Vice Dean Ann Gaylin,

During the town hall you held last semester, you expressed that GSAS aims to make the members of our unit competitive candidates by completing our degrees in the appropriate timelines. As dedicated graduate student workers who care deeply about our research, our development as educators, and the thriving of the Fordham Community as a whole, we wholeheartedly agree with this goal! However, the actions of your administration have repeatedly hindered our ability to focus on our work both as researchers and educators, and shown a failure to respect, value, and care for us as whole people.

As such, we write today to express our concern and outrage regarding recent administrative decisions and actions that have and will continue to affect Graduate Workers in GSAS negatively, making it harder to focus on the completion of our degrees and the quality of our academic work. We stand together as a union in demanding that you take immediate action to resolve these issues and work with the university administration to make sure they do not happen again. So we can all focus on what we came to Fordham to do.

Half-Pay & Credit Issues: At the start of this academic year, Graduate Workers unexpectedly received only half a pay cycle for their first paycheck. This abrupt change, implemented without prior notice and contrary to past practice, created immediate financial hardship for many members of the unit. Because of this, many members had to take on additional work hours to make ends meet, which cuts into their time spent on completing their degree. In addition, multiple students have reported that GSAS has not honored the tuition credits explicitly promised in their offer letters, resulting in workers being charged substantial tuition amounts that they do not owe. GSAS and Student Accounts' unwillingness to fix these issues promptly puts undue stress on students and creates uncertainty in their working conditions.

Graduate Student Council: Last spring, GSAS announced that the work of Graduate Student Council officers would no longer be compensated. The decision to withhold pay from these positions, as well as to revoke guaranteed funding from officers such as former President Gaby Hurtarte, and to withhold pay from current President Anya Wang. This is a blatant violation of the promises made to both of them, and also a concerning disregard for their well-being and working conditions. It also created uncertainty about how the important role the GSC fulfills for graduate workers will be complemented if the positions are eliminated. Why should graduate workers pay the student activity fee if it effectively dismantles the body that is in charge of administering the money and mediating our access to it?

Healthcare Enrollment: Unlike in previous years, GSAS did not send a notification regarding enrollment in the graduate health insurance program. As a result, many Graduate Workers were placed at risk of losing healthcare coverage, and many found that this “mistake” resulted in a gap in their coverage, complicating and delaying care - all of which slows academic progress.

Collectively, these actions show that you, Dean Gaylin, and the GSAS are not committed to ensuring the well-being and success of graduate workers at Fordham. The decisions and actions outlined above compromise the financial stability, health security, and the integrity of graduate student governance, which are necessary for our success as scholars and educators. We respectfully urge the administration to take immediate steps to address these matters, resolve the outstanding grievance, and reaffirm its commitment to the well-being and professional development of Graduate Workers.