Asian American Studies Center supports SAGE
By Asian American Studies
Center staff
The following is an open letter to Chancellor Charles Young from
the staff of the Asian American Studies Center regarding the SAGE
campaign for recognition from the university.
Dear Chancellor Young:
The members of Student Association of Graduate Employees (SAGE)
are calling for a campus-wide walkout tomorrow and Thursday. We,
the staff of the Asian American Studies Center, support their
campaign to win recognition from the university.
It is our belief that graduate assistants are not just
apprentices learning a trade, but vital contributors to the daily
operation of the university. As such, they are entitled to the same
dignity and respect as other university employees. Therefore, we
pledge to honor the picket lines by closing the center on those two
days. We also urge our faculty to cancel or reschedule their
classes during the walkout this week.
As you know, ethnic studies programs, such as the Asian American
Studies Center here at UCLA, were created 25 years ago out of a
commitment to expand educational opportunities for all people. A
quarter-century of history and experience leads us to conclude
that, more than anything else, education is the paramount
responsibility of an academic institution. Yet a genuine commitment
to teaching must be accompanied by an equally genuine respect for
those who teach.
At UCLA, it is not uncommon for students to go through 10 weeks
of classes without ever having a personal encounter with their
professor. As lecture halls are filled many times a day, one
wonders how quality teaching could be achieved when students easily
get lost in a crowd. The answer lies in the many students who work
as teaching "assistants," tutors, "readers" and research
assistants. While the value of a professor’s knowledge cannot be
denied, education is made more effective when the transmission of
that knowledge becomes more personal.
For example, more than 200 students enrolled in Asian American
Studies 100B this spring, a course required for the recently
inaugurated bachelor’s degree in Asian American Studies. While the
ideas presented in lectures are valuable, it is in discussion
sections that students can actively engage and digest them. Only
with the contributions of the course’s three teaching assistants
can the Center offer this highly impacted and popular course to
more than 200 students. Without them, enrollment would be much more
restricted.
Like other graduate employees, the TAs for this course do more
than just "read" or "assist." They spend many hours meeting with
students in their office or after class, grading papers and exams,
preparing for each of the nine sections. Each TA is accountable to
about 70 students in their sections. They are more than "academic
apprentices:" They are vital to the fulfillment of UCLA’s
mission.
Therefore, you commit a grave injustice by denying them the
rights enjoyed by other university employees, including the right
to negotiate terms of employment and to establish independent
grievance procedures and other benefits, such as full medical care
and dental coverage.
Recognition of SAGE means that the student employees can
advocate for their own needs and interests. It means that they will
hold the power to improve their own working conditions. It means
they will have a hand in their own fate. It means
self-determination.
We, the staff of the Asian American Studies Center, believe in
self-determination, the cornerstone of 25 years of ethnic studies.
To this very day, Asian and Pacific Islander experiences in this
country have always been marked by labor struggles. It will be
intellectually dishonest for us to teach our history without taking
a stand with those who make our classes more accessible. Therefore,
we strongly urge you to recognize SAGE.
All of us hold the common interest of providing quality
education to our students. We hope that you will resolve this
matter as soon as possible.
The previous article was submitted by the staff of the Asian
American Studies Center.