Dear Malcolm,

I notice you haven’t had a column for a while—does this mean grad students are being treated so well by the University that there are no more problems and you will be able to move back to Ireland?

Anyway, I had a quick question about tuition waivers.  I am originally from the great state of North Carolina and am completing my Ph.D. in history at MSU.  I was a TA in the fall and spring and I am taking a 5 credit class this summer to complete my studies.  As I am being appointed as an instructor and not a TA for my summer teaching class I realize this means I have to pay tuition but does this mean I have to pay out of state tuition or do I qualify for in-state tuition.  I would like to be able to afford more than just corn puddin’ this summer and paying in-state tuition would help out my bank balance!

Yours loudly,

Bolshy from Boone

Dear Bolshy,

Hearing you loud and clear!

Firstly, for the last time I am Scottish not Irish!

I have been very busy recently assisting the GEU bargaining team with their contract negotiations—now that is done I can go back to my day job—helping the hard-working grad students of MSU.

The pertinent part of the contract that answers your question is Article 20 Section II http://www.hr.msu.edu/documents/contracts/GEU_2008-2011.pdf “[A tuition waiver shall be provided during the period of employment.] This exemption also applies to Summer Semesters preceding and/or following a full academic year’s appointment.”

So, as you taught in the fall and the spring you do indeed qualify for in-state tuition for the summer.  This should save you quite a few Roubles!  Of course if you were a TA for the summer you would get 5 credit hours waived as a part of your TAship—but alas the university is now hiring most grad students as instructors and not TAs in the summer.  As part of the recently ratified new contract for TAs, which comes into effect in August, there are 100 floating credits that can be applied for by TAs who need to take extra credits to satisfy their course requirements.  The GEU is setting up a special interest group that will oversee the handing-out of these credits.  Keep watching your e-mail and checking our website for more details.  We are hopeful that this will help many of our members for whom the 9/9/5 tuition waiver is insufficient.

Have a great summer!

In solidarity,
Malcolm

If you want to be like Malcolm MacDuff and know your stuff then take a look at the GEU’s contract (http://www.hr.msu.edu/documents/contracts/GEU_2008-2011.pdf).   We also have plenty of copies available in the GEU Office at 319 1/2 East Grand River Avenue (just West of Barnes & Noble, on the second floor).

Appointment Letters: If you applied to teach in the Summer, you should have received your Summer Appointment Letter by March 31. If you didn’t receive such a letter, your department owes you two weeks’ pay. Letters for next Fall were due April 22. Contact us (geu@geuatmsu.org) if you haven’t gotten your letter yet! If your department gave out blanket nos, let us know about that, too.

Summer Credits: If you taught in Fall 2010 and in Spring 2011, and you’re taking classes (but not teaching) this Summer, you should get the in-state tuition rate. That’s about $500 per credit-hour. Check your tuition statement and make sure you’re not paying the out-of-state rate!

Remember to vote in our Contract Ratification and Officer elections! Check your spam filter if you didn’t get those ballots already.

March 17 2011

Dear Malcolm,

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!  I hope you get a chance to enjoy some Guinness today and celebrate your Irish heritage.  I was wondering if you could tell me when my department has to inform me if I have a job this summer. I applied months ago and have still not heard anything.

Éirinn go Brách,

Anxious in Anthro

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March 17 2011

Dearest Malcolm,

Top o’ the mornin’ to ya, I am sure you are out supping a pint of the black stuff right now but when you get a chance could you let me know when my department has to inform if I have a job for the summer and the fall.  My department chair has said that jobs are scarce this summer and I really need to start making other plans in case the teaching gig doesn’t materialize.

Sláinte,

Worried in WRAC

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Dear Anxious and Worried,

Thank you for your letters and best wishes.  I should point out however that I am actually Scottish and not Irish. In fact I come from a long line of MacDuffs and can trace my heritage back to Wee Willie MacDuff who organized the first Union of crofters on the Isle of Skye, but that’s a different story.

Ahhhhhhh summer, Bugaloo shrimp and pogo sticks!  Warmer days are around the corner and it is only natural that your thoughts should turn to summer teaching.  We mentioned this in our grievance update recently http://geuatmsu.org/2011/03/februarymarch-grievance-committee-update/ but just to reiterate: the department to which you applied has to inform you if you have a job or not by March 31 for summer teaching and by April 22 for teaching in the fall.  If they fail to inform you then contact us immediately—they will be in violation of the contract and we can file a grievance, and possibly get you monetary compensation.  Check out Article 11 Section iii of the GEU contract for more information on this http://www.hr.msu.edu/documents/contracts/GEU_2008-2011.pdf.

As a quick reminder, if you were teaching in the fall of 2010 and the spring of 2011 then your healthcare coverage automatically continues until August 14 2011.  If you were teaching in the spring of 2011 only and do not get a summer TA appointment then your healthcare coverage will also end on August 14 2011.  If you are appointed as a TA in the summer then you also get a waiver of up to 5 tuition credits—use them wisely!

