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U-Michigan graduate student workers on strike, seeking better pay and benefits

8 points by elashri 4y ago

jleyank 4y ago
What happens when the university reclassifies them as workers and asks for tuition? I did all this in ancient times, and TA’s were just students whose prof lacked the money to support them. There’s way better instructors than 2nd year grad students. And non-students can devote (far) more time to the students paying the money.
- elashri 4y ago
  > What happens when the university reclassifies them as workers and asks for tuition On the span of grad school (at least for PhDs) it will be better. Let's do the math for UM. It will cost ~ 13k per semester (at least for what I checked [1]). You pay tuition when you take classes which is in most cases is only limited to 2 years (some programs less, rarely more) then it is about 52k. Now they will get 14k (per year) increase (that's minimum, if they are workers they will demand more than minimum standard living). This means in a 5 year (standard PhD duration) they will earn at least 70k more. Then they will get a net of 70-52 = 18k. This calculation is very simple. For one fact, if UM reclassifies them, then they will ask for more. More than this, they wouldn't able to pull the stunt they get from charging very high tuition from research grants (after they take 30-50% for admin fees anyway) for students who don't even take classes and in some time outside the country (I know folks being charged while out of US). So at the worst situation, it will be a net positive for graduate students [1] https://ro.umich.edu/tuition-residency/tuition-fees?academic_year=175&college_school=27&full_half_term=35&level_of_study=38 https://ro.umich.edu/tuition-residency/tuition-fees?academic...