Faculty Senate approved changes regarding teaching and research assistants in Tuesday’s meeting. This dealt with requirements for those working an assistantship to be full-time students. The senate also heard updates on-campus vaccinations rate and the introduction of a supercomputer to the university.
Assistantship
Dean Jerry McMurty of the College of Graduate Studies introduced this agenda with some vocabulary changes.
“We removed the language of academically qualified and registered because we don’t use that anywhere.” McMurty said.
Those under an assistantship have to work either part-time at 10 hours or full-time at 20 hours, but their status as a student is not flexible.
“The language has to deal with their registration status, not their assistantship appointment,” McMurty said. “They still have to be a full-time student.”
A concern Senator Alistair Smith had within the policy is the possibility of extreme student hardship and a poverty trap.
“If they are allowed to be part-time (assistants), but required to be a full-time student, faculty members could only pay them a 10-hour appointment,” Smith said. “They would owe more money in tuition than what they would get in wages.”
According to McMurty, the university does aid with assistants’ tuition.
“(For some assistants), we pay half their tuition and half of their out-of-state tuition if that is needed,” McMurty said. “They are then on the hook to pay that other half, either through their own cash or student loans.”
The senate decided to further discussion with the Graduate Council to address this issue that impacts graduate students.
COVID-19
Provost and Executive Vice President Torrey Lawrence gave an update on vaccination rates among students, with the university confirming at least 4,000 fully vaccinated students through its incentives program.
Vaccination clinics are still being made available occasionally on campus.
“They will go as long as there are people wanting to do them,” Lawrence said.
Senator Nathan Schiele asked about the level of care a student receives after a Vandal Care Report is made for a positive student.
Dean of Students Blain Eckles explained that there are ways that UI supports students that test positive, through relocation, providing food while in quarantine and transportation to doctors or home.
“We provide support to the extent the student wants support,” Eckles said. “We’re the office that is primarily going to engage directly with the student, help them access their needs and help follow through on that.”
Idaho National Laboratory
UI has gained access to INL’s retired supercomputer Falcon in a donation to public universities.
“The INL is providing that computer for the use of BSU, ISU and UI,” Vice President of Information Technology Dan Ewart said. “UI is taking the lead in that effort to get that computer up and going.”
The Falcon’s use will make it the 12th supercomputer in higher education once the transfer is made in January.
Daniel V. Ramirez can be reached at [email protected] or Twitter @DVR_Tweets