Administration solicits grad student feedback on plan

The second of two meetings regarding changes to the status of post-enrolled graduate students — students who complete degree requirements but require extra time to work on dissertations — was held Thursday.

For the past three years, post-enrolled students have had Degree Candidacy Continuing (DCC) status. Despite certain benefits, including loan deferral, visa status and an ID card with library access, students do not have full student status. The somewhat ambiguous nature of this arrangement has caused problems for students regarding funding and visas.

The proposed changes will give post-enrolled students the option of Dissertation Completion Enrollment (DCE) status. This entails being fully enrolled with access to everything offered by the DCC program plus housing eligibility, subsidized health insurance and subsidized gym availability.

However, while the DCC program has no charge, the DCE program will require a tuition payment of $4,500, including a mandatory University Student Health Plan fee.

At the meeting, Dean of the Graduate School William Russell outlined the new DCE status.

A panel consisting of Russell and three other graduate deans fielded students' questions.

Many students were concerned about paying the $4,500 fee, especially in the humanities and social sciences where available departmental funding is typically lower than in the natural sciences and engineering.

DCE students can receive a full stipend by working as either assistant instructors or researchers, but some worry that this heavy commitment might detract from time needed for dissertation completion. Others noted that such opportunities vary by department.

"In the history department, we only have two or three precept hours a week," said Sara Brooks GS. "It would be nice if, rather than either receiving a full stipend or not, our tuition was reduced by the number of precept hours we take."

Many students asked questions about how and why the tuition was set at $4,500, and whether or not it would change.

"I would just like some transparency with regards to the tuition," said Harvey Stark, a first-year religion graduate student. "We're paying $4,500 versus $1,800. What does that mean?"

"This is only our best guess at tuition," said Graduate School Associate Dean for Administration Sandra Mawhinney at the meeting. "We'll look at it again in a year."

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Further discussion concerned the mandatory Student Health Plan fee, which Graduate School Associate Dean for Student Life Joy Montero noted is a requirement for all students, undergraduate or graduate, if they don't have comparable or superior coverage independently.

The panel also noted that the Graduate School was working closely with each department to help find student funding.

"We're doing this because students have asked us," Mawhinney said. "It's your option whether or not you want it, and if you do, we're going out there to find support for you."

Students said they are generally appreciative of the Graduate School's work on the issue.

"People understand that this is an effort," Stark said. "It is also important that students understand why they're being asked to pay for it too."