Graduate students form the next generation of scholars and entrepreneurs that will promote, fund and conduct research and development in universities, government and industries. They are currently teachers in both the classroom and the laboratory. They will go on to become professors, preparing younger students in all disciplines for further education. Wesleyan graduate students support undergraduate education by performing a variety of responsibilities that include teaching laboratories, holding office hours or discussion sessions, grading homework and exams, assisting professor in lecture classes by preparing apparatus or material for demonstrations. Due to the vital role that graduate students perform in our education system, universities across the nation compete to recruit outstanding prospective students for their programs. The best graduate students are most effectively recruited and retained if a university offers competitive stipends, benefits and a supportive and stimulating academic environment.
The Graduate Student Association (GSA), with the help of the Office of Graduate Student Services (OGSS), has been particularly proactive in serving graduate students’ needs and improving graduate student life at Wesleyan University for at least the last five years. For example, since 2001 the Graduate Housing Committee (GHC), comprised of graduate students and staff from Residential Life, Physical Plant, Student Life Facilities, Rental Properties and the Director of Graduate Student Services, has been meeting regularly to address housing issues. Last year, graduate students organized a Health Care and Benefits Committee that was able to meet several times with the Associate Vice President for Finance, Director of Student Health Services, Director of Graduate Studies and the Director of Graduate Student Services in order to discuss how Wesleyan can increase graduate student stipends and offer more affordable and comprehensive health insurance.
In the spring of 2006, the GSA and the OGSS sent out a survey asking graduate students about their overall satisfaction with graduate student health benefits, housing, and stipends. The survey was designed to help determine priorities for improving graduate student life at Wesleyan, and to generate ideas that could be used by the university for implementation of these priorities in one, five and ten year strategic plans. At the time of the survey, there were approximately 190 graduate students in the science and music departments. 49 students out of 190 responded to the survey, representing 25% of the graduate student body. (A summary of the survey is attached to this document. Detailed data from the survey are available from the GSA.) Based on the responses to the questionnaire, most graduate students rate stipends as their biggest concern, followed by lack of dental coverage, and the price of graduate housing. The cost of CIGNA health insurance premiums, the improvement of graduate housing conditions, and better prescription drug coverage were 4th, 5th and 6th on their list of priorities.
When we evaluate Wesleyan’s graduate students benefits compared to similar Ph.D. and/or Master-granting institutions, it is immediately apparent that we are a unique graduate program. Wesleyan combines the features of a small, high quality liberal arts college with an excellent research environment. The graduate community is small compared to other institutions in this region. This means that research topics are somewhat limited and there is less opportunity for collaboration between groups. Thus, it is particularly important for Wesleyan’s graduate program to offer benefits that are competitive with nearby institutions, such as the University of Connecticut (UCONN), Yale, and the University of Connecticut Health Center (also known as “Farmington”) which offer larger research programs but have a similar cost of living.
The stipend offered by Wesleyan is low compared to the 2006-2007 graduate stipends offered by these other schools. For example when looking at twelve-month Ph.D. student stipends in various sciences department, Yale graduate students in the Biological and Biomedical Sciences program receive $27,000, UCONN graduate students are paid $28,495 and Farmington graduate students in the Biomedical Science program are offered $26,000. On the other end, Wesleyan’s yearly graduate stipend is $21,269 and music student are only paid 80% of that amount. We recognize that every institution compensates their graduate students from varying sources, and determines the final financial package offered to students in different ways, thus evaluating stipends (and heath benefits) cannot constitute a comprehensive analysis of the relative advantages or disadvantages of a Ph.D. program. However, if Wesleyan wants to increase its competitiveness and make significant improvements to the quality of graduate student life it must commit to an increase in graduate stipends to a level comparable to other institutions within a reasonable time period.
In addition, the graduate student population is getting older and Wesleyan tends to attract non-traditional students, who must often assume multiple adult roles, such as spouse/partner and parent. This type of student brings many advantages to the Wesleyan community by providing unique role models for undergraduates and other graduate students. However, this type of student faces greater financial challenges when returning to school. Finally, approximately half of the graduate community is comprised of international students. Due to visa restrictions, their spouses are not permitted employment, posing an added financial burden to these students. Wesleyan does offer a monthly $119 dependency allowance to eligible graduate students. We recommend that the amount of the allowance be gradually increase to $300 by first targeting graduate student who have secondary dependant.
The second major concern of the responding students is the cost of comprehensive health insurance and the lack of dental coverage in any of the university health plans. Many institutions provide dental option in their health insurance plan, or at least some type of health care discount such as the CO-Health Plan (see Yale) which allows substantial savings through discounts in certain health care areas not normally reimbursable by insurance. Dental care is extremely expensive and likely to occur unexpectedly. We would like the university to consider subsidizing a dental option in the CIGNA health plan offered to graduate students or at least to consider enrolling its graduate students in a reduced fee discount plan such as the Co-Health Plan .
