Posts
by Maya Mirsky
“Mama. Mama. Play train tracks.”
A little voice is coming from somewhere down by my elbow as I’m typing, and there’s a hand tugging on my sleeve.
“Play train tracks.”
I sigh, stop typing, pause,then turn back to my computer, only to leave it again when the little voice pipes up once more.
If this sounds like a hard way to get through grad school, it is. But it isn’t unusual. This sort of situation is normal for the hundreds of graduate students that go to UC Berkeley and parent on the side – or the other way round. And that’s really the issue. How does a parent do a decent job at parenting and still stay fully focused on their academic career?
What comes first?
While some parents may claim to do it all,any honest graduate student parent will tell you that they cannot make the same commitment to their studies that an unencumbered student can.
For one thing,Berkeley isn’t designed with families in mind. The school’s official memo on Graduate Council Student Parent Policies trumpets the fact that it updates a 1998 memo. But the update itself is dated 2003-2004. “The Graduate Council recognizes that parenting is a very time-intensive task,” it reads. Good to know. Now what?
John Schwenkler, 26, is a third-year graduate student in philosophy and has a 7-month-old son, Jack. “Be aware that it’s not the most parent-friendly place to be,” he said.“You don’t realize how much life as a graduate student is life as a single,or at least childless, graduate student,” he said. “It’s extremely hard to go to a seminar that ends at 6 p.m.,” Schwenkler said. He added that going out afterwards with friends from school to bond over a beer is even less likely to happen.
And while friendly faculty make it easier,the course schedule can’t be altered. “It is striking,the number of things we do where the timing is structured for people who don’t have a child at all, or who have a lot of childcare,” said Schwenkler.
Julia Olmstead, a classmate of mine at the Graduate School of Journalism, agrees that the environment is not particularly supportive. “They imagine you have all the time in the world,” she said.
Olmtead is working on her second master’s (she studied sustainable agriculture and plant breeding at Iowa State) and her husband is also getting his master’s at Berkeley, in public policy. Although neither works regular office hours,they have little time outside school. “I thought if we were both students we’d have flexibility,” said Olmstead.“But that hasn’t been the case.”
But even when there is time to work,many parents can’t just switch into academic mode. Schwenkler said he noticed he can’t get as engrossed in his work as he used to. “My mind has to be where my son is,not where my work is,” he said.“I just can’t get completely taken up by it.”
Where are the answers?
Katrinell Davis knows firsthand how hard a time a graduate student parent can have. Davis, who is working on her dissertation,is the mother of two boys and is also raising her brother.She said she was talking to a dean one day when it hit her that the university needed a needs assessment to find out how graduate student parents were really being supported.
“One of the issues is that nobody knows what’s going on,what resources are available to them,” she said. So she launched the Graduate Student Parent Project survey and expects to haveresults in late Januaryand early February. “I’m just basically trying to find out the degree to which the university resources help them balance family and work,” she said.
Berkeley or bust?
Branessa Kunitz, a 34-year-old mother of four children, was so disappointed in the lack of resources available that when the time came to do her master’s in higher education leadership, she turned elsewhere. She knew that she’d get in at Berkeley or Columbia or Stanford,but it was Sacramento State that she eventually chose. She finished up her masters in Higher Education Leadership in February.
“Parenting responsibilities played into those choices clearly,” she said. With her children at home,and a fiancé who was also getting his master’s,Kunitz knew she didn’t want to go nuts. “I already knew Berkeley will be demanding,” she said.
And Berkeley, like other universities,demanded full-time study.Kunitz,whose fianceé is also studying, just couldn’t afford it. So even though Kunitz, who got straight A’s as an undergrad, wasn’t happy about going to a lower-ranked institution,she made a decision. “It wasn’t feasible to go full time,” she said. “I had to be able to work.”
Olmstead can compare her graduate school parenting experiences at two schools, and says she found Iowa State a much more flexible place. She was pregnant when she was working as a researcher; when Brody was born, her advisor gave her four months off at full pay.
Who’s watching the children?
Once the commitment to graduate education has been made,one of the most important issues for any student parent is finding childcare. UC Berkeley’s Early Childhood Education Program takes in the 3-months to 7-year-old children of faculty,staff and students.Notice that students are last on the list.That’s because faculty and staff have priority.
Fees are based on a sliding scale for student families, from zero to $1000 per month for full time care,but even the full-fee program is in demand. “We have a lot of applications,” said Marina Moreida,an administrator who works with student families at the university’s daycare.“We do get a lot more than what we can serve.”
She estimates that around 180 student parents have children in the program. “We were really lucky,” said Olmstead, who son has a subsidized slot at the daycare.“One good thing about us both being students is that we’re totally broke,” she added,laughing. But her son, 2-and-a-half-year old Brody,spends more time in childcare than Olmstead would like. “He’s there nine to five, which is a huge amount of time,” she said.“I miss him.I feel like I don’t spend nearly as much time with him as I want to.”
