When a $300 increase isn't enough

Next year, stipends for graduate students in the School of Arts and Sciences will increase from $18,000 to $18,300.

But some students are saying that this increase is too small, and that the University should be doing more to fund graduate education.

Members of Graduate Employees Together -University of Pennsylvania, a graduate student group that advocates for teaching and research assistants, say the $300 increase is not enough to match inflation and projected cost of living increases in Philadelphia.

GET-UP calculated that the new stipend, factoring in inflation increases, will actually be equivalent to an about 2-percent decrease.

And so some students are calling for the University to take a more effective stance.

Penn President Amy Gutmann "promised to invest in graduate students and graduate student education," said GET-UP chairwoman and fourth year SAS student Julie Kruidenier. "And now, for the second year in a row, our stipend increase proves to be effectively a pay cut, which contradicts her stated interest in graduate education."

And while some might see these stipend-related complaints as a case of biting the hand that feeds you, Kruidenier has a different take.

"The hand that feeds us is also fed by us," Kruidenier said. "We're teaching a significant number of hours for the University, and the University wouldn't really be able to run without us."

But according to University officials, the annual increase in the SAS stipend is much more complicated than that.

Associate Dean for Graduate Studies Jack Nagel said Penn takes three things into consideration when deciding the stipend increase each year: competition from other universities, the school's budget position and, in fact, cost of living increases.

"School finances for the budget next year are very tight," Nagel said, citing SAS budget constraints as one of the main reasons for the smaller increase.

Also, in response to assertions that the University is ignoring inflation rates, Nagel said that, when next year's stipend was initially determined back in November, the $300 increase was consistent with the 2-percent rate of inflation.

Since then, inflation has risen above 2 percent due to the volatile nature of gas and energy prices, making the increase seem smaller than it should be, Nagel said.

He added that, in order to truly compare the stipend increase to inflation, it is necessary to factor out the effects of gas and energy fluctuations.

In addition, he cited an increase in health care premiums for graduate students next year, making the total University cost spent on each graduate student higher.

Still, students offered varied opinions when asked whether they think the University is committed to their best interests.

"What's really disappointing about it is that it's reversing a trend," said fifth year SAS student Tim Carmody, referring to several very large stipend increases in recent years.

On the other hand, fourth year SAS student and Graduate Student Associations Council Vice President for SAS Affairs Leslie Warden said, "I don't feel bad about the raise. . I'm not bothered by the low amount."

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.