To our undergraduate colleagues, alumni, and other supporters of "A Petition to Fund the Graduate Employees of the Department of Computer and Information Science":
Bruce Blonigen, the Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences (CAS), got back to us about the petition (his response is included below). The University of Oregon has decided to break the promise it made to graduate employees (GEs) in CIS when they moved to Eugene and enrolled at UO: a promise to pay a competitive stipend, which, in the field of computing, is also a living wage.
We disagree with the university's decision. We will continue to engage with Bruce and other decision makers in an effort to get things changed (our immediate response to Bruce is also included below). Nevertheless, the term is beginning soon and our contracts have now started. Appropriate pay realignments don't look likely at this point.
This particular decision, and prior decisions to not properly fund GEs, obviously has an impact on the quality of life for graduate employees. (How can we buy food and pay rent on a net salary of ~$1,500/month against an economic backdrop where median monthly rent for a 1-bedroom apartment in Eugene is now above $1,000?) These impacts also directly affect the ability of the department to teach undergraduates and conduct innovative research.
Some CIS faculty and GEs have expressed longstanding concerns about the number of GEs available to teach classes, lead labs, and grade undergraduate coursework. This decision only exacerbates these worries. Many GEs are faced with a choice each year to continue in academia or leave for fulfilling, lucrative roles in the private sector. Continuing to offer laughably low pay for highly skilled tech workers will not make this decision easier, and has already begun to impact the quality of research and teaching in the CIS department. We know of talented GEs deciding to leave UO and of potential graduate students deciding not to apply.
As the new academic year begins we will be working closely with the CIS faculty and the CAS administration to find a solution. In the meantime, we promise to do everything in our power to be the best researchers/lab leaders/teachers that we can be. We are so grateful for the many supporting signatures the petition received. We will not leave you behind, and we look forward to working alongside you in teaching and research as we forge ahead into this new academic year.
Best,
The Graduate Employees of CIS
-------- Forwarded Message --------
Subject: Re: A Petition to Fund the Graduate Employees of the Department of Computer and Information Science Date: Tue, 21 Sep 2021 10:44:44 -0700 From: The Graduate Employees of CIS <sam@cs.uoregon.edu> Reply-To: grads-mail@cs.uoregon.edu To: Bruce Blonigen <bruceb@uoregon.edu> CC: Hal Sadofsky <sadofsky@uoregon.edu>, faculty@cs.uoregon.edu, grads-mail@cs.uoregon.edu, Jamie Moffitt <jmoffitt@uoregon.edu>, Mark Schmelz <mschmelz@uoregon.edu>, provost@uoregon.edu, pres@uoregon.edu
Dear Bruce,
Thank you for taking the time to consider our petition. We understand that there are many levels of bureaucratic and budgetary considerations that contribute to these decisions. Nevertheless, we are disappointed.
Noting that the university has recently celebrated major gifts from generous donors, President Schill has publicly announced that undergraduate enrollment looks very strong, the endowment has grown tremendously, overall grant amounts at the department level seem healthy, and the legislature has allocated $900 million to higher education, we want to partner with you to understand why CAS doesn't have a mere ~$100k to adequately compensate its GEs in CIS. We've demonstrated that we lag behind fellow GEs at UO and peers in computing programs elsewhere, even when considering GTFF+UO's appreciable healthcare benefits. At this point, many of us are wondering how financially feasible it is to stay in our graduate programs.
We will be working with the faculty in the CIS department and other stakeholders to find solutions that work for everyone, including providing proposals for CAS' annual evaluation of our pay. We look forward to working with you more to resolve these issues.
Best of luck in the new academic year,
The Graduate Employees of CIS
(P.S.: although these emails come from sam@cs.uoregon.edu, any emails signed by "The Graduate Employees of CIS" are collaboratively written and voted on by all of us through our department's internal graduate Slack workspace and associated meetings. If possible, we would appreciate future replies to be sent to grads-mail@cs.uoregon.edu.)
On 9/17/2021 7:16 AM, Bruce Blonigen wrote:
Dear Sam,
Thank you for your petition, and we understand the concerns you have. The CIS program is not alone in these concerns, given the many graduate programs at the UO and in the College of Arts and Sciences. As we have discussed with you in a number of prior exchanges, there are two ways changes to GE stipend levels occur in our College. First, we evaluate ALL programs on an annual basis to understand where they are relative to external comparators and adjust whenever we have any available funds. Unfortunately, our financial situation in the College has been very challenging and we have not had additional funds in recent years. Second, the primary vehicle for GE stipend adjustments is through collective bargaining that occurs between the administration and the GTFF. Considering a unique raise in stipends for one subset of graduate students outside of these processes is not something we will consider for a number of reasons, including equity issues with respect to other graduate students in the College and at the University.
Best,
Bruce
Tykeson DeanPhilip H. Knight Professor of Social ScienceCollege of Arts and SciencesUniversity of OregonEugene, OR 97403Ph: 541-346-4680
From: Graduate Employees of CIS <sam@cs.uoregon.edu>
Sent: Monday, September 13, 2021 8:00 AM
To: Bruce Blonigen <bruceb@uoregon.edu>; Hal Sadofsky <sadofsky@uoregon.edu>
Cc: Jamie Moffitt <jmoffitt@uoregon.edu>; Provost <provost@uoregon.edu>; President Michael Schill <pres@uoregon.edu>; faculty@cs.uoregon.edu <faculty@cs.uoregon.edu>; grads-mail@cs.uoregon.edu <grads-mail@cs.uoregon.edu>
Subject: A Petition to Fund the Graduate Employees of the Department of Computer and Information ScienceDear Dr. Bruce Blonigen and Dr. Hal Sadofsky:
Attached to this email is an electronic courtesy copy of "A Petition to Fund the Graduate Employees of the Department of Computer and Information Science." The petition will be physically sent and delivered later today. We look forward to your response.
Best,
The Graduate Employees of the Department of Computer and Information Science