Schwenkler doesn’t pay for childcare because his wife,who is a PhD candidate in philosophy at Notre Dame,stays home with their son.But that,too,comes at a cost.“You either pay for child care or you’re not able to work,” he said.And childcare can cost easily up to $15,000 in the Bay Area, one of the nation’s most expensive places to live.
Advice column
When I asked Schwenkler what he would tell parents thinking about starting graduate school at Berkeley, he paused.
“I wouldn’t just say don’t do it,” he said.“Be aware that most people on a program will be single or won’t have children.You need to be assertive,confident,and make a way to make it work for you.It’s been a real challenge.” He added,“You have to be part of the department as a parent.’’
Schwenkler has a fellowship that helps make ends meet. He said he’d tell parents to concentrate on finding money so at least they don’t have to worry about that. “Do the work to find out where you can get money to help you out,” he said.
Kunitz said that although she liked Berkeley,she tells other parents to think about less intense programs. “I tell them that there are other alternatives out there,” she said.
She admits that she felt awkward going to Sacramento State at first.But now she’s in the job market,she realized that it wasn’t as important as she had thought. People think a lower-ranked school is a “cop out,” Kunitz said.But she hasn’t seen any difference. ”It has not had any negative impact whatsoever.”
A balancing act
Every parent struggles with how to find a balance,but it’s a hard fight,especially in an environment where everyone expects academics to come first. The time a graduate student parent devotes to their studies is inevitably time away from their children. And time with the kids means less time to read,write and research. That’s why Davis thinks her needs assessment is so important,and not just so that she can crunch the numbers. “It’s a political effort as well,” she added.“It’s also about advocating for changes.”
“I don’t always want to be making excuses,” said Olmstead. “I’m always confused about my own priorities.I want to give it everything I can but I want to be with Brody. I’m not giving either enough.”
Kunitz understands about guilt,but she feels that in the long run, it is good for a child to see their parent succeeding in education. “As a parent, you feel guilty. ‘I can’t do this, I have to write a paper,” she said. But Kunitz,who is the first in her family to go to college, says setting an example is important,too.“I can see the impact on them already,” said Kunitz.“I got to prove to them that education pays.”
For Schwenkler, it’s clear. “Look,this is my life,this is my family,” he said. “My family comes first.”
And now I have to go play with train tracks.
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Your Relationship With Mentees: Students Dealing With Students
by Ryan Leib
Life always has its chores. As a youth,you probably took out the garbage or mowed the lawn. In college,maybe you bussed tables or shelved books in the library. You didn’t really think grad school would be different,did you? If you’re like most of the graduate students on our campus,you find yourself teaching a course that you hardly paid attention to a few years ago during your own undergraduate career. Between obligations to your research project,your post-doctoral (or other degree) plans,and your social life,it’s often hard to find the time to prep for that freshman lab course,but your students will never know,right? The problem is that most of us (excluding the oh-so-lucky education students!) have little formal training on how best to pass on our wisdom to the next generation. In fact,you probably fall into one of these archetypal categories of GSI:
The Puppeteer
You don’t see teaching as educational so much as a quest for control. Sure,you have your favorite student or two who you can trust,but most of them need to be ‘managed’. You spend most your time turning your students against each other,setting up in- class competitions and publicly posting grades. Whenever possible,you avoid interacting with the students directly,and instead choose to send mass emails and hang handwritten signs next to the whiteboard.
The Doorstop
Instructing your students is an addendum to an afterthought. You are so busy with other things
that you find yourself looking over the day’s material for the first time with an Expo marker in your hand. You hit the high points,but most of the class period feels wasted as you turn pages and say “Um” with alarming frequency. You know only a couple of their faces and none of their names – but “hey you” seems to work thus far.
The Milquetoast
Your students don’t need to learn, or work, or frankly even show up.No one quite remembers
the last time they studied for your class. You have office hours from 9-5,and bring the coffee
and doughnuts. Assignments are more of a motivational exercise,and tests should be less about
grades and more about feeling comfortable. Sure,your students don’t respect you,but they
invite you to parties on the weekends.
The Over-Analyzer
You live to teach. You read every book, review every article,attend every seminar – all in the interest of your students’ education. Unfortunately, that means you’re on the outs with your girl,
your PI is still waiting for that presentation outline,and you own class work is in the toilet. When you teach, you spend more time polling the class for ways to improve or change things up
than covering the real material.
Hopefully none of these describes you perfectly. However, not unlike those ridiculous horoscopes you read in the checkout line, there’s probably a nugget of truth in some of them (and as an added benefit/horror, they probably serve as an interesting window into my psyche,which is something I typically would like to keep closed with shades drawn). Regardless of how your personal style seems to be working out thus far, here are some handy ways to keep ahead of the curve, or at least one chapter ahead of that smart kid who sits up front.
People learn differently. No, it’s true. Since you’re a graduate student, it may not be obvious why those basic concepts that came easily for you are not getting through to your freshman. The important thing to remember is that what comes easily for some can be a real bear for others. Try mixing things up a bit,and always have a couple extra angles to approach hard subjects. This is especially helpful during those office hour sessions you should be holding (and plugging during class) to help your students stay on top of things.