About half of the respondents expressed interest in joining CIGNA, but found the cost beyond their means. In fact, graduate student monthly premiums with CIGNA are similar to Faculty and Staff contributions ($133.80, single person, CIGNA HMO) and more than twice the premium paid by the Secretarial/Clerical and Physical Plant Staff ($58.78, single person, CIGNA HMO). We understand that given the rapid rise in insurance premiums, providing affordable health insurance to its graduate student community is a big challenge for Wesleyan. However, for most Wesleyan graduate students, comprehensive health insurance remains a necessity difficult to afford on a graduate student stipend. We suggest that if the graduate health insurance premiums were lowered along the line available to Secretarial and Clerical Staff , the cost of comprehensive health insurance would become less of a burden on a student budget. This would make the option of purchasing CIGNA Health plan and/or dental insurance more affordable.
Finally, we would like to address concerns raised by students about the level of service offered by the Office of Behavioral Health (OBHS). In 2003, a review panel including therapists from the University of Massachusetts and Oberlin and the Dean of the College of Barnard released a report criticizing the OBHS, for the lack of diversity among its staff and the lack of services for graduate students. Several changes were made last year, in order to improve the quality of service offered. As the Dean of the College, Maria Cruz-Saco stated "What we want in an institution is to have your care providers, your professionals, and your staff members parallel or reflect the demographics of the community" (Argus September 13, 2005). Graduate school is a stressful environment and many students need support to work productively. We feel that it is important that Wesleyan increase its support for the OBHS such that their service is able to accommodate the diverse graduate students’ needs with the appropriate confidentiality so they feel more comfortable using this important service.
Housing is an issue that has seen much positive improvement in the last few years, due in large part to the continuing commitment and spirit of cooperation shared by the student and staff members of the GHC. The survey shows that most students are currently satisfied with their housing situation. New furniture has been provided, some rental rates in family housing have actually decreased, and there are plans to install new windows at Park Washington that would provide better heat and sound insulation. Recently, the GHC has forwarded a proposal for a graduate student community space on campus, and a location is currently under consideration. Wesleyan graduate students are grateful to the university for maintaining reasonable rental rates and we hope that the university will continue its policy of providing affordable housing for graduate students. In summary, the respondants recognize and appreciate the progress made in continued renovations directed toward energy savings, noise reduction, recycling, laundry facilities, group housing security and parking availability.
Wesleyan undergraduates have access to comprehensive career-related support services offered by the Career Resource Center (CRC). Although Wesleyan graduate students may use the CRC library and materials, due to a shortage of CRC staff, they cannot benefit from other services such as mock interviews, on-camera interviews, alternative career counseling, and revision of CVs, resumes and cover letters. We feel strongly that these services should be offered to the graduate student population. We believe that in today’s job market, graduate students need career assistance programs designed to increase their competitiveness and professional opportunities. Wesleyan graduate students can usually get valuable direction from their department and their advisors if they want to pursue an academic career. However, when it comes to non-academic careers, there are very limited resources and information available to them. The Office of Graduate Student Services has organized two successful job fairs in the last three years, beginning to address some of these issues. However, we feel that Wesleyan has a responsibility to better prepare its graduate students for the job market by providing ongoing educational training and career-related support services.
Over the past few years, the GSA has been able to communicate its concerns openly to the OGSS, with very positive results. The OGSS staff has successfully campaigned for changes in graduate student life at Wesleyan. We have seen many improvements in the health sector: access to free influenza vaccination to graduate students and their dependents over 16 years old; organization of formal and informal health benefits education sessions; better service at medical care providers when the University health center is closed. In the housing sector, establishment of fair rent and allocation of resources to the Office of Residential life has improved the quality of graduate housing. Regarding career services, the organization of graduate career fairs has helped in planning future employment.
We hope that this statement will encourage the administration to consider the importance of the graduate program at Wesleyan and look closely at the life style available to the graduate student population. Of the many concerns raised here, we believe that increasing the graduate stipend and considering additional health care and career counseling options will be the most effective actions to increase graduate program competitiveness in recruiting new students. Graduate school in general will be a more positive experience. We strongly believe that graduate students represent a significant asset at Wesleyan. They play major roles as both researchers and instructors. Through their research projects and doctoral dissertations they not only provide valuable intellectual challenges for faculty, but also enhance faculty productivity and publications, thus contributing directly to external research funding. Through their teaching-related responsibilities, they play a major role in the instruction of undergraduates. We feel that the suggested improvements to the program will show appreciation of the work done by this group and help to retain and recruit the best graduate students possible to this unique institution. At the same time, we understand that this type of adjustment takes time and budget planning. We look forward to the possibility of working further with the university administration in response to these suggestions, and to creating short and long term plans for change.
Marijo Kambere Bwenge, President, Graduate Student Association
Wendy Barber-Armstrong, Vice President, Graduate Student Association
February 2007