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I agree that striking when its convenient is worthless, but at the same time, I have various emails from my direct TAs and the COLA organization as a whole ment

I agree that striking when its convenient is worthless, but at the same time, I have various emails from my direct TAs and the COLA organization as a whole mentioning the intent is to not harm undergrads, but here we are... Additionally, I'm not sure where youre getting the students are "entitled". I work and take loans out in order to go to this school, takes classes, and receive my grades. Am I entitled for wanting what I pay for? The administration is not withholding grades, the graduates are. I understand that they're doing it as a result of the administration, but why are we (undergraduates) sitting in the middle taking heat from both sides? I'm happy you would be out there striking as thats your right, but to call me entitled is a tad bit much no? The response on the UCSC subreddit is similar - youre either entitled or a bootlicker if you don't join the cause. I am unsure how that is supposed to make me support the cause?

anonsivalley652 7y ago
Name calling, binary thinking and whining aren't constructive. Good luck in the real world if you haven't yet learned the Golden Rule or grown thicker skin, because a degree won't matter if your attitude is reactive or poor.
- valid4life 7y ago
  > Name Calling I did not mean to come across this way or call you any names - can you point where I did so I won't repeat it? My skin is plenty thick, and this back and forth isn't meant to be whining. I'm just curious about your approach to this and it is fun to hear others perspectives, especially on such a polarizing topic. I'm a little perplexed on this reply to be honest. How is this constructive? I'm open to hearing how you think I can improve and help me understand how my attitude is reactive or poor.
  - dang 7y ago
    I'm the lead moderator here. Your comments are fine, you didn't call names, and you're welcome here. I hope you'll continue to particpate!
    - valid4life 7y ago
      Thank you! Been a lurker for a long time now at the suggestion of a coworker. I felt like a could contribute a different perspective in this thread so I made the account. Appreciate the work you do moderating!
- dang 7y ago
  You've broken the site guidelines repeatedly in this thread and now have even crossed into personal attack. That's not ok, so please stop. It's especially not ok to harass a new user in this way; who are we if that's how we treat people who are trying to join this community? https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
detaro 7y ago
> The administration is not withholding grades It clearly has the resources to provide you with your grades, it's not like the specific grad students are the only ones being able to grade random undergrad work. It appears it's failing to provide the service you pay it for.
- valid4life 7y ago
  You're absolutely right in that they have the resources to get these graded. Another comment I posted down below describes my grade situation and how I've been asked to help grade (for pay). I imagine in six months time I'll have my grades, but the wait is absolutely wrong. Other students are attempting to graduate, but their requirements are not met because of withheld grades by their TAs. Can they afford another quarter or two while the UC gathers new graders? Who knows.
  - asdff 7y ago
    The university is preventing people from graduating, not the TAs. The university could have professors grade their own exams. The university could hire undergraduates like you to grade exams. The university could also let anyone graduate that they want, the university is the body that enforces these requirements, not the TAs. They could send a memo tomorrow saying they would aggregate your other grades, or let you graduate provisionally, or waive whatever requirement the university itself has put in place, but they aren't because by not doing so they turn undergraduates like you against graduates. And from the looks of your comments they have succeeded.
    - saagarjha 7y ago
      And this is exactly what my professor has done in response to the graduate student strikes: she is some grading assignments herself and has dropped ones that she no longer has time for. I will probably receive my grades on time, and if I don’t I’m going to be a lot more annoyed at the university for not working something out than I will be at my TA (who has already submitted grades for assignments due before the strike).
  - 7y ago
thanatosmin 7y ago
This situation is also a consequence of poor management at UCSC. Every other university I'm familiar with makes faculty responsible for submitting grades. It's inconceivable to me, as someone in the UC system, why TAs would be responsible for grades. TAs should be teaching assistants, not adjunct faculty.

anonsivalley652 7y ago

Name calling, binary thinking and whining aren't constructive. Good luck in the real world if you haven't yet learned the Golden Rule or grown thicker skin, because a degree won't matter if your attitude is reactive or poor.

valid4life 7y ago
> Name Calling I did not mean to come across this way or call you any names - can you point where I did so I won't repeat it? My skin is plenty thick, and this back and forth isn't meant to be whining. I'm just curious about your approach to this and it is fun to hear others perspectives, especially on such a polarizing topic. I'm a little perplexed on this reply to be honest. How is this constructive? I'm open to hearing how you think I can improve and help me understand how my attitude is reactive or poor.
- dang 7y ago
  I'm the lead moderator here. Your comments are fine, you didn't call names, and you're welcome here. I hope you'll continue to particpate!
  - valid4life 7y ago
    Thank you! Been a lurker for a long time now at the suggestion of a coworker. I felt like a could contribute a different perspective in this thread so I made the account. Appreciate the work you do moderating!
dang 7y ago
You've broken the site guidelines repeatedly in this thread and now have even crossed into personal attack. That's not ok, so please stop. It's especially not ok to harass a new user in this way; who are we if that's how we treat people who are trying to join this community? https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html

detaro 7y ago

> The administration is not withholding grades It clearly has the resources to provide you with your grades, it's not like the specific grad students are the only ones being able to grade random undergrad work. It appears it's failing to provide the service you pay it for.

valid4life 7y ago
You're absolutely right in that they have the resources to get these graded. Another comment I posted down below describes my grade situation and how I've been asked to help grade (for pay). I imagine in six months time I'll have my grades, but the wait is absolutely wrong. Other students are attempting to graduate, but their requirements are not met because of withheld grades by their TAs. Can they afford another quarter or two while the UC gathers new graders? Who knows.
- asdff 7y ago
  The university is preventing people from graduating, not the TAs. The university could have professors grade their own exams. The university could hire undergraduates like you to grade exams. The university could also let anyone graduate that they want, the university is the body that enforces these requirements, not the TAs. They could send a memo tomorrow saying they would aggregate your other grades, or let you graduate provisionally, or waive whatever requirement the university itself has put in place, but they aren't because by not doing so they turn undergraduates like you against graduates. And from the looks of your comments they have succeeded.
  - saagarjha 7y ago
    And this is exactly what my professor has done in response to the graduate student strikes: she is some grading assignments herself and has dropped ones that she no longer has time for. I will probably receive my grades on time, and if I don’t I’m going to be a lot more annoyed at the university for not working something out than I will be at my TA (who has already submitted grades for assignments due before the strike).
- 7y ago

thanatosmin 7y ago

This situation is also a consequence of poor management at UCSC. Every other university I'm familiar with makes faculty responsible for submitting grades. It's inconceivable to me, as someone in the UC system, why TAs would be responsible for grades. TAs should be teaching assistants, not adjunct faculty.