It’s a part time job. As much as you’d like to slack off (or learn all there is to know about your subject), most GSIs are being paid for a 20 hour work week. Those 20 hours includes attending class sessions, grading papers and reports,holding office hours and studying up on how to be a better GSI. Spending too much less or too much more,and both you and your beloved students will suffer for it. Sure, sometimes there are light (or heavy) weeks, but the hope is that you’re still advancing towards your academic goals while helping your students meet theirs.
Have a plan. A few minutes of prep can make any interaction with your students go that much more smoothly. Know what general issues have been discussed during the last few class periods,and what likely stumbling blocks are in the new material. Make sure you can work through any assigned homework before you assign it. As far as prepping for lectures,the author has found that using notecards to plan your chalkboard layout (in scale format,no less!) does wonders.
Get feedback. If you’re not sure how you rate as a GSI, try asking. Find some students whose opinions you trust,and ask them what kinds of things you could do to improve. Alternatively,ask some of your fellow grad students to sit in on your lecture and see if they can pass along any pointers. If neither of these are a good option, you can always videotape yourself giving a lecture,and then see what you think. It’s always easier to see a problem from an objective (or approximately objective) point of view.
Students are students - not friends (nor enemies) Face it, you will like some students better than others. Maybe you’ll have common interests,or maybe they’re more charming than their compatriots. Alternatively, you might have a student who never has a good question and you feel like every minute you spend on them is wasted. Whatever the issue, you have an ethical obligation to be fair to your students. This doesn’t mean doing their work for them (that’s unethical too!) but try to be available and equitable. Maybe, after the class is over, you’ll find time to befriend some of your students,but while the grades are being assigned, aim to keep things on an instructor-student basis.
You’re not alone Almost ten thousand graduate students currently attend Cal, and many of them have teaching questions (and problems) like you do. Luckily, in addition to departmental training assistance, the GSI Teaching and Resource Center provides funding, seminars, and a whole library on the subject of being a better instructor. For details on new resources and upcoming events, see their website at gsi.berkeley.edu. Oh,and the last 15 minutes you spent reading this totally count towards this week’s 20 hours.
Life always has its chores. As a youth,you probably took out the garbage or mowed the lawn. In college,maybe you bussed tables or shelved books in the library. You didn’t really think grad school would be different,did you? If you’re like most of the graduate students on our campus,you find yourself teaching a course that you hardly paid attention to a few years ago during your own undergraduate career. Between obligations to your research project,your post-doctoral (or other degree) plans,and your social life,it’s often hard to find the time to prep for that freshman lab course,but your students will never know,right? The problem is that most of us (excluding the oh-so-lucky education students!) have little formal training on how best to pass on our wisdom to the next generation. In fact,you probably fall into one of these archetypal categories of GSI:
The Puppeteer
You don’t see teaching as educational so much as a quest for control. Sure,you have your favorite student or two who you can trust,but most of them need to be ‘managed’. You spend most your time turning your students against each other,setting up in- class competitions and publicly posting grades. Whenever possible,you avoid interacting with the students directly,and instead choose to send mass emails and hang handwritten signs next to the whiteboard.
The Doorstop
Instructing your students is an addendum to an afterthought. You are so busy with other things
that you find yourself looking over the day’s material for the first time with an Expo marker in your hand. You hit the high points,but most of the class period feels wasted as you turn pages and say “Um” with alarming frequency. You know only a couple of their faces and none of their names – but “hey you” seems to work thus far.
The Milquetoast
Your students don’t need to learn, or work, or frankly even show up.No one quite remembers
the last time they studied for your class. You have office hours from 9-5,and bring the coffee
and doughnuts. Assignments are more of a motivational exercise,and tests should be less about
grades and more about feeling comfortable. Sure,your students don’t respect you,but they
invite you to parties on the weekends.
The Over-Analyzer
You live to teach. You read every book, review every article,attend every seminar – all in the interest of your students’ education. Unfortunately, that means you’re on the outs with your girl,
your PI is still waiting for that presentation outline,and you own class work is in the toilet. When you teach, you spend more time polling the class for ways to improve or change things up
than covering the real material.
Hopefully none of these describes you perfectly. However, not unlike those ridiculous horoscopes you read in the checkout line, there’s probably a nugget of truth in some of them (and as an added benefit/horror, they probably serve as an interesting window into my psyche,which is something I typically would like to keep closed with shades drawn). Regardless of how your personal style seems to be working out thus far, here are some handy ways to keep ahead of the curve, or at least one chapter ahead of that smart kid who sits up front.
People learn differently. No, it’s true. Since you’re a graduate student, it may not be obvious why those basic concepts that came easily for you are not getting through to your freshman. The important thing to remember is that what comes easily for some can be a real bear for others. Try mixing things up a bit,and always have a couple extra angles to approach hard subjects. This is especially helpful during those office hour sessions you should be holding (and plugging during class) to help your students stay on top of things.
