I read with interest the recent guest editorial regarding a union for graduate assistants at Iowa State University. As students consider this option, I hope they will reflect on the mission of graduate education. Graduate students learn at an advanced level, contribute to human knowledge through scholarship and discovery and gain credentials valued by employers in various sectors of our economy.
While the cost of graduate school may be paid by the student or their employer, many graduate students accept assistantship appointments that defray costs. Assistantship experiences are educational. As apprenticeships in teaching, research or administration, assistantships enhance students’ academic programs through experiential learning and experience. Assistantships are awarded only to students, and graduate assistants are students first.
Graduate assistants receive multifaceted support packages. The financial support helps to make graduate school affordable and recognizes the value of graduate assistants’ academic contributions. Receiving a competitive stipend is of particular importance to many graduate assistants. Iowa State’s minimum stipend is $19,674 for a typical appointment from August through May. This amount compares favorably with stipends at other universities in our region, and Iowa State’s minimum stipend of $26,232 for 12-month appointments is higher than that at the University of Iowa.
Support packages for graduate assistants also include:
- stipends that may exceed the university minimum,
- resident tuition regardless of residency (spouses qualify with prior approval),
- tuition scholarships up to 100% of students’ costs,
- reduced mandatory fees valued at $311 per year,
- no-cost health insurance with summer coverage, a value of $2,328,
- subsidized health coverage for dependents (optional),
- subsidized dental insurance, with more than half of premium costs covered by the university (optional),
- support beyond health insurance for injuries incurred while performing GA duties and
- bridge funding in the event of a childbirth or adoption, or to help manage a short-term injury or illness.
Other no-cost services are available to all graduate students, including Graduate Career Services, the Center for Communication Excellence, the Preparing Future Faculty program and the Emerging Leaders Academy.
Graduate education at Iowa State has a long and distinguished history. The first graduate degree was conferred in 1877. The Graduate College, which traces its origin to 1913, focuses on the needs of graduate students and offers coursework, programs and services that promote student success. The Graduate College is here to partner with students, faculty and staff to sustain Iowa State as a premier destination for graduate-level study. I invite anyone in the campus community to contact me with ideas and suggestions for improving our support packages for graduate assistants.
The Graduate College’s partnership with students is especially important because of changes in Iowa’s collective bargaining laws (Iowa Code Chapter 20) that took effect in 2017. Today, the only aspect of graduate assistantship appointments that public universities are required to negotiate is the minimum stipend. Many issues of concern to graduate assistants are specifically excluded by law from the scope of collective bargaining negotiations. These include supplemental pay, such as tuition and fee coverage, insurance and evaluation procedures, among other issues. Instead, graduate assistants should discuss ideas and concerns with the Graduate College, graduate program directors, faculty advisers, academic departments, the Ombuds Office and other university units.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out and let us know how we can best support you.
