Finals Week

As finals week progresses with the GTFF on strike, we are working hard to support undergrads, even when we’re not in the classroom.

Pickets will focus on administration buildings and be located away from academic buildings. Smaller actions near academic buildings where exams will take place will be quiet as to not disturb undergrads taking exams.

Our members will table outside of academic buildings, giving undergrads support packets including snacks, information, and #2 pencils – we are still educators, after all.


Dear University of Oregon Undergraduates,

As our strike goes into its second week, we want you to know that we are thinking of you and miss you very much.  It pains us to see the Administration refuse a fair contract and keep us from being in the classrooms with all of you. Your GTFs wish they could talk to you, but are not allowed during the strike.  So please know that they wish they could tell you many things, but we at least have some advice for you here.

The GTFF wants you to know that if the UO Administration has changed or cancelled your finals you have the power to appeal your final grade. GTFs are very willing to go back to work the moment the strike ends. We will help create, proctor, and grade exams or make-up exams, and final papers and presentations properly.  And then we can give you the actual grade you have earned.

Even if the Administration won’t accept the grades your GTFs give you, you may petition the Scholastic Review Committee to contest your grade. Petitions may be obtained from Academic Advising, 364 Oregon Hall. Go to this link for more information: http://advising.uoregon.edu/AA_Pages/AA_SeekSolutions.html

The administration will probably not tell you that you can appeal your grade, so please share this information with all of your peers. And the GTFF cannot email all 20,000+ UO students like they can, so please help us spread the word near and far.

Also, we know you’ve heard us around campus last week.  Although the UO Administration is still refusing to bargain fairly with the GTFF, and the GTFF is still on strike, you will notice a change in their presence on campus this week.

In part, you will notice that the GTFF is making an effort to maintain a quieter campus presence near exam locations, so that you will be able to concentrate on your finals. And we have some goodie bags to give out at some buildings to wish you luck on your finals as we can’t be with you inside. The GTFF fight is NOT against you, and GTFs genuinely want you all to do the best work you can. And the moment you’re done with your academic work, we hope you’ll join us on the picket lines to end this strike as soon as possible, and get GTFs back to work where they want to be.  It means so much to have your support as we fight for paid parental and medical leave so that we can be the best instructors we can for all of you.

Students are the heart of the university and must be heard. Please send in your thoughts and concerns about the strike to our move-on petition:

http://petitions.moveon.org/aft/sign/university-of-oregon

We miss you all and hope to see you soon!

The GTFF

Contesting Grades:

 

You have the right to the quality education you paid for! You have the right to contest any grade you received as the result of differentiation from the syllabus which occurred due to the GTFF strike.

The Scholastic Review Committee in Academic Advising has the power to adjust your grades. http://advising.uoregon.edu/AA_Pages/AA_SeekSolutions.html
See: “Contested grade (request for change of grade when the “instructor” feels such a change is not warranted)”

Here, instructor means department head who entered your grade, if it is not the Instructor who taught your class all term.

HOW? Go to Academic Advising, 364 Oregon Hall. You must obtain the form there and meet with an adviser who “will provide assistance in completing the petition.” You must do this in person.

A GTF who used to work in this department offers the following advice

Students can call the office at 541-346-3211 or walk-in to schedule an appointment to meet with an advisor. They have same-day appointments each week, and sometimes offer drop-in hours during different periods in the term. Students should let the front desk know they want to meet with an advisor for an SRC contested grade petition. From my recollection, students will need documentation (e.g., emails, assignments) and letters from instructors/departments (indicating why the student earned the grade that he/she is contesting) to submit with the petition. The advisor will explain this part in great detail with each student. The SRC committee is composed of several staff members from different offices on campus. They will review each petition and decide to approve or deny the petition. All students have a right to petition whether they believe it will be approved or not.

 

The union for faculty, United Academics, also has been doing a lot of research about grades. Their information is here:

GTFs retuning to work

 


The GTFF has gotten word that after a strike ends, the Administration has no intention of “locking us out of our jobs” which would be illegal. And that they very much want GTFs to go back to work after the strike ends, which could mean being able to help proctor make-up exams, grade them, and edit/change grades and be put back as instructors of record. We can’t guarantee that this will happen, but we’ve been assured that the administration wants to “work with us” to negotiate our back to work plan, and very much wants there to be work for GTFs to do when the strike is called off. So even if you’ve heard your exam has been cancelled, there may still be ways for you to still take an exam and improve your grade.

More details of how this would work will be figured out as the strike ends.

 

How can you help end the strike?

 

You can also join GTFs on the picket lines, at rallies and on marches around campus. Showing solidarity and support for your GTFs in person has a big effect. You can contact the Student Labor Action Project (SLAP) to get involved with their own support efforts.

Sign our move-on petition.

Call or write to President Coltrane (pres@uoregon.edu, 541-346-3036), Provost Frances Bronet (fbronet@uoregon.edu, 541-346-3186), the Board of Trustees Chair, Chuck Lillis (trustees@uoregon.edu, 541-346-3166) or Jamie Moffit (jmoffitt@uoregon.edu, 541-346-3003) and telling them how important it is to you that GTFs get a fair contract and return to work. You can also encourage your parents to contact these leaders and ask that they settle on a fair contract.
 

Want more information?

 

Before the strike, we wrote a letter to undergrads that has a lot more information. It is a bit outdated, but is available here.