Graduate student workers at Ohio State wrote a letter to administrators demanding action to protect the financial security, health, and academic progress of its graduate students and graduate student workers. We have not received a response, but we still need OSU to take these steps:

• Extend graduation and funding clocks for all graduate students.

• Maintain or increase current numbers of graduate associate positions, and ensure adequate compensation for increased labor.

• Waive continuous enrollment requirements for PhD candidates.

• Grant graduate students the right to opt out of in-person activities and responsibilities.

• Prioritize the mental health needs of graduate students in transition planning.

• Increase transparency and graduate student input in future transition planning.

In addition, we call on the university to take immediate action against institutional racism through the following steps, outlined in detail here:

• Implement anti-racist recruitment, retention, and promotion policies

• Provide on-going resources to faculty and teaching assistants at the university and departmental level for support in intentionally crafting anti-racist teaching and learning environments.

• Cut ties with Columbus Police and divest from the Prison-Industrial Complex

• Cut ties with Tel Aviv University for their participation in racist policing in the occupied Palestinian territories.

Sign onto our letter and send an email to OSU administrators to show your support for graduate student workers facing uncertainty through the COVID-19 pandemic.