It’s a part time job. As much as you’d like to slack off (or learn all there is to know about your subject), most GSIs are being paid for a 20 hour work week. Those 20 hours includes attending class sessions, grading papers and reports,holding office hours and studying up on how to be a better GSI. Spending too much less or too much more,and both you and your beloved students will suffer for it. Sure, sometimes there are light (or heavy) weeks, but the hope is that you’re still advancing towards your academic goals while helping your students meet theirs.
Have a plan. A few minutes of prep can make any interaction with your students go that much more smoothly. Know what general issues have been discussed during the last few class periods,and what likely stumbling blocks are in the new material. Make sure you can work through any assigned homework before you assign it. As far as prepping for lectures,the author has found that using notecards to plan your chalkboard layout (in scale format,no less!) does wonders.
Get feedback. If you’re not sure how you rate as a GSI, try asking. Find some students whose opinions you trust,and ask them what kinds of things you could do to improve. Alternatively,ask some of your fellow grad students to sit in on your lecture and see if they can pass along any pointers. If neither of these are a good option, you can always videotape yourself giving a lecture,and then see what you think. It’s always easier to see a problem from an objective (or approximately objective) point of view.
Students are students - not friends (nor enemies) Face it, you will like some students better than others. Maybe you’ll have common interests,or maybe they’re more charming than their compatriots. Alternatively, you might have a student who never has a good question and you feel like every minute you spend on them is wasted. Whatever the issue, you have an ethical obligation to be fair to your students. This doesn’t mean doing their work for them (that’s unethical too!) but try to be available and equitable. Maybe, after the class is over, you’ll find time to befriend some of your students,but while the grades are being assigned, aim to keep things on an instructor-student basis.
You’re not alone Almost ten thousand graduate students currently attend Cal, and many of them have teaching questions (and problems) like you do. Luckily, in addition to departmental training assistance, the GSI Teaching and Resource Center provides funding, seminars, and a whole library on the subject of being a better instructor. For details on new resources and upcoming events, see their website at gsi.berkeley.edu. Oh,and the last 15 minutes you spent reading this totally count towards this week’s 20 hours.
Your Relationship With Mentors: Notes From the Winners Circle
With thanks to the DFMA Committee
The Graduate Assembly this last year gave out its 4th annual Distinguished Faculty
Mentors Award, honoring Senate and Non-Senate members of the Berkeley faculty who
have shown an outstanding commitment to developing and supporting graduate student
researchers. These were individuals who had gone above and beyond the call of duty
with respect to helping graduate students become outstanding scholars.
Not every department apparently has mentors,however for those of you who do,it is
nice to see what is out there. Perhaps one day you too will be a mentor and you’d like
to know what people beside you really appreciate or what keeps them getting up and
going to work every day. So we went through some of the nominations that led to
wins to see what people were saying about folks here on campus.
“A mentor might be supportive in guidance of students’ academic achievement, but a great mentor inspires students to explore their own interests,to understand the benefit of discipline, to keep a good balance between school and personal life, and to devote to their own belief.“
“Significant amount of research labs have a set plan to follow, and new graduate students are incorporated into the plan. Their own interests often become blurry in transition, and their efforts are spent just for the degree. This has never happened.”
“Our lab is like a big family—we share the excitement of research achieving, and we share the glorious moment of everyone’s graduation including undergraduate students.”
“As a dedicated instructor,mentor,and advisor,he has always helped us in our efforts in academic achievement and in the larger professional world of scholarly publishing and research.“
“He has taught us the academic expectations of professionals in the field as well as the appropriate conduct necessary to working with academics outside of UC Berkeley in the kind of detail and care that goes well beyond the requirements of his job as an advisor and professor.His advice and guidance with course work and research has been consistently intelligent, thorough, helpful, and prompt, and he has been regularly available,even while away on sabbatical. In a profession in which generosity is not always a rule,this has been a characteristic of his dedication to his students.We know first hand that when he says students are his work,and not just the research all scholars engage in,it is a lived truth in his case.Considering the type of attention he devotes to his students as well as to his colleagues in the field,what is surprising is that on top of this,he has had time to write very influential books and articles that have marked important trends in the profession.“
“A careful and patient listener,he demonstrated a keen ability to divine constructive future steps.”
“…Very insightful about the complex relationships between people in different institutions
and their patterns of thought they bring to their work.Because of this he is able to help
students with a very wide range of research and career interests,providing both connec-
tions to different approaches and critical reflection on research methods.In addition he
understands that students come to graduate school with a very wide range of professional
goals,and he is able to both help them structure their program to meet those goals,as well
as to reflect on them and often to change them.”
“…Offers inspiration as well as support.His passion for justice and his passion for scholarship are inseparable;he has demonstrated in countless ways that there is no contradiction between engagement in social issues and uncompromising excellence in research. He does this without the pretense that scholarship does not embody values, but rather challenges his students and colleagues to be reflexive about the ways in which their values do influence research (and other people’s values influences their research,whether they admit it or not).”
