Glasgow uni plans to cut graduate teaching assistant budget by 62 per cent in social sciences

The University of Glasgow is cutting funding for graduate teaching assistants in its School for Social and Political Sciences, due to a forecasted decline in student numbers.

According to the internal document, seen by The Glasgow Tab, senior university management is planning to cut the faculty’s Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) by over 60 per cent, from £536,000-£200,000.

On Monday 22th June, a petition against the cuts was launched by the University and College Union (UCU), before being circulated by the Glasgow University Student Left Society across social media.

The petition argued the move will cause “undue stress” to international students, forcing regular lecturers into “extreme burnout” and inflicting severe “reputational damage” on the university’s teaching standards and global rankings.

It also highlighted the effect the cuts will have on postgraduate researchers, many who are self-funded and rely on income from GTA hours. It argued the cuts “not only poses an immediate risk to financial security, but has implications for those on student visas, creating a set of circumstances that cause undue stress to PGR colleagues and international PGR’s in particular.”

The petition also touched on how the change could negatively impact the learning experience of undergraduate students studying courses in politics and sociology. GTAs often frontline tutors, who lead seminars, grade essays and offer one-to-one academic support to students.

A spokesperson for the university informed The Glasgow Tab the cuts were decided on due to a forecasted reduction in student numbers next year.

via Unsplash

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Speaking to The Glasgow Tab, the UCU confirmed it has formally written to the college, requesting a halt to the plans, union representation with advance planning and an immediate health and safety assessment.

Rory Hamilton, the PGR/GTA Representative on the UCU Glasgow Committee, condemned the university’s handling of the cuts, revealing that job offers have already been taken back ahead of next academic year.

He said: “Postgraduate students in SPS have had the rug pulled under their feet after GTA contract extensions were offered and rescinded following a 60 per cent cut to the extended workforce budget, leaving many in precarious financial situations with little ability to adjust personal plans.”

“By cutting the GTA budget, not only is a major financial lifeline taken away from PGRs, but inevitably this means an increased workload for permanent staff, who are already overstretched and burned out.”

He continued: “The lack of foresight is astounding, given this increased workload pressure will undoubtedly impact the quality of teaching across the school, which in turn reduces the university’s attractiveness to prospective students.”

“In the same year that the new vice-chancellor launches a new 10-year strategy, whilst celebrating a budget surplus, senior management expect us to do more with less.”

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