GEO rallies to challenge reduction in GSI positions

About 35 University of Michigan students and staff gathered in front of the Michigan League Friday morning for a rally challenging LSA’s decision to reduce the number of graduate student instructor positions by 8% this semester. The decision is reflected in changes in the LSA Graduate Student Allocation Guidelines, a policy implemented in February that outlines changes to increase the minimum student enrollment for a course to hire a GSI and a stricter preference for doctoral students in LSA over master’s and professional students. 

The Graduate Employees’ Organization filed two grievances against the University in April and May regarding the lack of notification about the Graduate Student Allocation Guidelines’ implementation and changes to the GSI hiring policy. In an interview with The Michigan Daily at the event, Rackham student Conrad Kosowsky said the University had declined hearings for both grievances, which prompted GEO to initiate arbitration. 

“One grievance is about a notification requirement in our contract, saying they had to tell us that this policy was happening,” Kosowsky said. “They did not notify us that the policy was happening. The second grievance is about the contents of the hiring rules. We have a number of provisions in our collective bargaining agreement … that speak to why LSA shouldn’t be putting in place hiring rules that look like these new policies. They said no to the grievance hearings, so both arguments were denied.” 

In an interview with The Daily at the event, GEO President Nicolas Juarez said he believes the GSI cuts reflect the U-M administration trying to cut costs after GEO won pay raises in 2023. 

“One of the things that we feel is that this is a direct result of the University trying to basically not honor the wins that we won in our most recent contract because we won larger raises,” Juarez said. “It’s obvious the University is trying to pay less people, and a big part of that as well is that they’re increasing the number of classes that a GSI needs to teach.” 

Kosowsky opened the rally and introduced GEO Vice President Ariana Haidari. Haidari said GEO gathered to publicly denounce the University’s decision to decrease the number of GSI positions available.

“Today we are here because the University, by having an $18 billion endowment, has decided to choose austerity and choose to cut positions, rather than to prioritize the quality of education, the workplaces we deserve and generally — as a surprise to no one — doing the right thing,” Haidari said. 

Rita Lee, admissions counselor at Stamps School of Art & Design, spoke after Haidari and said GSIs are a valuable part of the educational experience at the University.

“When I heard about this, I thought a lot about my undergraduate experience,” Lee said. “I wasn’t an LSA student. I was in the art school. At least 40% of my education was given by graduate students like you. And if there’s an undergraduate listening, I’m sure you can relate to this.” 

Lee said they believe that the GSI cuts would lead to fewer classes being offered as there would be fewer GSIs available to teach courses or discussion sections. 

“Students worry all the time that they’re not going to be able to sign up for all the classes, and these GSI cuts are cutting into that,” Lee said. “These GSI cuts are diminishing our abilities to tell students that they’ll graduate in four years if there’s less classes that they can register for. That makes our academic advisors’ jobs harder, that makes my job harder, (and) literally, everyone’s lives a little worse.”

Ryan McCarty, an English language and literature lecturer, came up to use the megaphone to speak but was interrupted as Division of Public Safety & Security officers told GEO organizers that the use of megaphones was not allowed on University property. 

In an email to The Daily, University spokesperson Kay Jarvis said there are no updates to the ongoing arbitration hearings and cited the Guidelines for Use of the University of Michigan Grounds regarding amplified sound. According to Article IV.C of the Guideline for Use of the University of Michigan Grounds, amplification of speeches, music and other sounds require written approval from the associate vice president for facilities and operations outside the exempted hours of 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. 

Rackham student Kathleen Brown came to the front of the crowd to voice her disapproval of the interruption by DPSS.

“It is shameful that this is what the University is doing,” Brown said. “This is a rally about GSI cuts and it tells us that the standards they are applying to Palestine solidarity activists are also being applied to labor. … We demand the reversal of this police state (that bans) the use of megaphones to make our voices heard.”

McCarty continued to speak following the interruption and said the University’s Board of Regents are taking from University faculty and GSIs to increase the University’s endowment. McCarty also said the U-M community must come together to ensure this does not happen. 

“They will take as much as they can from us every time, because they have to,” McCarty said. “And what does that mean that we have to do? Lecturers, grad workers, staff, tenure track faculty, community members, international activists, every single person has to come together and realize that if they have to take from us, we have to take every single bit of it back.”

The crowd then dispersed to begin picketing in front of the Michigan League with signs and chants such as “How do you spell ‘power?’ G, E, O! How do you spell ‘coward?’ O, N, O!”

Kosowsky said in an interview with The Daily that he is teaching a class this semester but is struggling because he has fewer hours of employment as a GSI and more students to teach as a result of the GSI cuts. 

“It will mean that GSIs who are teaching discussion sections, if the number of classroom hours has gone up, that means your GSI will have less time for you,” Koswosky said. “I was teaching the same class last year in the fall, and the number of hours that I’m employed for as a GSI this fall is half of what it was last fall … (and) the number of students in the class has actually gone up. That means that I am still trying to do the best job I can do teaching the class. But it also means that I do have fewer hours to spend on the instruction for my students.”

Daily Staff Reporter Eilene Koo can be reached at ekoo@umich.edu.

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