RESOLUTION S20-003: Universal One-Year Extension of Graduate Student Funding in the Wake of COVID-19
Passed, 20 April 2020, 39 (Approve) - 0 (Disapprove) - 0 (Abstain)
Sponsors:
Da’Von Boyd (Political Science Representative & Steering Committee Member)
Stephen Breazeale (Nursing Representative)
Carson J Bryant (Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry Representative)
Jacob Derechin (Sociology Representative & Steering Committee Member)
Breeanna Elliot (History Representative)
Christopher Londa (Classics Representative)
Carl R. Rice (History Representative & Steering Committee Member)
Julianne Rolf (Chemical and Environmental Engineering & Steering Committee Member)
Recipient:
Peter Salovey, President of Yale University
Scott Strobel, Provost of Yale University
Kimberly M. Goff-Crews, Secretary and Vice President for University Life at Yale University
Lynn Cooley, Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at Yale University
John Geanakoplos, Chair of the Yale Faculty of Arts and Sciences Senate
Jennifer Klein, Deputy Chair and Secretary of the Yale Faculty of Arts and Sciences Senate
Catharine Bond Hill, Senior Trustee of the Yale Corporation
The Yale Corporation
Whereas the COVID-19 pandemic has universally interrupted the academic progress and research of graduate students in all programs, stages, divisions, and disciplines.
Whereas the uncertainty caused by COVID-19—including but not limited to the indefinite closure of labs, libraries, and archives; interruption of in-person data collection; rapidly changing restrictions on travel and movement; loss of grant funding; hiring freezes, suspended searches, and cancelled job postings—has made it impossible for graduate students to pursue or plan their academic and professional futures both through the end of this term and into the next academic year.
Whereas the severity of these interruptions, the precariousness of teaching and research conditions, and the evaporation of immediate career prospects have been robustly communicated to university administrators by student activists, departmental letters, signed petitions, and narrative testimonies.
Whereas COVID-19 continues to pose a major threat to the physical and mental health of all graduate students and their families, such that the number of students impacted and delayed by the developing crisis will only increase in the coming weeks and months.
Be it resolved that the Graduate Student Assembly urges the University administration to offer an additional year of funding to all students currently matriculated in GSAS and GSAS-affiliated programs, including students who were slated to graduate in May 2020.
Be it further resolved that the Graduate Student Assembly calls upon the President, the Provost, and the Yale Corporation to allocate emergency financial resources to fund the requested extension.
Be it further resolved that the Graduate Student Assembly believes a universal one-year extension of funding for graduate students to be superior to previously proposed assistance for the following reasons. A universal one-year extension of funding
-
removes the burden from graduate students to launch their own appeals and compete with one another for accommodations;
-
recognizes that those with the greatest need may also have the least time and energy to appeal for accommodation;
-
relieves GSAS administrators at all levels from the impossible task of adjudicating between levels and kinds of hardship during a global pandemic;
-
supports and actualizes the University’s stated commitments to equity, diversity, and inclusion without exacerbating existing inequalities;
-
provides the immediate security graduate students need for planning future academic and research progress.
Be it further resolved that the Graduate Student Assembly calls upon Dean Lynn Cooley, all GSAS deans, all Directors of Graduate Studies, and the FAS Senate to take a public position of support for a universal one-year extension of graduate student funding and to advocate for this position in communications with the Provost, the President, the Yale Corporation, and any additional grant-giving bodies.
____________________________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION S20-001: EXTEND HEALTHCARE COVERAGE FOR 2020 GRADUATES IN THE WAKE OF COVID-19
Passed, 6 April 2020, 34 (Approve) - 2 (Disapprove) - 0 (Abstain)
Sponsors:
Carl R. Rice (History Representative & Steering Committee Member) Megan Kelley (Neuroscience Representative, Service Committee Chair, & Steering
Committee Member)
Recipients:
Peter Salovey, President of Yale University Scott Strobel, Provost of Yale University Kimberly M. Goff-Crews, Secretary and Vice President for University Life at Yale
University Lynn Cooley, Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at Yale University Paul Genecin, Director of Yale Health
Whereas Novel Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) poses an extreme and unforeseen threat to public health and safety.