“Though he is forever tempting us with new ideas,warning us of unforeseen difficulties, and
often seems to somehow know the direction our work will take before we do, he is also
clearly committed to cultivating our independence as scholars.”
“Guided by his experiences and challenged by his questions,we find ourselves wanting to strikeout in new directions or to look at old problems in a different light.“
The Graduate Assembly this last year gave out its 4th annual Distinguished Faculty
Mentors Award, honoring Senate and Non-Senate members of the Berkeley faculty who
have shown an outstanding commitment to developing and supporting graduate student
researchers. These were individuals who had gone above and beyond the call of duty
with respect to helping graduate students become outstanding scholars.
Not every department apparently has mentors,however for those of you who do,it is
nice to see what is out there. Perhaps one day you too will be a mentor and you’d like
to know what people beside you really appreciate or what keeps them getting up and
going to work every day. So we went through some of the nominations that led to
wins to see what people were saying about folks here on campus.
“A mentor might be supportive in guidance of students’ academic achievement, but a great mentor inspires students to explore their own interests,to understand the benefit of discipline, to keep a good balance between school and personal life, and to devote to their own belief.“
“Significant amount of research labs have a set plan to follow, and new graduate students are incorporated into the plan. Their own interests often become blurry in transition, and their efforts are spent just for the degree. This has never happened.”
“Our lab is like a big family—we share the excitement of research achieving, and we share the glorious moment of everyone’s graduation including undergraduate students.”
“As a dedicated instructor,mentor,and advisor,he has always helped us in our efforts in academic achievement and in the larger professional world of scholarly publishing and research.“
“He has taught us the academic expectations of professionals in the field as well as the appropriate conduct necessary to working with academics outside of UC Berkeley in the kind of detail and care that goes well beyond the requirements of his job as an advisor and professor.His advice and guidance with course work and research has been consistently intelligent, thorough, helpful, and prompt, and he has been regularly available,even while away on sabbatical. In a profession in which generosity is not always a rule,this has been a characteristic of his dedication to his students.We know first hand that when he says students are his work,and not just the research all scholars engage in,it is a lived truth in his case.Considering the type of attention he devotes to his students as well as to his colleagues in the field,what is surprising is that on top of this,he has had time to write very influential books and articles that have marked important trends in the profession.“
“A careful and patient listener,he demonstrated a keen ability to divine constructive future steps.”
“…Very insightful about the complex relationships between people in different institutions
and their patterns of thought they bring to their work.Because of this he is able to help
students with a very wide range of research and career interests,providing both connec-
tions to different approaches and critical reflection on research methods.In addition he
understands that students come to graduate school with a very wide range of professional
goals,and he is able to both help them structure their program to meet those goals,as well
as to reflect on them and often to change them.”
“…Offers inspiration as well as support.His passion for justice and his passion for scholarship are inseparable;he has demonstrated in countless ways that there is no contradiction between engagement in social issues and uncompromising excellence in research. He does this without the pretense that scholarship does not embody values, but rather challenges his students and colleagues to be reflexive about the ways in which their values do influence research (and other people’s values influences their research,whether they admit it or not).”
“Though he is forever tempting us with new ideas,warning us of unforeseen difficulties, and
often seems to somehow know the direction our work will take before we do, he is also
clearly committed to cultivating our independence as scholars.”
“Guided by his experiences and challenged by his questions,we find ourselves wanting to strikeout in new directions or to look at old problems in a different light.“
TEACH US
by Jonathan Rheaume
Clark Kerr’s California Master Plan of Education in 1960 designated the University of California as the only state institution authorized to award PhDs. The focus on research,however,did not erase the teaching mission of the University of California.Although the teaching load was lowered,the acceptable level of quality of teaching was not.
The University of California’s Mission lists its fundamental responsibilities as teaching,research and public service. Appearing first and foremost in this list is teaching.
Graduate students at UC Berkeley are concerned about the emphasis on research at the expense of teaching.As a result,the Graduate Assembly voted teaching improvement as one of the three main focuses for the 2007-08 academic school year. The initiative is called TEACH US,which stands for Teaching Excellence At California’s Highest Universities. Advising was added to this list by friendly amendment.
The goal of TEACH US is to encourage excellence in teaching at UC.Several teaching awards already exist,but these awards do little to motivate faculty members across the board to improve teaching. At UC Berkeley,substandard teaching is tolerated as long as research quality remains high.
Ironically,most students at UC will never perform any research. The overwhelming majority of students will never publish a paper or perform any research of significance.Undergraduates and professional students makeup a large majority of students on campus.They did not come to UC to do research,and they are poorly served by policies that slight teaching for the benefit of research.
Similarly, all UC Berkeley students who pass through the Sather Gate will need advising during their educational journey,but advising does not appear in the University’s Mission.There is no mechanism to provide feedback about the quality of advising. How well advising needs are being met is in question.
While improvement in teaching and advising can be expected by increasing their weight during promotion evaluations (merit review,tenure cases,etc.),this outcome is unlikely in the near term.The TEACH US committee is considering the following near term goals:1.Making course evaluation statistics publicly accessible on the internet,2.Raising awareness of teaching quality and 3.Instituting a performance metric for advising.