As I have mentioned in the past http://geuatmsu.org/category/advice-column/malcolm-macduff-he-knows-his-stuff/ many departments are now hiring graduate students as instructors rather than TAs over the summer.  If this is the case then you do not receive a tuition waiver and (unless you were teaching in the spring) you do not get health care coverage.  You are however covered under the newly formed contract of the Union of Non-Tenure Track Faculty (UNTF)

http://www.hr.msu.edu/documents/contracts/UNTFContract.pdf

I hope that answers your questions.  I am going to Dublin Square!

In solidarity,
Malcolm

If you want to be like Malcolm MacDuff and know your stuff then take a look at the GEU’s contract http://www.hr.msu.edu/documents/contracts/GEU_2008-2011.pdf.   We also have plenty of copies available in the GEU Office at 319 1/2 East Grand River Avenue (just West of Barnes & Noble, on the second floor).

As is often the case much of our time has been spent dealing with healthcare issues and with our insurance provider, Aetna.  Regular readers will be aware that one of our recurring problems is TAs not being insured for the first 6 months of their contract with regard to any pre-existing conditions.  This issue has come up numerous times in the past few months.  We are working with MSU and Aetna to try and eradicate this draconian measure and if you have received some unexpected and unwelcome bills for medical expenses then do contact us—we might be able to help.

Is the image below familiar?

Do you have to clock in and out every time you teach a class?  If you are a TA the answer should be no!  However, we have a department on campus that is requiring TAs to do just that. Furthermore they are keeping TAs’ ID cards until they have finished teaching.  As you can imagine many of our members are against this and we are speaking with MSU about this very issue at the bargaining table.  Do you have a similar story?  Let us know.

Some goods news!  We have reached an agreement with the Graduate School that will ensure that all SIRS forms completed by your students will be relevant to the course you teach, will be standard across the form, and will have room for both Likert Scale style answers and room for students to leave comments on your performance.  Many departments already had excellent forms but some were more geared toward faculty members rather than TAs.  The Grievance Committee and the Graduate School went through each department’s forms and picked out some of the better ones to standardize across campus.  From fall 2011 the feedback you receive on these forms should be particularly useful in your pedagogical training.

The deadline for summer and fall teaching letters to go out is coming up fast (March 31 for summer and April 22 for fall); our advice columnist Malcolm MacDuff has received a few letters about this and will be writing his next column on the matter.  Just be aware of these dates and if you have applied for a job and do not receive a letter by this date then contact us—we can help!  Also, as a quick clarification, if you have applied for a job then the department has to notify you by the above dates even if the answer is no, i.e. if you don’t have a job.  But of course you should not receive a letter if you have not applied for a job—some departments are sending out no letters to everyone and claiming that the GEU is forcing them to do this.  This is of course untrue and we are contacting these departments about the besmirching of our good name.

Finally, we have had a couple of members contact us about the amount of hours they are working.  Remember if you are on a quarter time appointment then you work a maximum of 10 hours per week, a half time appointment 20 hours, and a three quarter time appointment 30 hours.  If you are regularly working 1 or 2 (or more) hours over your appointment fraction then pretty soon you will be hitting your semester total.  We are advising all of our members to keep a log of their hours and to discuss with their faculty of record if they are regularly over their fraction amount.  If you are unsure about any of this or are worried about approaching your department then come and speak to us—we have a lot of experience in dealing with this issue.  If you are being over-worked then the chances are it will happen to another TA in the future.

As always do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions about the contract or if you think you have a possible grievance.  We are also always looking for new Grievance Committee members; meetings are at 10:00 am on Thursday mornings and we would welcome YOUR input.

For more information, Malcolm MacDuff has written eloquently on this topic.

*Note: If you have been appointed for Fall and Spring semesters jointly, then you should not expect to receive a new letter for Spring. If, however, you have been appointed for Fall and Spring and then you receive a letter revoking your Spring appointment, this is a termination and you should contact GEU immediately.

November 22, 2010

Dear Malcolm,

Long time reader, first time writer here—love the column!

I need your advice Malcolm…I don’t know what I am doing next year!  I am a first year TA in the College of Education and I think I have a job TAing next semester but I have not heard anything from my department clarifying this.  I am in a bit of a tizzy as I need to know whether I have a job so that I can be sure of my pay, tuition waiver, heath-care, and of course my Union protection.  When does my department have to inform me about whether or not I have a job and what should I do if I don’t have one!

Yours in a pickle,
Erudite in Erickson

Dear Erudite,

Welcome aboard the Malcolm train— it is great to hear from one of our long-time lurkers!

Your question is timely and is something that is surely affecting many TAs in East Lansing.  When I worked as an UgliFruit picker in Jamaica we never knew if we had a job the next day never mind the next month—but that’s a different story!

First, a few facts for you to mull over.  Information regarding all available job openings for graduate students in your department should have already been made available for your perusal.  This includes information regarding qualifications, application procedures, and due dates.  If you have not yet seen this information then your graduate chair or graduate secretary will be able to provide it.  Furthermore, once you have seen this information you are allowed to rank the positions you want in order of preference.

