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‘It Felt Like a Betrayal’: Researchers Won a $2-Million Prize. The University Wants to Take It
Vimal Patel November 8, 2019 October 24 should have been a great day for John M. Shea and Tan F. Wong, professors of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Florida.
The day before, after three years, their team — which includes three Ph.D. students and an undergraduate — won the $2-million grand prize in an artificial-intelligence competition, beating out more than 100 teams from around the world. The message that day from the administration, however, was far from congratulatory. “Please understand that if Shea and Wong convert University funds to personal funds,” stated the email from a university lawyer to a lawyer representing the university’s faculty union, “they will be subject to personnel action and possibly other more serious consequences.” The battle for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency contest was over. But the team had another fight, this one with its own university. Who gets to keep the prize money? |
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Graduate Assistants United demands UF to revisit prize money policy
April Rubin November 5, 2019 Graduate Assistants United released a press release Tuesday morning demanding UF revise its research and competition prize policy and give a UF engineering team the $2 million prize it won.
GatorWings, a UF engineering team, won first place at the Spectrum Collaboration Challenge on Oct. 23 and were awarded $2 million. A 2018 UF policy change allowed the university to keep the prize money rather than the faculty and students. “UF must revisit its policy concerning research prizes, recognizing that victories such as GatorWings increase the scholarly stature of the university community,” the release stated. UF’s faculty union filed an Unfair Labor Practice charge for changing established practice without consulting the union. UF spokesperson Steve Orlando said he could not comment because of active litigation. Stephen Phillips, GAU communications chair and 29-year-old UF political science doctoral student, said UF should give GatorWings the $2 million and change the policy for future teams. |
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Florida students protest as Trump Jr. speaks on campus — for a $50,000 fee
Lori Rozsa October 10, 2019 An appearance by Donald Trump Jr. on the University of Florida campus Thursday night, billed as a “keynote presentation” and covered by student funds, drew protests by students objecting to what they called a campaign rally.
Bobby Mermer, co-president of Graduate Assistants United at UF, said many students felt they were being forced to support the couple’s appearance. “These are well-known campaign surrogates traveling the country for a political candidate,” he said. Mermer said he wouldn’t object if Trump and Guilfoyle spoke on campus without payment, as candidates have in the past. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), a Democratic presidential contender, addressed an outdoor campaign rally on the campus in 2016 that was attended by 8,000. He was not paid. “We would be opposed to the ACCENT bureau using student fees to fund any candidates — Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, it doesn’t matter,” Mermer said. “Have the campaigns or private funds pay for it, not mandatory student fees.” |
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UF responds to death of graduate student
Tori Whidden July 8, 2019 UF has responded to the recent death of a graduate student amid calls for an investigation.
The university issued a statement regarding the death of Huixiang Chen, an international doctoral candidate in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, who was found dead on campus in Benton Hall after taking his own life on June 13. A celebration of life memorial service for Chen is scheduled for 2 p.m. Wednesday at the UF Baughman Center. UF released the statement after UF Graduate Assistants United (GAU) requested an investigation following the circumstances that led up to Chen’s death. In the statement, the university said Chen left behind a note suggesting possible research misconduct by his faculty adviser, Tao Li. |
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Memorial to be held in honor of UF graduate student
Francesca Stewart and Lewis Tingler July 3, 2019 Members of an on-campus organization at the University of Florida are calling for an investigation into the recent death of a student.
A message was sent to the graduate assistants united facebook page about three weeks ago saying that UF doctoral student and graduate assistant Huixiang Chen was missing and that there were rumors that he might hurt himself. One member says he contacted the university police, and after searching the campus, Chen was found dead from an apparent suicide. Bobby Mermer, who is a member of the grad student organization, says he made the call and that one of Chen's friend's later discovered a letter they believe was written by Chen ahead of his death. Mermer says that letter paints a picture of neglected mental health, and one big stressor in Chen's life. |
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GAU calls for investigation following student death
Charlie Daffron July 3, 2019 UF’s Graduate Assistants United has requested an investigation by UF looking into the death of Huixiang Chen, an international UF doctoral candidate who was found dead on campus in Benton Hall after taking his own life last month.