Former UC BerkeleyChancellor, Robert M. Berdahl said it best:“Unless the state recognizes and supports excellence,excellence will not develop and we will all be the poorer for it.” The TEACH US initiative aims to support excellence in teaching and advising.
1- University of California's Mission.Accessed on 10/23/2007 from http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/aboutuc/mission.html.
2- RobertM.Berdahl,“The Futureof Flagship Universities,Texas A&M University Convocation, October 5,1998.Accessed on 10/23/2007 from http://cio.chance.berkeley.edu/chancellor/sp/flag-ship.htm
Clark Kerr’s California Master Plan of Education in 1960 designated the University of California as the only state institution authorized to award PhDs. The focus on research,however,did not erase the teaching mission of the University of California.Although the teaching load was lowered,the acceptable level of quality of teaching was not.
The University of California’s Mission lists its fundamental responsibilities as teaching,research and public service. Appearing first and foremost in this list is teaching.
Graduate students at UC Berkeley are concerned about the emphasis on research at the expense of teaching.As a result,the Graduate Assembly voted teaching improvement as one of the three main focuses for the 2007-08 academic school year. The initiative is called TEACH US,which stands for Teaching Excellence At California’s Highest Universities. Advising was added to this list by friendly amendment.
The goal of TEACH US is to encourage excellence in teaching at UC.Several teaching awards already exist,but these awards do little to motivate faculty members across the board to improve teaching. At UC Berkeley,substandard teaching is tolerated as long as research quality remains high.
Ironically,most students at UC will never perform any research. The overwhelming majority of students will never publish a paper or perform any research of significance.Undergraduates and professional students makeup a large majority of students on campus.They did not come to UC to do research,and they are poorly served by policies that slight teaching for the benefit of research.
Similarly, all UC Berkeley students who pass through the Sather Gate will need advising during their educational journey,but advising does not appear in the University’s Mission.There is no mechanism to provide feedback about the quality of advising. How well advising needs are being met is in question.
While improvement in teaching and advising can be expected by increasing their weight during promotion evaluations (merit review,tenure cases,etc.),this outcome is unlikely in the near term.The TEACH US committee is considering the following near term goals:1.Making course evaluation statistics publicly accessible on the internet,2.Raising awareness of teaching quality and 3.Instituting a performance metric for advising.
Former UC BerkeleyChancellor, Robert M. Berdahl said it best:“Unless the state recognizes and supports excellence,excellence will not develop and we will all be the poorer for it.” The TEACH US initiative aims to support excellence in teaching and advising.
1- University of California's Mission.Accessed on 10/23/2007 from http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/aboutuc/mission.html.
2- RobertM.Berdahl,“The Futureof Flagship Universities,Texas A&M University Convocation, October 5,1998.Accessed on 10/23/2007 from http://cio.chance.berkeley.edu/chancellor/sp/flag-ship.htm
FROM THE ASUC OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
UC Berkeley • 200 Eshleman Hall #4500,Berkeley,CA 94720-4500 • (510) 642-1431 •
www.asuc.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Monday,October 29,2007
Contact:Joshua Daniels, 510-717-1185
Shawn Kumar Jain, 415-846-3707
STUDENT GOVERNMENTS ANNOUNCE STUDENT FEE REDUCTION
Berkeley — On Monday,October 29,2007,the Associated Students of the University of California (ASUC) and the Graduate Assembly (GA) will announce that for the first time in UC Berkeley’s history students have successfully lobbied the administration to reduce student fees. This effort will save students more than $130,000 over the next two years.
When the student-approved Class Pass Fee referendum went into effect during the 2006-07 academic year students expected to soon receive access to a service called TransLink,which would allowstudent IDs to be used as access cards on any public transportation system in the Bay Area. However,even though the student body has been have been charged approximately $66,000 each year for the TransLink service,it is still not available to students. Last week,the University administration finally agreed to remove the fee until the service is implemented, which is thought to be at least two years away.
“When students elected me last spring,they did so under the premise that I would work to lower their student fees,and the removal of this TransLink fee is a tangible step in that direction,” said ASUC President Van Nguyen. “We must do whatever we can to make college more affordable so that higher education is accessible for all students.”
The ASUC Senate,the Delegate Assembly (the GA’s legislative body),and the Committee on Student Fees and Budget Review (CSFBR) crafted a letter to the administration requesting the temporaryreduction. Nguyen,GA President Joshua Daniels,and CSFBR Chair Chandresh Patel then personallylobbied the administration on the issue. After some initial disagreements,the administration agreed with the students and the Chancellor approved the reduction.
“This is how the student-administration relationship is supposed to operate,” said Daniels. “Students identify a problem and bring it to the administration’sattention. The administration listens,ensures that the students’ arguments are valid,and then approves the students’ request. Chancellor Robert Birgeneau,Vice Chancellor Nathan Brostrom,Associate Vice Chancellor Ron Coley,and Parking and Transportation Director Noel Pinto responded in exactly this way to our concerns.”
