[Poscgrad] Grad Student Coordination Around the Funding Issue

[Gregory Hutchins]

Hi Everyone,

Normally I would have waited to reach out until the start of the fall
quarter, but given the ongoing crisis I figured that it would warrant more
immediate communication.

First, I want to thank all of you who reached out to me over the weekend
regarding the limited fall employment opportunities in our department, and
I want to thank Tommy for his due diligence in this matter. I have been in
contact with department leadership, and spent the early afternoon in a
meeting getting fully briefed on the situation. I can tell you that the
department is leaning into this issue, and shares our frustration. I am
also beginning the conversation to connect with folks in various
departments as well as other UCs.

For those of you who are impacted, and have not already done so, please
reach out to either Tommy or myself to be added to the WhatsApp group where
we will be sharing various resources to assist with employment as we
approach the fall term. Additionally, as updates are provided to me, I will
make sure that all relevant information is disseminated to all you.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions, or talk about
this and other department issues. You can reach me either via email or my
UCR direct line (951)-827-0592.

Best,

Gregory Blake Hutchins, M.A.
GSA President, Department of Political Science
Chief of Staff and Lead GSR, Inland Empire Labor and Community Center
UC Advocacy Officer, UCR Graduate Student Association
Budget Engagement Commissioner, City of Riverside
University of California, Riverside

www.gregbhutchins.com
Phone: 951-827-0592
Twitter: @GregBHutchins
Instagram: GregBHutchins

On Mon, Jul 15, 2024 at 2:05 PM Thomas Kegler via Poscgrad <
poscgrad at lists.ucr.edu> wrote:

> Hi All,
>
> On Friday, it was announced to about a third of the department (15 out of
> 46) students that they would not be provided TAships next quarter and thus
> not be funded unless they find outside funding. These cuts affect students
> admitted as recently as the rising 4th year cohort. Everyone should be
> aware of this as it is a drastic shift in the norms of the department and
> security of funding into the coming years.
>
> For those who were affected, I have spent the greater part of today trying
> to find employment in any department even slightly related to the
> humanities/social sciences. There are exceptionally few, if any, roles
> available. I hope some of you have been able to find alternate funding in
> the past couple days, but I am quickly realizing that securing jobs for
> next year is going to be quite difficult (other departments are also facing
> the same issues) and thus this may be a significantly larger labor issue.
>
> Additionally, I've reached out to colleagues at UCSD and UCSC who are both
> reporting very similar cuts to TAships in the coming year. I am unsure if
> this is a completely university-wide issue or an issue within a few
> campuses, but that is also something to be aware of and it would be useful
> to know if anyone has heard anything from other UCs.
>
> This is an issue that should be front and center in the department as it
> is about the capacity for our colleagues to continue being alive. I am
> creating a whatsapp group to coordinate action and grievances and also to
> help share funding opportunities into the next year as they arise
> (hopefully we can collectively get as many people funded as possible).
> Please send me your phone number if you would like to be added to the group.
>
> Looking forward to hearing about how others are doing in this trying time.
>
> Best,
> Tommy Kegler
> _______________________________________________
> Poscgrad mailing list
> Poscgrad at lists.ucr.edu
> https://lists.ucr.edu/mailman/listinfo/poscgrad
>


-- 
Gregory Blake Hutchins, M.A.
GSA President, Department of Political Science
Chief of Staff and Lead GSR, Inland Empire Labor and Community Center
UC Advocacy Officer, UCR Graduate Student Association
Budget Engagement Commissioner, City of Riverside
University of California, Riverside

www.gregbhutchins.com
Phone: 951-827-0592
Twitter: @GregBHutchins
Instagram: GregBHutchins
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