Graduate Assistants United, a labor union that represents teaching assistants, research assistants and graduate student instructors, believes UF needs to look into the circumstances that led up to Chen’s death after speaking to Chen’s friends about the things he was struggling with, said Bobby Mermer, the union’s co-president. UF spokesperson Steve Orlando said in a statement to The Alligator that UF began to review Chen’s death since the body was discovered on June 14. “We are deeply saddened by his loss,” Orlando said. “We hold our faculty members to the very highest standards of integrity, honesty, ethics and proper conduct toward and treatment of students.” |
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UF graduate student's death raising concerns over international graduate student treatment
Deirnesa Jefferson July 2, 2019 Last month’s death on campus raises questions for some about the treatment and working conditions of international graduate students.
“It’s a very extreme case, but its emblematic of the pressures international graduate students face.” University police said the grad student's death was a suicide, but Bobby Mermer, co-president of Graduate Assistants United is calling for a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding the student death as well the working conditions of international graduate students. “What needs to be done is the university needs to take it seriously and investigate campus wide the conditions international graduate assistants face,” Mermer said. |
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Employees respond to UF employer ranking
Tori Whidden May 21, 2019 While UF ranked among the top 10 employers for public universities, some UF employees believe the title is not deserved.
On April 17, Forbes Magazine released a list ranking large employers that ranked UF sixth among public universities and 19th among all universities. However, some employees disagree. Bobby Mermer is co-president of UF Graduate Assistants United (GAU), a union representing teaching assistants, research assistants and graduate student instructors at UF. Mermer said he was confused with the criteria Forbes Magazine used to rank UF. He argued it could be inaccurate if only higher administration contributed to the Forbes feedback. |
2018
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Graduate students march to UF administration office
Gillian Sweeney November 17, 2018 Graduate students want the UF administration to pay up.
Lugging around a giant check up to the steps of Tigert Hall, more than 40 graduate assistants protested their requirement to pay fees despite being employees of the university. The students from the Graduate Assistants United rallied on Plaza of the Americas before marching to Tigert Friday afternoon. The union advocates for the rights of graduate students, said Roberto Munoz, a 36-year-old paid assistant for the UF union. Though tuition is waived for graduate assistants, they’re still liable to pay about $700 in fees each semester, said Munoz, a third-year UF anthropology doctoral student. |
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UF grad students protest student fees
Kevin Brockway November 17, 2018 University of Florida graduate student Roberto Munoz still isn’t sure if he will go home to his native Puerto Rico to see family over Christmas break.
As a teaching assistant at UF on a meager stipend, Munoz faced an additional financial hardship on Friday — paying $719.64 for his semester student activity fees. “You sometimes can’t see your family,” Munoz said. “Sometimes rent is almost short. You have to prioritize rent, but sometimes if you don’t pay fees on time you have to pay a $100 penalty.” Munoz was one of close to 40 graduate student assistants who gathered at the Plaza of the Americas on a cool Friday to protest the deadline for paying student fees. From there, grad students marched to the steps of Tigert Hall, UF’s administration building. Some carried signs that read “No Pay for Work” and “Something About Fees Stinks, and It’s Not The Swamp.” |
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The November election could cost us our No. 8 top public spot
Bobby Mermer and Stephen Phillips November 1, 2018 The upcoming midterm election is critical for the future of Florida. On the ballot are not only candidates and initiatives but the very character of our state. Each and every one of us has a stake in this election and in our democracy. Here are three things that make this election critical that you may not have considered before.
