Most NYU graduate students return to teaching posts

Nola Solomon Guest Writer

The unprecedented graduate student strike that began on Nov. 9, 2005 at New York University (NYU) has not yet reached an official resolution. The strike began when the University decided not to renew a contract with the Graduate Student Organizing Committee (GSOC) for a graduate student union. GSOC made history in 2001 by becoming the first graduate student employee union at a private university in the United States.

On Dec. 5, 2005, NYU President John Sexton issued an ultimatum stating that graduate students who continued to strike would lose their teaching positions and stipends, although they would continue to receive health benefits and tuition remission.

Many graduate students returned to their teaching positions as a result of the threat, although the University has not implemented the punishment.

“As of the end of last semester, roughly 75 percent of the teacher’s and graduate assistants were teaching,” said NYU Administrative Spokesman Josh Taylor. “This year, virtually all of the graduate students who hold actual teaching posts have returned to work.”

One of the main worries for the University is how the strike will affect the number of incoming graduate school applications. The general consensus from the departments is that it is too early to tell, but that so far, it seems that there is no difference in numbers. However, Taylor contends that NYU continues to recieve “huge numbers” of applications to their graduate programs.

A group called Faculty Democracy, which contains over 200 full-time faculty, formed after the administration refused to recognize GSOC last November in support of the embattled union. They have blasted President Sexton’s decision not to cooperate with GSOC.

“The University administration made this decision without consulting or acknowledging faculty opinion in any meaningful fashion,” Faculty Democracy stated in an online press release. “We believe that such blatant disregard of faculty in university governance tarnishes the good name of NYU and undermines the quality of the educational experience we provide.”

NYU, a private university, has expressed its responsibility to provide undergraduates with their education, and sees the strike as a disruption. Still, some graduate students threaten not to return to work until a second contract is agreed upon.

Additional reporting by Lauren Sutherland, Assistant News Editor