowship as a core component of their funding package, as well as a Health Care Graduate Bursary, which was developed in coordination with the YUGSA.
She adds that GA positions will continue to be offered in addition to the fellowship funding.
“The university and CUPE agreed in the last round of negotiations that GAs will be posted with job descriptions and work expectations. The GA postings will enable graduate students to see what positions are available and enable faculty members to interview and select individuals to work with them,” says Joy.
Joy maintains the new model is in compliance with CUPE’s collective agreements, specifically with regards to satisfying the minimum guarantee funding requirement through incorporation of the fellowship component.
“Graduate students will receive the fellowship in equal installments each term, which will provide them with greater flexibility to manage their funding over the year,” clarifies Joy.