Almost every state- and county-level official we elect this year will have some say in determining education funding at either the K-12 or university level. Each year, the state legislature divvies up funding not only for K-12 education, but also for the state’s colleges and universities. According to a report by the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association, Florida spent less money last year on higher education per full-time student than any other state. We have the option this year of voting for candidates who want to stay this course or voting for nominees seeking change. |
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Groups protest treatment of OPS workers at UF
Chris Baldwin July 29, 2018 Following a series of passionate speakers, a group of about 75 protestors — many holding signs that read “We Demand $15 & Union Rights” or wearing pins that read “President Fuchs Don’t Fire OPS Workers In Mass” — began to walk across Village Drive toward the home of University of Florida President Kent Fuchs.
As they crossed the street, a lone voice yelled out: “When UF workers are under attack, what do we do?” They responded in unison: “Stand up. Fight back.” A rally organized by the Alachua County Labor Coalition was held Sunday afternoon across the street from Fuchs’ house to advocate for temporary employees, some of whom believe they are facing a mass layoff |
2017
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UF, GAU reach agreement on stipend raises
Camille Respess November 14, 2017 After five months of negotiations past the original deadline, the Graduate Assistants Union labor union and UF reached agreements on stipend raises Monday.
Bobby Mermer, GAU’s bargaining chair, said the contract felt like a triumph for GAU. “I feel relieved,” he said. “I feel like everyone on the bargaining team deserves to take a nice long nap and bask in the victories that we won in these rounds of contract negotiations.” |
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Past deadline, UF, GAU continue contract negotiation
Romy Ellenbogen August 23, 2017 After nearly two months of waiting, UF and the Graduate Assistants United labor union met to discuss raises.
Stipend raises are the final piece of GAU’s three-year contract, which has yet to be settled. The initial deadline for the contract was in June, but negotiations were extended when UF gave a “place-holder” offer without finalized numbers, according to Alligator archives. |
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Stipend talks between GAU, UF delayed past June deadline
David Hoffman July 6, 2017 Out of the 26 articles needed to be agreed upon by both the Graduate Assistants United labor union and UF for their three-year contract, only one remains.
Graduate assistant student’s pay, a critical piece of GAU and UF’s contract, had an initial deadline of June 30. Disappointed by UF’s “placeholder” counterproposal from last week, GAU agreed to push past the deadline to reach a final agreement on stipends after nearly 2 months. Negotiations for the three-year contract have been in the works for more than 6 months. Graduate student stipends have been negotiated on since May. At a June 27 meeting at Pugh Hall, UF’s Chief bargainer Bill Connellan said he put down a “placeholder” counterproposal and asked GAU for an additional couple of weeks so that UF could finalize an official counterproposal. |
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Mitch R. Murray: Paying for the perks of preeminence
Mitch R. Murray June 15, 2017 Graduate Assistants United and the University of Florida must wrap up their negotiations by June 30. Representing 4,000 employees, GAU has held off significant threats to health care. Perhaps most importantly, GAU wants to continue the fair increase of pay by maintaining its hard-won flat raises. This was a major victory because the percentage raises historically favored by UF do very little to compensate the lowest-paid graduate assistants.
But whatever a graduate assistant’s stipend, each pay back $80 in fees per credit hour (an average of $1,400 per academic year per graduate employee). This is a burden for all graduate assistants, but even more so for the lowest paid. (Consider that the minimum stipend for graduate assistants with a 0.5 full-time equivalency appointment is only $15,000 per year. Then consider that many graduate assistants have significantly lower FTEs.) |
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GAU, UF reach health care agreement, three-year contract
David Hoffman June 8, 2017 After more than five months of negotiations, the Graduate Assistants United and UF reached an agreement on health care and are on track to renew their contract for the next three years.
The bargaining unit of GAU, a 4,000-member labor union representing UF’s graduate assistants, and UF came to a tentative agreement on the GatorGradCare health insurance plan May 8, said GAU spokesperson Charles Shields. |
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Grad students: Will UF suport graduate assistants?
