**SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM TO SIGN // NAMES WILL BE UPDATED DAILY**
TO THE ATTENTION OF THE UA BOARD OF TRUSTEES, CHANCELLOR FINIS ST. JOHN IV, PRESIDENT STUART BELL, PRESIDENT RAY L. WATTS, AND PRESIDENT DARREN M. DAWSON:
Graduate student workers for the University of Alabama system are experiencing unprecedented economic precarity related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the vital role graduate workers play in maintaining nearly all facets of university life across all campuses, many were already in a precarious position due to low stipends and inadequate healthcare. These inadequacies are being thrown into sharp relief in the face of the economic downturn that has resulted from COVID-19. We call on the UA system administration to step forward and ensure that these vital members of our university communities are cared for by implementing the following measures:
1. TIMELINE TO COMPLETION & FUNDING EXTENSIONS FOR GRADUATE STUDENT WORKERS FOR ONE ACADEMIC YEAR
Graduate student research, teaching, and prospective job searches have been significantly delayed and otherwise impacted by COVID-19. The University of Alabama system has already offered the option to extend tenure clocks for junior faculty and we ask that it guarantee one-year funding and time-to-completion extension options for graduate workers.
2. FULL COVERAGE FOR COVID-19 AND MENTAL HEALTHCARE-RELATED EXPENSES; IMPLEMENT URGENT SAFETY MEASURES FOR ESSENTIAL GRADUATE RESEARCHERS
Currently, the costs of COVID treatment ($20,000) are more than most graduate workers make in a year. Additionally, economic precarity combined with the limited scope of coverage in the UA system’s student healthcare plan have caused many students to forgo necessary mental health treatment. During this time of crisis, it is imperative that all members of the UA community are able to access healthcare. We ask that the UA system remove barriers to healthcare for students on our insurance plan, focusing on the issues of concern outlined in this petition:
https://www.change.org/p/university-of-alabama-tell-the-u-of-alabama-to-provide-students-with-affordable-healthcare-during-covid-19?utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=custom_url&recruited_by_id=e8a45be0-cde7-012f-ccaf-40406f61fb41 3. SUMMER FUNDING FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS
Without adequate summer funding, many graduate student workers will not be in a position to stay in Tuscaloosa or to return to school for the fall. The UA system must work to secure summer funding for graduate workers who have had summer employment options, both inside and outside of the university, curtailed because of widespread shutdowns.
4. FINANCIAL HARDSHIP AND VISA SUPPORT FOR INTERNATIONAL GRADUATE STUDENT WORKERS
International graduate workers will experience additional burdens related to living in Alabama over the next several months and are ineligible to receive support through mechanisms like the CARES Act. In addition, many of the graduate workers will need to navigate the visa requirements related to research and job searches. The UA system must ensure that they can complete their degrees with minimal added financial and legal distress by providing additional on-campus funding and legal counseling. In addition, we ask that the UA system provide that same support for recently graduated international graduate workers as they navigate the pandemic.
5. PROTECTION AND COMPENSATION FOR ESSENTIAL CAMPUS WORKERS
The UA system is responsible for providing all workers on campus with adequate Personal Protective Equipment (masks, gloves, soap/water access, and/or virus-effective hand sanitizer) and hazard pay of at least an additional $12/hour for all essential workers who earn less than $70,000/year or $35/hour as hazard pay. The UA system should ensure that workers have the right to extended paid leave (at least 14 days) in case of sickness, need to quarantine, or care for sick family members. Finally, the UA system should offer childcare support for all workers, whether financially or in the form of an on-campus childcare facility.
6. TRANSPARENCY IN FINANCIAL AND PERSONNEL ACTIONS THROUGH CLEAR COMMUNICATION AND WEEKLY UPDATES
At present the process by which the UA system is making decisions affecting faculty, staff, and students is opaque and communication about these decisions is poor and without input from affected parties. We require full transparency regarding who is making critical decisions within the UA system in response to the pandemic. The UA system must be transparent in how CARES Act emergency funding as well as any future aid is allocated. Also, the UA System COVID-19 updates website should provide weekly comprehensive updates on financial and personnel actions being taken by the UA system in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, alongside a comprehensive listing of resources being offered by the UA system to its staff, faculty, and students during this extraordinary time.
