The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

Letter to editor: Open letter to Bruce Harreld

University+of+Iowa+President+Bruce+Harreld+listens+to+a+presentation+during+a+meeting+in+the+Reiman+Ballroom+of+the+ISU+Alumni+Center+in+Ames+on+Wednesday%2C+Feb.+22%2C+2017.+The+Board+of+Regents+will+have+a+full+board+meeting+on+Thursday%2C+Feb.+23.+%28The+Daily+Iowan%2FJoseph+Cress%29
University of Iowa President Bruce Harreld listens to a presentation during a meeting in the Reiman Ballroom of the ISU Alumni Center in Ames on Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2017. The Board of Regents will have a full board meeting on Thursday, Feb. 23. (The Daily Iowan/Joseph Cress)

Dear President Harreld,

As adjunct instructors at the University of Iowa, we stand in solidarity with COGS as it attempts to negotiate a fair contract for graduate-student workers. Providing fair compensation and working conditions for graduate-student workers is not only the right thing to do, it is essential to the university’s ongoing ability to attract talented graduate students and deliver high-quality instruction to undergraduates. The blanket removal of long-standing, legally permitted benefits from the graduate-student contract is both mean-spirited and counterproductive. Your apparent capitulation to the union-busting agenda of our state government threatens to erode trust between administrators and graduate students and do grave damage to this institution.

Furthermore, we support our graduate-student colleagues and unconditionally reject any attempt to use adjunct labor as a threat against graduate students trying to secure a fair contract.

Sincerely,
James A. Andrews (Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of Creative Writing, August, 2015-Present)
Andrew Axel (Adjunct Assistant Professor, Magid Center for Undergraduate Writing, 2015 to present)
Emmett Buckley (Adjunct Assistant Professor, Creative Writing, 2016-2017)
Ben Bush (Adjunct Assistant Professor)
Ashley Clarke (Adjunct Faculty, San Francisco Art Institute, August 2014 to Present, Graduate Student Instructor, University of Iowa, August 2012 to May 2014)
Amanda Dennis (Department of English, English and Creative Writing 2015-Present)
Anthony Flesher (Creative Writing Instructor, 2017)
Jorge Guerra (Adjunct Assistant Professor)
Riley Johnson (Adjunct professor of writing, 2014-present)
Colin Kostelecky (Visiting Assistant Professor of Rhetoric)
Ben Mauk (Former Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of Creative Writing and Department of English)
Elyse Mele (Visiting Assistant Professor, Rhetoric, Fall 2016-Spring 2017)
Liam O’Brien (Adjunct Assistant Professor, Creative Writing department, 08/2016-present)
José Orduña (Graduate Teaching Assistant, Department of Rhetoric, Fall 2011-Spring 2013; Adjunct Instructor, Magid Center, Fall 2014-Spring 2016)
Amy Parker (Adjunct instructor of Creative Writing)
Alyssa Perry (Adjunct Assistant Professor, Creative Writing, Fall 2016-Spring 2017)
Daniel Poppick (Adjunct instructor, Creative Writing, Fall 2009-Spring 2011)
Ryan Tucker (Provost’s Visiting Postgraduate Writer, Visiting Lecturer; English and Rhetoric; 2016-17)
Elizabeth Weiss (Adjunct Assistant Professor, Creative Writing (2013-2014) and Magid Center for Undergraduate Writing (2014-present))
Alicia Wright (Adjunct Assistant Professor, Creative Writing, 08/16—05/17)
Sean Zhuraw (Adjunct, Creative Writing 2013-2015)

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