Josh Papacek, Rebecca Pethes, and Charles Shields April 25, 2017 In a column published April 16, University of Florida President Kent Fuchs, writing alongside Florida State University President John Thrasher, invited readers to “join the cause — make Florida a top national destination to learn, create, work and live.”
Graduate Assistants United, the labor union that represents 4,000 graduate, teaching and research assistants at the University of Florida, eagerly accepts the invitation. |
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UF, GAU continue bargain over health care insurance costs
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Graduate assistants protest rising health care costs
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UF Graduate Assistants Rally Against Healthcare Changes
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UF's administration needs to support graduate-student parents in need
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Some not impressed with Plaza of the Americas renovations
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Graduate assistants push back against UF health care proposal
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2016
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GAU gears up for weeklong protest over graduate student fees
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GAU, UF continue to disagree over raises for graduate students
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Guest Column: A response to President Fuchs - We are, too, making the biggest investment
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We are very grateful you shared your story and that you consider faculty and graduate assistants integral to UF’s plan to “be among the nation’s very best public universities.” Graduate assistants make a major contribution toward achieving this goal, as they are responsible for conducting much of the rigorous research, teaching and innovation that takes place here at UF while receiving minimal recognition. (...) However, we have a lot of work left to do. More than a quarter of UF’s graduate assistants earn below the federal poverty line after paying fees. As a consequence, GAU strongly advocates for significant fee relief — our graduate assistants should not be paying to work.
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UF grad assistants hope lawmakers bring fee relief
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Paying the fees directly out of their stipend push some 30 percent of the university's graduate assistants below the federal poverty level, union representatives say. ‘’We consider it to be an employment tax,” said Lia Merivaki, the co-president of the GAU. “You should not have to pay to work.”
The bill that passed the House subcommittee Monday would exempt graduate research and teaching assistants from financial aid and technology fees as well as fees for security, access and identification cards and fees and fines for the use, late return, loss or damage of university facilities and equipment. |
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UF union presidents: Campus gun bill is a recipe for tragedy
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Today, the University of Florida chapters of Graduate Assistants United and the United Faculty of Florida are joining faculty, staff and students across the state to voice our opposition to guns-on-campus legislation (HB 4001/SB 68). In doing so, we join the Florida Board of Governors, university police chiefs, university presidents and the League of Women Voters in publicly opposing these bills.
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Graduate assistants reach agreement on salary raise
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Graduate Assistants United will be getting their salary raise after months of negotiations with UF. The agreement went into effect Friday, UF spokeswoman Janine Sikes said. Graduate assistants will get a $430 raise, plus $50 in fee reliefs. This is a 2.5 percent average increase in their salaries.
Ioannis Ziogas, the bargaining chair for GAU, said he was happy with the results of negotiations. “We took this deal, and we’re pretty satisfied given the context.” One of GAU’s main goals was to minimize the impact of fees graduate assistants must pay, he said. Some complete research or teach instead of taking classes, but they still have to pay the fees. The fee is about $1,400 for two semesters. |
2015
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Graduate assistants continue fight for salary raise
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Graduate assistants tell provost fees are too high
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UF counters Graduate Assistants United salary proposal
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UF, grad assistants not finding common ground on fees
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2014
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Grad assistants left out of UF president search
October 14, 2014 |
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Graduate students bargain with administration over health care
Erin Meisenzahl-Peace June 9, 2014 |
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Graduate assistants union meets with administration to bargain over fees
Erin Meisenzahl-Peace May 15, 2014 |
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Graduate students rally in support of lowering assistant fees
Beatrice Dupuy March 14, 2014 |
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2013
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Babysitting option gives graduate students a Thanksgiving break
Emily Behrens November 25, 2013 |
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Graduate assistants protest pay problems caused by UF backlog
Thomas Lynn September 11, 2013 |
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Graduate assistants to get a pay raise Oct. 1 thanks to new contract
Jensen Werley August 20, 2013 |
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