CMU raises graduate assistant pay

By Meredith Mayberry
Edited by Kelly Morse and Amanda Crabtree

Central Michigan University raised graduate assistant salaries 3 percent on Thursday to meet the needs of a unionized group of graduate student assistants.

The students, the Graduate Student Union, are asking the university for a living wage, which they define as the smallest wage that will pay for rent, food, gas, and other necessities.

Roger Coles, interim dean of graduate studies at CMU, said the university’s pay is comparable to other institutions.

“We do studies every year with how our stipends compare to other universities,” Coles said. “We see comparability, the students don’t.”

Coles said next year’s bachelor assistants will earn between $9,800 and $14,400. Masters assistants will earn about $10,300 and doctoral assistants will earn between $10,850 and $19,000.

Out of the 137 doctoral students at CMU, 101 are receiving $12,600 or more, Coles said.

Michael Hoerger, a third year graduate student in the psychology department, said those numbers look good on paper, but are less than accurate.

Most graduate assistants make between $4,000 and $5,000 a year, Hoerger said.

“The statistics look good,” he said. “But that’s like saying the U.S. economy is good because Bill Gates is rich.”

Hoerger said he currently works three jobs. He works at the psychology center in Saginaw, teaches at CMU and does web design. He also does research, which offers no pay.

One of the issues graduate assistants have is half-time employment, which means half of the allotted stipend, or pay, according to the Graduate Student Union Web site, cmugsu.com.

“They still get in-state tuition,” said Coles.

The union has contacted student organizations, department heads, officials at the graduate school and President Rao.

“Basically, I was told that it’s supply and demand,” Hoerger said. “If students are taking this pay, the university will continue to give it.”

Coles said the graduate assistants have yet to approach him about the subject.

Graduate assistants only receive partial tuition reimbursement and no medical or dental coverage, according to the Web site.

“Future applicants are choosing to attend lesser schools who treat their graduate students with respect,” the Web site notes.

The Graduate Student Union had their first meeting at 8 p.m. on Tuesday in the basement of Sloan Hall. About 20 graduate students attended from a variety of programs. Their next scheduled meeting is Feb. 26.

“We all have a problem here,” Hoerger said.