Editorial Board: University and GTAC should work together for students

By By Ty Beaver (Contact)

Wednesday, February 15, 2006

It just wouldn’t be the spring semester without graduate teaching assistant contract negotiations.

Once again, the Graduate Teaching Assistant Coalition and the University of Kansas administration are debating the specifics of contracts with the University. Both sides have their own ways of hampering discussions, ranging from inflexible scheduling and agendas to demonstrations of discontent.

The ire that accompanies these negotiations does nothing for progress or for students at the University. The last negotiations lasted 22 months, during which GTAs and administration officials seemed more concerned with smiting the other party than coming to a fair compromise.

Both parties need to realize that they have to work together. GTAs have a right to fair pay and treatment. The University administration needs to stop considering the GTAC as a vengeful enemy and view it more as a business partner. The coalition is only looking out for its members’ interests, just as the administration is looking out for the University’s interests.

GTAs need to remember why they are getting paid. If a GTA is more concerned about his work benefits through the University than planning an effective lesson or leaving time to work with students, their pupils are the ones who will suffer. Such a situation could also lend to University officials perceiving that GTAs have not completing their ends of the bargain when it comes to a contract.

What both parties should consider is how their negotiations will affect students. How will allowing or not allowing GTAs to teach more than 10 semesters affect teaching? How would a possible salary raise affect teaching? The classroom should be the primary interest, not any one group’s prestige or pocketbook.

Cooperation is key in any negotiation and until both the University and the GTAC understand this, they will be more concerned with bickering than improving education.

— Ty Beaver for the editorial board

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