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UB Living Stipend Movement records

 Collection
Identifier: 9-5-1401

Scope and Contents

Contains documents from the UB Living Stipend Movement, including resolutions, a movement handbook, an independent financial analysis of the University at Buffalo, and PDF copies of UB Living Stipend's newsletter, LSM Monthly.

Dates

  • 2017-2020
  • Modified: 2020-2021
  • Migrated: April 2021

Creator

Terms of Access and Use

The UB Living Stipend Movement records, 2017-2020 are open to researchers.

Special Viewing Instructions

Access to digital material provided via the University Archives’ Digital Archives online repository.

Copyright

Copyright of papers in the collection may be held by their authors, or the authors' heirs or assigns. Researchers must obtain the written permission of the holder(s) of copyright and University Archives before requesting photocopies and/or publishing quotations from materials in the collection. Once permission is obtained, most papers may be copied in accordance with the library's usual procedures unless otherwise specified.

Historical Note

The Living Stipend Movement began in March 2017 when graduate students in the English department drafted a petition to address student working conditions amid departmental recruitment efforts. The petition gained signatures from about half of enrolled students and became centered on demanding a living stipend for graduate student workers. This resulted in a department meeting that filled Clemens 306 over its capacity, where graduate students and alumni spoke about inadequate pay and support for international students, MA students, and caregivers. The movement quickly expanded, reaching the College of Arts and Sciences Office of the Dean, UB College Administration, and the Faculty Senate.

By the end of the Spring 2017 semester, graduate students had seen a variety of gains, including increased supplements and travel funding, the establishment of an English Department Ombuds-Committee, and pay for full-time PhD students. UB Living Stipend took on a more formal structure that following summer as it began holding monthly meetings, established social media strategies, planned public events, drafted informational materials, and expanded its reach to students in other departments.

As the movement gained traction, student newspaper The Spectrum and other local media began to cover its activities. In a notable demonstration, about 65 members of the Living Stipend Movement marched to the administrative offices of President Satish K. Tripathi in Capen Hall on December 4, 2017. Met with locked doors and armed police officers, the demonstrators occupied the area outside the offices for over an hour, sharing stories and speaking with news outlets. UB Living Stipend continued to organize events, including a September 2020 demonstration for increased campus safety measures during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Living Stipend Movement has since gained support from the UB Professional Staff Senate, the United University Professions SUNY Statewide Chapter, the UB Graduate Student Association, the Faculty Senate Executive Committee and Budget Priorities Committee, and the UB Council of Advocacy and Leadership.

UB Living Stipend merged with the Graduate Student Employees Union in June 2021.

Extent

0.019 Gigabytes (11 files)

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

Records from UB Living Stipend, an organization focused on increasing wages for graduate student teachers and researchers.

Arrangement

UB Living Stipend Movement records, 2017-2020 are arranged chronologically.

Acquisition Information

Digital files were downloaded from the UB Living Stipend website by Archives Staff, 2020-2021.

Accruals and Additions

Digital files are added to the collection as they are released.

Processing Information

Processed by Grace Trimper, April 2021; finding aid encoded by Grace Trimper, April 2021. This collection was processed in accordance with the University Archives processing guidelines.

Source

Title
Finding Aid for the UB Living Stipend Movement records
Status
Completed
Author
Finding aid prepared by Grace Trimper
Date
April 2021
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the University Archives Repository

Contact:
420 Capen Hall
Buffalo New York 14260-1674 US
716-645-2916
716-645-3714 (Fax)