1. Sara-Maria Sorentino, Assistant Professor, Gender & Race Studies, UA
2. Peter R. Jensen, Assistant Professor, Department of Communication Studies, UA
3. Garrett Bridger Gilmore, Full-Time Instructor, English/Gender & Race Studies, UA
4. Gina Stamm, Assistant Professor, Modern Languages & Classics, UA
5. Stacy Morgan, Professor, American Studies, UA
6. Riecher Denmark, Graduate Teaching Assistant, American Studies, UA
7. Daniel G. Heslep, graduate instructor, English, UA
8. Sarah Scarr
9. Reem Abu-Baker
10. Michael Martone, Professor, English, UA
11. Holly Kennedy, Police Officer, Police Department, UA
12. Jack Carey, Instructor, American Studies, UA
13. Kayla Dale, Graduate Assistant, English Department, UA
14. Sarah Sahn, Assistant Professor / Librarian, University Libraries, UA
15. Courtney Parker / Graduate Teaching Assistant, UA
16. Megan Gallagher, Assistant Professor, Gender and Race Studies, UA
17. Heather Kopelson, Associate Professor, History, UA
18. Hilary Green, Associate Professor, Gender and Race Studies, UA
19. Gabrielle Cruz-Uribe, faculty spouse, UA
20. Micah McKay, Assistant Professor, Modern Languages & Classics, UA
21. Jared Margulies, Assistant Professor, Geography, UA
22. Austin Montgomery Schutz, Graduate Teaching Assistant, Departments of Political Science and Gender and Race Studies, UA
23. Sergio Fabi , Assistant Professor, physics and astronomy, UA
24. Shalonda Capers, Graduate Assistant, UA
25. Elizabeth E. Tavares, faculty, English, UA
26. Jenifer Park, Faculty, English, UA
27. Julia Brock, faculty, History, UA
28. Alyxandra Vesey, faculty, Journalism and Creative Media, UA
29. Chynna Shea Swann, GTA Instructor, Gender & Race, UA
30. Leah E. LeFebvre, Assistant Professor, Communication Studies, UA
31. Joshua R. Pederson, Assistant Professor, Communication Studies, UA
32. Amber Buck, Assistant Professor, English, UA
33. Isabelle Beauregard, Graduate, Gender and Race Studies, UA
34. Michelle Dowd, Professor, English, UA
35. Jeffrey Jones
36. Alice Deters, Graduate Assistant (2016-2018), American Studies, UA
37. Emily Williams
38. Rebecca Griesbach, GTA, Gender & Race, UA
39. Paul Christian Mora UA Graduate, American Studies
40. Kyle Hostetler, Undergraduate, Mathematics and Geography, UA
41. David V. Cruz-Uribe, OFS, Professor & Chair of Mathematics, UA
42. Brittany Groves, Instructor, Gender and Race Studies, UA
43. Joshua R. Pederson, Assistant Professor, Communication Studies, UA
44. Michael Innis-Jimenez, Associate Professor, American Studies, UA
45. Maddison Loos, Graduate Student, Gender and Race Studies, UA
46. Edward Tang, Professor and Chair, American Studies, UA
47. Sarah Cheshire, GTA, English
48. Jenny Shaw, Associate Professor, History, UA
49. Mary Meares, Associate Professor, Communication Studies, UA
50. Rekha Nath, Associate Professor, Philosophy, UA
51. Aiden Mould, Graduate, American Studies, UA
52. Nicole Stevens, Graduate Student, Department of Gender and Race Studies (UA)
53. James Eubanks, GTA, English, UA
54. Jackson Saul, GTA, English, UA
55. Susan Breitzer, Independent Scholar
56. Jessy Ohl, Assistant Professor, Communication Studies, UA
57. Sungae Yim, Graduate Student, English/Creative Writing, UA
58. Mairin Odle, Assistant Professor, American Studies, UA
59. Harrison Gatlin, GTA, English, UA
60. Bharat Mehra, EBSCO Endowed Chair in Social Justice & Professor, Library & Information Studies, UA
61. Meredith M. Bagley, Communication Studies, UA, Associate Professor