According to Candace Nisby, chief of staff to Nguyen,this is the first time that a student fee has gone down as a result of students’ lobbying efforts. “It is important for students to realize that they have the power to make change on this campus,and the ASUC is the agent through which change happens,” she said.
www.asuc.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Monday,October 29,2007
Contact:Joshua Daniels, 510-717-1185
Shawn Kumar Jain, 415-846-3707
STUDENT GOVERNMENTS ANNOUNCE STUDENT FEE REDUCTION
Berkeley — On Monday,October 29,2007,the Associated Students of the University of California (ASUC) and the Graduate Assembly (GA) will announce that for the first time in UC Berkeley’s history students have successfully lobbied the administration to reduce student fees. This effort will save students more than $130,000 over the next two years.
When the student-approved Class Pass Fee referendum went into effect during the 2006-07 academic year students expected to soon receive access to a service called TransLink,which would allowstudent IDs to be used as access cards on any public transportation system in the Bay Area. However,even though the student body has been have been charged approximately $66,000 each year for the TransLink service,it is still not available to students. Last week,the University administration finally agreed to remove the fee until the service is implemented, which is thought to be at least two years away.
“When students elected me last spring,they did so under the premise that I would work to lower their student fees,and the removal of this TransLink fee is a tangible step in that direction,” said ASUC President Van Nguyen. “We must do whatever we can to make college more affordable so that higher education is accessible for all students.”
The ASUC Senate,the Delegate Assembly (the GA’s legislative body),and the Committee on Student Fees and Budget Review (CSFBR) crafted a letter to the administration requesting the temporaryreduction. Nguyen,GA President Joshua Daniels,and CSFBR Chair Chandresh Patel then personallylobbied the administration on the issue. After some initial disagreements,the administration agreed with the students and the Chancellor approved the reduction.
“This is how the student-administration relationship is supposed to operate,” said Daniels. “Students identify a problem and bring it to the administration’sattention. The administration listens,ensures that the students’ arguments are valid,and then approves the students’ request. Chancellor Robert Birgeneau,Vice Chancellor Nathan Brostrom,Associate Vice Chancellor Ron Coley,and Parking and Transportation Director Noel Pinto responded in exactly this way to our concerns.”
According to Candace Nisby, chief of staff to Nguyen,this is the first time that a student fee has gone down as a result of students’ lobbying efforts. “It is important for students to realize that they have the power to make change on this campus,and the ASUC is the agent through which change happens,” she said.
QUICK GA NEWS!
The Graduate Assembly adopted the following three issues as its action agenda for the 2007-08 academic year,indicating the general foci of GA attention:
•access to health resources,
•reducing the cost of international student enrollment,and
•Teaching Excellence and Advising at California's Highest University System
(TEACH US).
Resolutions of note that have passed already this semester:
Directed Action Regarding the Academic Calendar of the University of California,
Berkeley: Significant Dates of Recognition for Oppressed Populations
WHEREAS we as graduate students in an institution of higher education value diversity and
attempt to be inclusive of underrepresented students;
WHEREAS the United Nations declares August 9th of every year to be International Day of the
World’s Indigenous People;
WHEREAS the State of California declares the fourth Friday of September as Native American
Day;
WHEREAS the City of Berkeley declares Indigenous People’s Day in replace of what was once
known as ‘Columbus Day’;
WHEREAS the month of November is declared by the federal government as American Indian
Heritage Month;and
WHEREAS October 11 is observed by members of the LGBTIQQ community as National
Coming Out Day;
THEREFORE,BE IT RESOLVED that the President of the Graduate Assembly shall advocate to
the campus administration of the University of California,Berkeley to recognize the above dates
onthe academic calendar.
Directed Action to Sign a Letter to Associate Vice Chancellor Ron ColeyRequesting
that the UC Berkeley Administration Temporarily Reduce the Class Pass Fee
by$1.50 per semester
WHEREAS the Class Pass fee passed via a student referendum in Spring 2005;
WHEREAS a portion of the Class Pass fee,as established in the Class Pass Fee Referendum,goes
to AC Transit,and,of that AC Transit portion,$1.00 per semester is for the specific purpose of
providing a service known as Translink (and another $.50 per semester goes to the required
Return-to-Aid);
WHEREAS the UC Berkeley Registrar has been collecting this $1.50 per semester since Fall
2006;
WHEREAS the Translink service has yet to be provided to students and,according to the
Director of Parking & Transportation,it will not be provided for at least another two years;and
WHEREAS students should not be paying for a service which they are not receiving.
THEREFORE,BE IT RESOLVED that President of the Graduate Assembly empowered to take the
necessary actions in order to persuade the UC Berkeley administration to temporarily reduce
the Class Pass fee by $1.50 per semester,which includes sending a letter to Associate Vice
Chancellor Ron Coley.
For more information about Graduate Assembly goings on, visit the GA website at ga.Berkeley.edu
•access to health resources,
•reducing the cost of international student enrollment,and
•Teaching Excellence and Advising at California's Highest University System
(TEACH US).
