Meet the GPD Notes
AHCS GSA
The Art History & Communication Studies Graduate Students’ Association (McGill University)
Agenda for the November 8, 2016 Meet the GPD
2:30 pm to 4:15 pm, Arts W220
GPD, Prof. Darin Barney will hold this position for one year, he is a COMS Professor
Darin presented for 10 mins on AHCS Graduate Funding (reference his attached Powerpoint)
“The more transparency, the better”
Old model
Used to have two GPDs before 2014
Funding pledges based only on funds received annually in the Departmental Funding allotment – given by the University and all funds must be spent by end of year
Formerly, funding guarantees were too risky to make (because Dept. didn’t fully control all funding).
Funding pledges for students were made a year at a time, there was less consistency and little ability to plan ahead
Weakened recruitment
Process underway to renew funding system began in 2014 and is now kicking in this year
New Model
All funding for students is now aggregated, consistent and more fairly distributed (based on all funding sources at McGill, not just a singular yearly allotment from McGill)
Takes into account other sources and breaks down all funding sources to redistribute funds so students hit a minimum average (Work/study doesn’t apply, because it’s another kind of employment)
This applies to PhD 2-5 (not beyond) and MA 1 & 2 (reminder: first-year PhD students are called PhD 2)
Minimums are intended as guarantees and premised on secure sources
Minimums will be adjusted annually
Plan is to retroactively bring past cohorts up to minimums of new students
McGill advocates funding PhDs by recruiting international MA students; AHCS is resisting this model
GPD’s role
Ensure students get at least the minimum funding they were pledged
Provisionally distribute funds and then move more flexible funds around to equalize funding of all students
Constant process of monitoring all funds administered by McGill sources
Our department supports a total of 87 graduate students (up to 8th year PhDs, although those candidates are not fully associated with Dept.)
Challenges include lack of control over funding and disbursement timing, and managing faculty contributions; and funding notification delays
Target Recruitment Minimums
International PhDs at $33,500 for 3 years; and $21,000 in Y4
Domestic PhDs at $22,000 for 3 years and $20,000 in Y4
International MAs at $7,500 for 2 years
International MAs at $5,000 for 2 years
**As of November 15, 2016 all in-program students PhD 2-5 and MA 1-2 will have attained these minimums for 2016-17) with a few exceptions for MA 2s**
These amounts will be dispersed in monthly allotments
Questions by topic
Funding
New Model
Where is information about, say, getting a Wolf scholarship, or other Chair-determined funding sources?
These opportunities are circulated by listserv, not consolidated in one place. Darin will look into updating online resources
TAships/related
How are TAships determined?
AHCS gets a university budget that has been declining over the years. Number of TAships is determined by this amount.
GPD is contractually restricted by contract agreement to first pull from the priority pool, a list of those who have already had a TAship.
TAships are not based on financial aid first.
New TAships are often given to international students because they have less options for external funding.
Late-stage PhDs, international students and teaching experience considerations all play into how people are chosen, but teaching experience is the least-weighted consideration of the three.
The pay for the new contractual position (that teaches 4 classes this year) is very low. A person with a PhD and teaching experience should not be paid this little. Is this something that can be remedied? (student question)
Payscale for faculty lecturers is low for amount of work required – this should be asked of the Dept. Chair and is determined by the school. Lecturers are now unionized, so hopefully pay will rise through collective agreement.
This new hire is teaching courses that were usually allocated to grad students in the late stages of their PhDs. These students (like me) have now no other possibility to gain teaching experience (other than TAing). Does the dept. have any assistance program in place to make up for the loss of that opportunity? (student question)
Good question, not sure how much
This is being treated as a “real job” instead of a teaching opportunity for students -- so it benefits recent grads, instead of PhDs.
This situation is really dictated by the yearly allotment from McGill, which is broken up into pre-determined packages.
Department is always asking for more course lectureships on behalf of students.
GPD will bring this to the attention of Dept. Chair.
Thesis Concerns
Potential question (if there are no student questions and we need to fill time): Could there be an introductory session for incoming graduate students at the beginning of each school year that goes over the timeline of the thesis (such as initial submission and final submission), as well as requirements (such as maximum page count)?
Supervisor Concerns
Every year supervisors evaluate their grad students. Is there an option to evaluate supervisors in return, as a matter of transparency and accountability? (Pre-submitted student question)
There’s no formal mechanism for supervisor evaluation.
One of the roles of the GPD is to respond to supervisory issues, and provide assistance and protect anonymity.
GPD welcomes students to send suggestions to improve student/supervisor relationships, discuss supervisory
There’s no reason there couldn’t be a generalized feedback method on supervisory practices prepared in conjunction with the GSA – but first get feedback from students first to gauge interest.
GSA should provide reminder for students regarding procedures in place to deal with supervisor issues.
Important to note: GPD is a Safer Spaces ally.
Miscellaneous
The course, ARTH 490 (CRN 1493) Museum Internship (3 credits), requires Advisor approval, is non-unionized and has been given for years to the same student (who has a SSHRC). Several other grad students already asked previously through the GSA, to have this course open for applications, but nothing was done. Matthew Hunter (who was the GPD at the time) and Mary Hunter (it's her student who is teaching this course) are well aware of this situation. Is this something you can act on?
GPD is interested in this situation and will follow-up on this. GPD requested GSA forward this question via e-mail to look into details.
The consistency of one student filling the role is a main justification, but does remove a desirable position for more students.
Administrative position versus education experience? Goals of this position need to be reassessed.
A few PhD students were wondering about the number of advisors -- they are only allowed two supervisors, but some were wondering why not three?
Not sure that this is a strict rule, but perhaps the real question is why don’t we have committees? In terms of three co-supervisors, it’s perhaps viewed as impractical.
Also, we have such a small department, that this seems like it might lessen the quality of supervisory interactions. Bigger schools have more professors and fewer students so the one-on-one supervisor relationship works best.
Potential question (if there are no student questions and we need to fill time): What is something that yourself or the faculty thinks the GSA could advocate for/improve upon?