62. Xiangyan Xiong, Graduate Student, Department of Gender and Race Studies, UA
63. Peyton King-Undergrad, History, UA-Tuscaloosa
64. Chengru He, GTA, English, UA
65. Torin Alter, Professor, Philosophy, UA
66. Seth Stewart, Instructor, English, UA
67. Marvin Tyler Sasser, FTI, English, UA
68. Sarah J. Sprouse, Full-Time Instructor, English, UA
69. Natalie Loper, Instructor, English, UA
70. John Walters, Instructor, English, UA
71. Sara Pirkle, faculty, English, UA
72. Bethany Campbell, Graduate Assistant (2011-2012), American Studies, UA
73. Paige Robinson, GTA, American Studies, UA
74. Marieke Keller, GTA, C&IS
75. Eunhui Kim, Graduate assistant, UA
76. Ashley McWaters, Instructor, English, UA
77. Danielle Deavours, Instructor and PhD Candidate, C&IS, UA
78. Hannah King, GTA, C&IS, UA
79. Brendan Ames, Assistant Professor, Mathematics, UA
80. Chisolm Allenlundy, J.D. '20
81. August Kelly, Graduate Student, English, UA
82. Kevin Kerwood, IT Technician III, OIT, UA
83. James McKenna, Graduate Teaching Assistant, English, UA
84. Jil Chambless, FTTI, Mathematics, UA
85. Kyle B. Ashley, GTA, Religious Studies, UA
86. Acie Clark, GTA, English
87. Samuel Hallam, undergraduate, Political Science and Spanish, UA
88. Bridget McMullin, Pyschology, UA
89. Kenya A. Harris, undergraduate, Gender & Race Studies/Political science, UA
90. Daniel Ogden, Undergraduate, Political Science and Philosophy, UA
91. Noah DiRoberto, Undergraduate in Management Information Systems Major at UA
92. Ariel Jones undergrad Anthropology & Interdisciplinary UA
93. Garrett Kennedy, undergraduate, marine science and biology, UA
94. Madeline Kinkel, GTA, English, UA
95. Jamiah Carter, undergraduate, UA
96. Virginia Saft, Undergraduate Blount Scholars Program and Honors College, English, UA
97. Bridget McMullin, Pyschology, UA
98. Rhonalda Bonner, Graduate Student/GTA, Gender and Race Studies, UA
99. Jack Kappelman, Undergraduate, Department of Political Science, UA
100. Emily Gibson, undergrad, HDFS, UA
101. Aleah Brown, undergraduate, English/Political Science, UA
102. Martha Glen Seas, undergraduate, News Media, UA
103. Chloe Isabelle McCrary, undergraduate, Environmental Science, UA
104. Lilia Anderson, undergraduate, Political Science & English, UA
105. Eric Carr, Undergraduate, Philosophy and Political Science, UA
106. Asheton McAllister, UA undergraduate, public relations
107. Nirmala Erevelles, Professor, college of Education
108. Rebecca Mhagama, Undergraduate, Public Health, UA
109. Elizabeth Foshe, Graduate Assistant, UA
110. Alexandr Tsymbalisty, undergraduate, civil engineering, UA
111. Kat Brinkley, undergraduate, Social Work, UA
112. Allison Freund, Undergraduate, Psychology, UA
113. Mikayla Jones, undergraduate, psychology, UA
114. Shannon Wheeler, graduate assistant, American studies, UA
115. Ryland Hunstad
116. Alexander Lindenfelser, Political Science MA, UA
117. Brie Smiley, GTA, Gender and Race Studies, UA
118. Henry King, undergraduate, computer science and psychology, UA
119. Olivia Kirchman, undergraduate, political science, UA
120. Jackson Haile, undergraduate UA
121. Henry King, undergraduate, computer science and psychology, UA
122. Allison Koszyk, M.S. in H.E.S 2019, law student,
123. Haley Czarnek, UA Law Student
124. Erica Webb, law student, law school, UA
125. Spencer Bowley, UA law student
126. Anna Beth Peters, Undergraduate, Political Science & Communication Studies, UA
