Graduate students in the Anthropology and Archaeology Departments of the Boston University College of Arts and Sciences allege the University is violating two articles in the SEIU Local 509 contract ratified Oct. 16, 2024.
Graduate students claim they received word from faculty that general departmental and summer work assignment funding has been limited or cut, along with claims the University is “phasing out funding” for sixth and seventh-year students.
Students also alleged the University is “charging continuing education fees” for students to remain enrolled “despite not taking any classes,” among other concerns about residency, payroll and insurance.
Meiya Sparks Lin, a graduate student in the English department and district steward for the BU Graduate Student Workers Union, said the union has filed several grievances, claiming the University has not informed BUGWU of any changes, or given the union a contractually obligated opportunity to bargain over changes.
Boston University Spokesperson Colin Riley did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
“[The University is in] violation of Article 13 which states that we’re allowed to work past 20 hours a week,” said Eleanor Oser, a third-year PhD philosophy student and department steward within the union. “Also a violation of Article 10 which states the University is required to notify us if they decide to make any drastic changes that would affect grad workers here.”
An anthropology major, who asked to remain anonymous for privacy reasons, said undergraduates in the Anthropology Department received an email titled “Help us save the PhD in Anthropology” March 31, asking students to provide statements “to help convince BU that graduate students play an important role in undergrad education.”
The Anthropology department is facing “stringent cuts to our PhD program,” according to the email.
“There’s just been a lot of chaos and confusion and a lot of existential peril,” said a newer anthropology graduate student, who wished to remain anonymous for job security purposes. “We don’t know what the future of the program is going to look like.”
Oser said the union specified in its contract that individual departments should have the right to approve graduate workers’ summer assignments.
Article 12.6 of the agreement states “Assignments for PhD students within the five-year funding guarantee and other stipended workers will be made by the department, program, school or college associated with their academic appointment.”
Now, Oser said the University is directing “who gets to have a final say in summer work assignments,” which allegedly violates its contract.
Sparks Lin said unpredictability over summer work assignments raises “really scary implications” for international students who are facing uncertainty over travel.
“Policies that are coming out of the [Trump] administration are directly in contrast to what is coming out of social sciences and humanities departments,” the newer anthropology student said. “It’s really disappointing to be in the crosshairs of that here at BU in Boston, in a city that’s already being heavily targeted by the administration.”
Sparks Lin said a University push to “phase out” the sixth and seventh year in the humanities and social sciences graduate course of study, will make degree completions “almost never plausible.” For students already halfway through their degree, Sparks Lin said individual finances are uncertain.
“It also really has the potential to decimate graduate study in certain departments. In departments with field work, it just would be impossible to get a graduate degree here at BU,” Sparks Lin said. “It’s going to be weeding out a lot of graduate workers, it’s going to be essentially laying off a lot of graduate workers.”
Sparks Lin said the University is implementing cost-saving measures following University-wide discussions about budget issues. Sparks Lin said the measures feel “punitive,” following the union’s months-long strike with the University.
“They want to save money,” Sparks Lin said. “They want fewer BUGWU, fewer union jobs on campus. This is going to severely diminish the amount of workers in our unit at any given time.”
The graduate students said BU may be working against its own interests with the alleged changes.
“As an R1 university, there’s an expectation that we’re offering all these programs and all this research,” the newer anthropology student said. “By targeting graduate programs, that’s a fundamental part of this research structure. Without them, BU will [lose its R1 status.]”
