Graduate Employees Union @ MSU

Dear Sam,
This is my second year as a TA and I have used the health insurance benefits a few times in the past. In those cases I went to Olin, but currently I have been having a toothache and Olin doesn’t provide dentistry care, as far as I know. What can you recommend?
Denny Tall

Denny,

As you probably already know, as a teaching assistant you are automatically enrolled in the graduate assistant health care plan (which is a significant step up from the general student base plan). This plan, however, does NOT include dental coverage.

To address this shortage, the GEU has bargained to secure dental coverage availability for all teaching assistants through a cost-sharing plan with Michigan State. The plan is through Midwestern Dental and you have to enroll in the plan, but you can do this at any time. For an enrollment form, stop by the GEU office (319 1/2 E Grand River Ave) or download the form from our website.

For a one-time payment of $34.50 (Michigan State pays the other half), you can receive two free cleanings/examinations with x-rays included. You also receive significant discounts on fillings, crowns, bridges, root canals, and all other services. Past GEU bargaining committees have fought hard for this benefit, so take advantage of it and spread the word to others who may benefit from it as well.

Smilingly yours,
Sam Otten

Sam Otten is the chair of the Grievance Committee of the Graduate Employees Union at Michigan State University.

Dear Sam,
I’m starting the new semester and am worried that I may have gotten myself in over my head. In addition to the grad classes that I’m taking, I am teaching two sections as a TA. I’ve never taught the class before and there are about 15 more students in each section than I’m used to. What advice can you give?
Sally Swampsoon

Sally,

In terms of your teaching assistantship, I would begin by suggesting that you try avoid overwork before it happens. It sounds like you have a half-time appointment, which means you should work an average of 20 hours per week throughout the semester. You may want to outline all the duties that count officially as TA work and estimate how much time you will spend on each. These tasks include obvious things like teaching, office hours, grading, and course meetings, but also less obvious things like prep time, copying, and reading and responding to student emails. If you think that these activities will bring you close or put you over the 20 hours per week, you should have a meeting with your course supervisor and talk about where to save time. There is a worksheet in the GEU contract that you can use to aid this conversation.

Also, I would recommend that you keep some sort of log of your hours. That way, if you do end up being overloaded by your assistantship (which is more likely with what sounds like overloaded sections) you will be able to make a strong case for yourself. You can get a worklog by stopping in to the GEU office at 319 1/2 East Grand River. Of course, it is even better to avoid the overwork before it happens. Good luck!

Yours in duty,
Sam Otten

Sam Otten is the chair of the Grievance Committee of the Graduate Employees Union at Michigan State University.

Dear Sam,
I’m finishing up my grading for the semester and wanted to ask about some issues that I’ve had recently. I’ve been a TA for several semesters now and am used to students talking (read: complaining) to me about their grades, but this month a parent of one of my students has contacted me and challenged the integrity of my grades. What are my rights in this situation and what course of action would you recommend?
Gail Grader

Gail,

I imagine that the parent feels justified getting involved because they are paying at least part of the student’s tuition, but this is not your concern. You are the TA for the student and it is completely irrelevant who is financing his or her education. So you are not obligated to interact with the parent. Furthermore, our contract with the university guarantees you a safe working environment (Article 7, Section II), so if you feel uncomfortable with the parental situation you should not hesitate to pass the issue on to your supervisor.

While we’re on the topic of grades at the end of the semester, I should also mention that any TA who teaches a lecture, lab, or discussion course is required to be consulted prior to any change to the grades they’ve assigned (Article 9, Section IX). This reaffirms the notion that TAs’ grading procedures and decisions should be respected.

Yours in assessment,
Sam Otten

Sam Otten is the chair of the Grievance Committee of the Graduate Employees Union at Michigan State University.