Resolutions of note that have passed already this semester:
Directed Action Regarding the Academic Calendar of the University of California,
Berkeley: Significant Dates of Recognition for Oppressed Populations
WHEREAS we as graduate students in an institution of higher education value diversity and
attempt to be inclusive of underrepresented students;
WHEREAS the United Nations declares August 9th of every year to be International Day of the
World’s Indigenous People;
WHEREAS the State of California declares the fourth Friday of September as Native American
Day;
WHEREAS the City of Berkeley declares Indigenous People’s Day in replace of what was once
known as ‘Columbus Day’;
WHEREAS the month of November is declared by the federal government as American Indian
Heritage Month;and
WHEREAS October 11 is observed by members of the LGBTIQQ community as National
Coming Out Day;
THEREFORE,BE IT RESOLVED that the President of the Graduate Assembly shall advocate to
the campus administration of the University of California,Berkeley to recognize the above dates
onthe academic calendar.
Directed Action to Sign a Letter to Associate Vice Chancellor Ron ColeyRequesting
that the UC Berkeley Administration Temporarily Reduce the Class Pass Fee
by$1.50 per semester
WHEREAS the Class Pass fee passed via a student referendum in Spring 2005;
WHEREAS a portion of the Class Pass fee,as established in the Class Pass Fee Referendum,goes
to AC Transit,and,of that AC Transit portion,$1.00 per semester is for the specific purpose of
providing a service known as Translink (and another $.50 per semester goes to the required
Return-to-Aid);
WHEREAS the UC Berkeley Registrar has been collecting this $1.50 per semester since Fall
2006;
WHEREAS the Translink service has yet to be provided to students and,according to the
Director of Parking & Transportation,it will not be provided for at least another two years;and
WHEREAS students should not be paying for a service which they are not receiving.
THEREFORE,BE IT RESOLVED that President of the Graduate Assembly empowered to take the
necessary actions in order to persuade the UC Berkeley administration to temporarily reduce
the Class Pass fee by $1.50 per semester,which includes sending a letter to Associate Vice
Chancellor Ron Coley.
For more information about Graduate Assembly goings on, visit the GA website at ga.Berkeley.edu
Letter from the Editor
Welcome to another issue of The Berkeley Graduate! This issue focuses on personal/professional relationships,and how we deal with our status as students, as well as sometimes wearing hats as teachers,or parents,or spouses,or singles. It should be a good read. That is the hope. That is always the hope.
Last semester,we took a good look at the Berkeley Graduate archive and noted that it is a fairly tragic thing that our older issues aren't really available to the public in the way we would like:electronic,tagged,and searchable. We are still working on that and hope to have great news for you in future issues.
However,on our way to having a nice easy to view repository of content, we have noted that maybe that is not what you want most. We wanted to make sure that you, the reader,was aware of our feedback mechanism. If you want to contact us, you can do it through the email address,berkeleygraduate@ga.berkeley.edu.
Also,being eventual tech-adopters,we have established a little web-presence on face-book, If you want to write on our anonymous wall because you’re uncomfortable emailing,that is fine too! Or if you want to be friends and have up-to-minute coverage of what we’re doing, search for “Berkeley Graduate”. It will look like the guy at the bottom of the page here.
If you would like to submit something for the Spring issue, feel free to contact us. We are pretty open-minded about submitted content and it looks like the Spring issue is going to be about our relationships with our work and the university,so things are pretty loose. We are also always
looking for reporting and copy editing talent, so if you have been having recurring dreams about being an investigatory journalist,or a yen for pulling together split infinitives, or particularly strong feelings about Oxford Commas, we would LOVE to hear from you.
As always,best wishes and keep reading!
--The Berkeley Graduate
Last semester,we took a good look at the Berkeley Graduate archive and noted that it is a fairly tragic thing that our older issues aren't really available to the public in the way we would like:electronic,tagged,and searchable. We are still working on that and hope to have great news for you in future issues.
However,on our way to having a nice easy to view repository of content, we have noted that maybe that is not what you want most. We wanted to make sure that you, the reader,was aware of our feedback mechanism. If you want to contact us, you can do it through the email address,berkeleygraduate@ga.berkeley.edu.
Also,being eventual tech-adopters,we have established a little web-presence on face-book, If you want to write on our anonymous wall because you’re uncomfortable emailing,that is fine too! Or if you want to be friends and have up-to-minute coverage of what we’re doing, search for “Berkeley Graduate”. It will look like the guy at the bottom of the page here.
If you would like to submit something for the Spring issue, feel free to contact us. We are pretty open-minded about submitted content and it looks like the Spring issue is going to be about our relationships with our work and the university,so things are pretty loose. We are also always
looking for reporting and copy editing talent, so if you have been having recurring dreams about being an investigatory journalist,or a yen for pulling together split infinitives, or particularly strong feelings about Oxford Commas, we would LOVE to hear from you.
As always,best wishes and keep reading!
--The Berkeley Graduate
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