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To our fellow Graduate Students,
By now you may have seen Provost Richard M. Locke’s letter to the graduate student community regarding graduate student unionization. Specifically, the letter centered on claims made by Stand Up for Graduate Student Employees (SUGSE) in materials circulated for the union affiliation vote, as well as the level of involvement SUGSE members have had in ongoing campus initiatives. The letter also explains useful information regarding existing and new policy changes for graduate students at Brown, which is important to understand in detail.
However, as members of the Graduate Student Council (GSC) Executive Board, we write in response to the overall nature of this letter, its timing, and the larger actions taking place on our campus. Firstly, we recognize that factual, honest, and straightforward conversation is key to building community and maintaining trust during moments of change for our graduate student populations. This is why we have stood by our decision to maintain a neutral position with regards to unionization efforts, encouraging fair and open dialogue with the publication of our own unionization FAQs and the recent general body approval to apply discretionary funds towards an upcoming GSC forum on unionization, planned for Monday, April 3 (details forthcoming).
Our efforts towards this important decision signal our commitment to a balance of voices as unionization efforts, spearheaded by members of SUGSE, move forward after yesterday’s affiliation vote. We are further committed to protecting graduate students’ right to expect this balance during campus conversations, and reaffirm our belief that there should be no intimidation or interference in this debate, but only open and transparent dialogue.
It is with this in mind that we express our concern for a potential misdirected effect of Provost Locke’s letter to the graduate student community. Language targeting a particular group due to the operational nature of their organization or method of engagement is troubling, and we are disappointed by the negative effect such a communication may have had during a key moment in affiliation procedures.
Secondly, we wish to clarify and affirm the nature of our work as the Graduate Student Council. Our processes for organized representation of graduate student interests emerges from a long history of graduate student activism at Brown, and it would be a disservice to this history to view the GSC’s established processes for advocacy via recognized, institutional channels as separate from the student groups who have committed much to this work over the years. Rather, we view our position as elected graduate student representatives as helping to amplify the efforts of the many student groups on our campus, including SUGSE, the Samuel M. Nabrit Black Graduate Student Association, the Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS), the Graduate Students of Color Collective (GSCC), the Queer Students of Color Collective, and the Concerned Graduate Students of Color (CGSC), in addition to the Sarah Doyle Women’s Center, the LGBTQ Center, the Title IX Office, the Graduate School Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Board, the Mental Health Community Council, and the many other committees and affiliations present throughout Brown’s campus.
These are only a portion of the many groups, individuals, and communities who work to effect change for graduate students at Brown. We commend our colleagues for their multiple forms of activism. Whether collectivized through formal channels, independently organized, or raised by a single individual, a diversity in methods for engaging offices and constituencies is a vital and necessary part of how communal change happens. This diversity and history must not and cannot be taken for granted, erased, or ignored.
We regret any communication that would signal a disregard for this often unrecognized kind of advocacy. Debating which forms of established activism count or deserve “credit” is unproductive and a distraction from our very real and ongoing issues. In answer to these concerns, we will do what we can to support a campus climate that values a diversity in opinion and action, and that is respectful of the labor, choices, and attitudes therein. Our work can only make a difference in such an environment, and that is what we will continue to advance and call for both as representatives of the Graduate Student Council and as members of the Brown community.
We have sent this response to Provost Locke, with the expectation that future communications from the University, ourselves, and our colleagues will be mindful of this history of graduate student activism, and the immeasurable need for and value of collaborative student advocacy.
Signed,
The 2016-2017 Brown University Graduate Student Council Executive Board
Anni Pullagura, Vice President of Advocacy
Aislinn Rowan, President
Alastair Tulloch, Nominations Officer
Benjamin Fancy, Treasurer
Inge Zwart, International Advocate
Leah Burgin, Master’s Students Advocate
Alex Laferriere, Vice President of Communications
Michael Ricci II, Vice President of Student Life
Lauren Watts, Vice President of Social Events
Ghous A. Amjad, Technology Officer
Dear Members of the International Community,
On March 6, 2017, President Trump released a revised executive order restricting the travel of individuals from six countries (Iraq has been removed from the list of countries included in the earlier version of this order). As outlined by the Department of Homeland Security, “Per the Executive Order, foreign nationals from Sudan, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, and Yemen, who are outside the United States and who did not have a valid visa at 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on January 27, 2017, and do not have a valid visa on the effective date of the order [March 6, 2017] are not eligible to enter the United States while the temporary suspension remains in effect. Thus, any individual who had a valid visa either on January 27, 2017 (prior to 5:00 PM) or holds a valid visa on the effective date of the Executive Order is not barred from entry”.
We strongly believe that this order, along with the recent, temporary suspension of premium processing for H1-B visa applications, runs counter to the values of our University, and affects our capacity to operate in fulfillment of our mission. We have been and will continue to work with our national member organizations, congressional delegations, and on-campus units to explore how we might address, modify, or eliminate these policies. Our goal remains to advocate for those who are directly impacted as well as the international community at large.