Whereas these extreme and unforeseen consequences of COVID-19 will extend far into the future, even beyond the immediate threat of contraction or transmission.
Whereas sustained access to reliable healthcare benefits will undoubtedly contribute to the health and safety of Yale’s student body, as well as society’s collective health and wellbeing.
Be it resolved that the Graduate Student Assembly urges the University administration to extend the possibility of enrolling in all health coverage benefits through Yale Health to 2020 graduates who are unable to secure healthcare benefits for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath through June 30, 2021, and that the University would cover the cost of this enrollment.
Be it further resolved that the Graduate Student Assembly urges the University administration to collaborate with EyeMed and DeltaDental to extend the possibility of enrolling in all dental and vision health coverage benefits to 2020 graduates who are unable to secure dental and vision benefits for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath through June 30, 2021.
Be it further resolved that the University may revisit this policy in December 2020 should it be in order.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION S20-004: Supporting Graduate Student Representation on COVID-19 Contingency Planning Committees
Sponsors:
Devan Solanki (Chemical and Environmental Engineering Representative)
Maria del Mar Galindo (English Representative & Steering Committee Member)
Recipients:
Peter Salovey, President of Yale University
Scott Strobel, Provost of Yale University
Kimberly M. Goff-Crews, Secretary and Vice President for University Life at Yale University
Lynn Cooley, Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at Yale University
Pericles Lewis, Vice President for Global Strategy, Chair of Academic Continuity Committee
Timothy Pavlis, Associate Vice President for Strategy and Analytics, Office of the Provost, Chair of Operations Continuity Committee
Michael Crair, Vice Provost for Research, Office of the Provost; William Ziegler III Professor of Neuroscience, Chair of Research in the Natural Sciences and Engineering Subcommittee
Susan Gibbons, Vice Provost for Collections and Scholarly Communication, Office of the Provost, Stephen F. Gates ‘68 University Librarian, Chair of Research in the Humanities and Social Sciences Subcommittee
Rob Goodman, Professor of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging; Chair, Department of Radiology and Biomedical ImagingDepartment of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, School of Medicine; Radiologist-in-Chief, Yale New Haven Health, Chair of Clinical Practice/Clinical Research Subcommittee
Whereas on April 15th, the University announced the creation of four COVID-19 contingency planning committees that will advise on Yale’s priorities, strategies, policies, and logistics related to “teaching, research, practice, and preservation across the university” (specifically the Academic Continuity Committee, Research Continuity Committee, Creative and Artistic Practice Continuity Committee, and the Operations Continuity Committee);
Whereas the decisions of these committees will have ramifications for graduate students in all programs, stages, divisions, and disciplines;
Whereas the University has indicated that these committees will “consult … with student representatives,” but has so far made no formal provision to charter graduate student representation on these committees;
Whereas the Graduate Student Assembly “recognizes the expertise and ingenuity of the faculty and staff currently represented in the various committees and subcommittees”1, while also recognizing that graduate students have valuable and important contributions to offer these processes, not only as students but as instructors who have a unique perspective on where instruction and student experience intersect;
Whereas the Charter of the Graduate Student Assembly, revised in 2019 and approved by the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, explicitly states in Clause 2.A.4 that, “The Graduate School will work to ensure Assembly nominated graduate student representation on all future standing and ad-hoc committees of the Graduate School and University on which students serve. Also, the Assembly may propose (by a process set out in the Assembly by-laws) that the Dean allow graduate students to serve on already existing committees when the Assembly determines that sufficient representation of graduate students is absent from the committee and that graduate student representation on the committee would be of great importance and value”;
Be it resolved that the Graduate Student Assembly urges the University administration to expand the composition of these committees and subcommittees to include members of the graduate student body from both the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and the various professional schools as fully participating members of these committees.
1. https://provost.yale.edu/news/covid-19-contingency-planning-committees