Now the important part!  It is quite possible that your acceptance letter from earlier in the year covers both Fall and Spring appointments for the 2010/2011 academic year.  However, if it does not then your department MUST inform you what position you have (or if you have no position) by Wednesday December 1st 2010.  This letter has to include the following information:  appointment time fraction, the effective dates of employment, salary, and, if known, the teaching schedule and Faculty of Record.

If for any reason you do not receive a notification letter by December 1st then you should contact the GEU immediately.  TAs who have applied for a position but who do not receive a letter informing them what their job is, or that they do not have a job, could receive two weeks pay at the rate they would have received pay had they been appointed.

A lot of information I know but basically you should be aware of what positions are available, you should know how to apply for these positions, and you should hear yay or nay by December 1st.  Do contact the GEU if in any doubt about any of these matters.

I am sure someone as learned as yourself will have no problem getting re-appointed but if for any reason you do not get a position then remember that as you were a TA in the fall your health-care coverage continues until February 14 2011 and if you have them your dental and vision care will also continue.  I am afraid however that you will not have any tuition waiver.  The next call for jobs will go out in the spring and your department will have to inform you if you have a position for Summer 2011 and Fall 2011 by March 31st.

Finally, just an FYI, I took one for the team this week and sat in on a very long meeting with MSU’s bigwigs and there is some important information that I should share with you.  Over winter break, MSU is combining several systems (payroll, human resources, etc.) into a single system.  Because of this, many of the old systems will be frozen beginning December 1st.

This makes it that much more important for your department to have TA appointments filed by December 1st.  Also, you can save yourself a headache by entering any necessary changes in the following categories before December 1st…otherwise you’ll have to wait until the new system is operational in January.

• Address
• Direct Deposit
• Tax withholding
• Reimbursements
• Hourly time-sheets

Good luck with the job hunting and remember if you have not heard anything by December 1st then come and see us—we are here for you!

In solidarity,
Malcolm

If you want to be like Malcolm MacDuff and know your stuff then take a look at the GEU’s contract (http://www.hr.msu.edu/documents/contracts/GEU_2008-2011.pdf).   We also have plenty of copies available in the GEU Office at 319 1/2 East Grand River Avenue (just West of Barnes & Noble, on the second floor).

Our biggest concern in the past month has been an employing unit in the college of Natural Science who has been threatening Teaching Assistants with archaic punishments that fly in the face of our contract.  TAs have been told they will have to work extra hours with no pay for failing to comply with rules that are in and of themselves not a part of the contract.  The Grievance Committee has scheduled a meeting with the employing unit and we hope to have these issues ironed out very soon.

The healthcare provided by Aetna and Midwestern Dental continues to be a constant irritant to Graduate Students.  We have had people come to us with tales of woe regarding misinformation being given by Olin, Midwestern Dental trying to claim more work is necessary than really is, and perhaps most worryingly by a number of people who have been caught out by Aetna’s policy on pre-existing conditions. One of your fellow TAs was not actively informed about Aetna’s policy (that you have to be enrolled for six months before any pre-existing condition will be covered) so they cancelled their old plan and were stuck with bills for the in-between period—with little contact or feedback from Aetna.  Healthcare and dental coverage is an incredibly important issue for the GEU and with this being a bargaining year we need to hear your opinions and any tales of woe you have regarding, Aetna, Olin, or Midwestern Dental so we can present them to MSU as we negotiate a better healthcare package for all of our members.

Since the last update we have had many enquiries regarding pay levels and paychecks.  The GEU’s contract is clear in what it is you need to be a level one, level two, or level three TA.  Your department will be able to tell you the level at which you are currently being paid.  Check out Article 19 of our contract for more information:

http://www.hr.msu.edu/documents/contracts/GEU_2008-2011.pdf.

These grievances are usually handled very quickly and very easily by the Grievance Committee.  In fact our Advice Columnist wrote about this very issue last month:

http://geuatmsu.org/category/advice-column/malcolm-macduff-he-knows-his-stuff/

With regard to your paycheck, there has been much confusion since MSU changed to a bi-weekly pay system.  Rather than try to confuse you (and me) I will refer you to a post on the GEU’s website that attempts to explain how to calculate your pay.  If you think you are being paid at the wrong level or if you think your paycheck is short then do not hesitate to contact us.

http://geuatmsu.org/2010/09/check-your-pay/

We have also had a few enquiries regarding safe workspace and what provisions the university needs to provide all TAs.  First and foremost if you do not feel safe in your working environment then contact us immediately.  Your office or classroom should not be filled with mold or toxic materials and should be somewhere you feel safe and able to carry out your TA duties with no harassment and no concerns for your health and safety.  Some of the information in the contract article flyers should help you understand your rights:

http://geuatmsu.org/geu-proposals/contract-article-flyers/

Finally, our resident advice columnist Malcolm MacDuff (he knows his stuff) will be answering a question regarding departments at MSU hiring TAs as instructors during the summer for his regular column this month—keep an eye out for that.  Also, we have now uploaded all of the Sam Cares archive to the website—check it out!

As always do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions about the contract or if you think you have a possible grievance.