Graduate teaching assistants and research assistants are an essential, yet often overlooked, part of this University.
Graduate TAs and RAs are neither faculty nor staff, yet we perform many of the same functions as individuals in both groups.
As students, we encounter situations/concerns that are distinctive from those of undergraduates. In short, we graduate TAs and RAs are a unique group and have a number of issues that are unique to us.
To address the particular issues faced by TAs and RAs, a new position was created for this year's Graduate and Professional Student Federation Cabinet: TA/RA issue coordinator.
We are serving as co-coordinators this year, and we are looking for a number of graduate TAs and RAs to serve on a committee to help us identify and address issues that concern TAs and RAs. Examples of such issues are TA and RA stipends and the five-year limit on tuition support for students pursuing a doctorate.
We are looking for people with ideas and energy who want to see improvement in graduate TA and RA issues. We are already starting to organize and get to work on the coming year's agenda. We ask that any interested TAs and RAs to please contact either Tim Diette (tdiette@email.unc.edu) or George Harper (gharper@email.unc.edu) to join our effort as soon as possible.
Tim Diette
Graduate Student