We have continued to maintain a working group that examines the known and potential effects of these policies on our community and want to reiterate President Paxson’s and Provost Locke’s commitment to upholding our core institutional values. If you are directly affected by this new executive order, please reach out to the Office of Global Engagement. For immigration and visa related matters, please contact OISSS directly. As previously stated, we have a number of resources to help you. More broadly, any students and scholars who are concerned about these changes should reach out to our office with questions and for support.
In addition to the support mechanisms detailed on the resources website, we encourage our faculty, staff, students, and scholars to be aware of the following important issues that relate to travel:
Students and scholars on non-immigrant visas may want to familiarize themselves with the ACLU’s ‘Know Your Rights’ tips when encountering law enforcement in the U.S.
We recognize that the current climate has been a cause of great concern. We are committed to your well-being and will continue to remain vigilant in our advocacy of our Brown international community. If you have ideas for programs or events that could be beneficial, please let us know.
In community,
The Office of Global Engagement
Shankar Prasad, Associate Provost for Global Engagement and Strategic Initiatives
Shontay Delalue, Assistant Provost for Global Engagement
Global Brown Community & Support
Walter Wilson, Suite 310
Below, please find a set of FAQ’s regarding graduate student unionization that the Graduate Student Council Executive Board has put together for your reference. We hope that you find it informative, and that it provides resources for any further research you wish to undertake on this important topic. We will work to keep everyone informed of any updates regarding potential unionization drives.
Please click here to access the document.
Graduate Commencement Speakers Application:
Apply here if you are interested in being the Commencement Speaker for either the PhD or Master’s degree ceremonies. Applications must be submitted by Tuesday, February 28th at midnight
University Resources Committee Application:
Apply here to the University Resources Committee. This exceptionally important committee determines the budget allocations of the university for the following fiscal year. Preference is given to Humanities and Social Sciences disciplines; 2-year position, beginning this March. Applications must be submitted by Tuesday, February 28th at midnight.
Wilson-DeBlois and Bates-Clapp Awards Nominations:
Submit nominations for the Wilson-DeBlois and Bates-Clapp Awards using this form. The Brown University Graduate Student Council confers the Wilson-DeBlois and Bates-Clapp Awards annually to Staff Members representing doctoral and master’s students, respectively, who have made outstanding contributions to graduate students and the Graduate School. Nominations must be submitted by Tuesday, February 28th at midnight.
Paid Part-Time International Orientation Graduate Student Assistant:
The Graduate School and Graduate Student Council invites applications for the position of Part-Time International Orientation Graduate Student Assistant. The full application here includes the position responsibilities, dates, pay, and other pertinent logistics. It is expected that the part-time graduate student assistant is ready and willing to serve as the full-time assistant in the following year.
The deadline for applying is midnight on Sunday, March 5th, including the submission of a CV. Application is found here.
Graduate Student Observers to the Faculty Meetings:
Apply here to the Graduate Student Observers to the Faculty Meetings. Observers provide valuable information to the GSC about the current line of thought of the faculty and is an interesting look at faculty governance (2 positions)
To: Chairs, Directors of Graduate Study, Graduate Program Administrators, and Graduate Students
From: Andrew G. Campbell, Dean of the Graduate School
Subject: 12 months support for Humanities and Social sciences PhD students
Brown University is deeply committed to academic excellence and to providing the financial support that creates the conditions for graduate students to achieve scholarly excellence. To continue to recruit, retain and reward the most talented and promising graduate students, the Provost has given the Graduate School provisional approval to proceed with a new plan for enhanced fellowship packages for graduate students in the Humanities and the Social Sciences, aligning their level of support with that of their peers in the biological and physical sciences.
Pending approval of the University Resources Committee’s (URC) budget proposal by the Brown Corporation, beginning July 2017, all PhD students in the Humanities and Social sciences who are supported through the Graduate School’s financial plan will receive 12 continuous months of financial support, up to $30,000 per year. This increase will be provided by the Graduate School for the first five years of graduate degree training to students who are making continuous, documented progress towards completing their degrees, and where no other source of funding exists to reach this level. Graduate programs may want to plan accordingly for the AY2016-17 admissions season and for their current students.
This enhanced support will position Brown to compete for the most accomplished students; provide our graduate students with the resources and benefits they need to excel
at Brown and complete their studies in a timely way; and help reduce students’ need to assume new loan obligations or complement their stipends by seeking additional (often external) employment. The goal is to allow all PhD students to focus on their training throughout the calendar year. This increased funding, along with anticipated enhancements in the training and advising of our graduate students, should position Brown to offer the very best graduate programs available in an array of different fields.
We will confirm this information following the February Corporation meeting, which includes action on the University’s proposed FY2018 budget.
Please contact me with any questions you may have.