Three weeks into the largest strike in US academic history, UAW 2865 has not seen any meaningful movement from the UC on economic proposals such as wages, housing, and NRST remission (for full bargaining summaries, see fairucnow.org/bargaining). As the grading deadline approaches, we reiterate our OC Position on Faculty Solidarity statement, and note the following guidelines specific to grading:
- Striking TAs will not grade or release grades. Striking TAs should not be grading any new material (including finals), or newly releasing or providing materials that have already been graded. If TAs remain on strike by the grading deadline, they should refuse to input any grades into
- Undergraduates may receive a temporary “No ” If a grade is not inputted by the deadline, students will receive an “NG” (no grade) on their transcript. An “NG” is NOT equivalent to an “F” and will only turn into an “F” if a final grade is not submitted before the end of winter quarter (in March). Once a final grade is submitted, that letter grade will replace the NG on student transcripts.
- A “No Grade” will have minimal impacts on As per communications from AVC Michael Miller, the university has assured undergraduates that contingency plans are being developed to ensure that NGs “not impact [undergraduate students’] financial aid, athletic eligibility, prerequisite requirements, and/or the completion of [their] degree.” Given that nearly 10% of the UC’s operating budget relies on undergraduate tuition, it is very unlikely that the university will let undergraduate students permanently bear the brunt of the strike’s effects by allowing NG grades to turn into Fs.
- Concerned undergraduate students should contact university administration, not their TAs or instructors: Those who are concerned that they will nonetheless experience adverse impacts from an “NG” should contact the relevant administrative body for guidance. For example, students receiving financial aid should communicate their concerns with the UCSB Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships. Neither TAs nor instructors are able to answer such questions and they should direct inquiries of this kind to the relevant administrative body.
- Faculty have the right to refuse to do struck labor. The right to do so is articulated by CUCFA (see also their special guide) and by UC-AFT. Any disciplinary measures taken against faculty for not providing grades would be a direct violation of Faculty pay cannot be docked for not picking up struck labor. Pledge not to pick up struck labor and show the UC how many grades will go missing here. Refusing to do struck labor means that faculty:
- Should not grade
- Should not hire extra labor to replace striking TAs during the
- Should not change exam or assignment formats to produce grades without ASE input (e.g. changing an essay into a MC quiz). Canceling exams is fine as it does not circumvent ASE labor and acknowledges the impossibility of business as usual without ASE labor.
- Should not submit
- What about exceptional circumstances? If a student has reason to believe that an “NG” will severely adversely affect them, and they have confirmed this with the relevant administrative body, the student should consult the instructor, not the In such extreme cases, instructors should provide whatever placeholder grade is necessary to avoid the potentially adverse consequence of an “NG” and adjust the grade after the strike and before the end of the next quarter.