Agriculture eases grad assistant requirements

The policy, implemented April 10, required the college's graduate teaching and research assistants to enroll in at least 12 units per semester.

Many graduate students complained they would not be able to handle a 12-unit course load in addition to their assistantship responsibilities.

Two weeks ago, the deans of the College of Agriculture met with six graduate student representatives to discuss the contested policy.

Monday, the deans addressed those concerns by lowering the requirement to 10 units per semester.

Also, the College of Agriculture announced a pay raise to compensate for tuition increases caused by the policy.

Before the initial policy change, full-time students in the college could enroll in six units and pay part-time tuition.

However, requiring students to take more than six units for full-time status translates into a $371 tuition increase each semester.

As a result of the increase, the college will pay teaching and research assistants an additional $371 per semester.

Brad Guay, a renewable natural resources graduate student, said he was pleased with the change.

"This is how the policy would have been written the first time had we been consulted," he said.

"We were very surprised at the speed and changes the deans worked with," said Scott Chancey, a plant pathology graduate student.

"If they stick to this policy, it will work," Chancey said.

The new policy also stipulates that students enrolled in the college before fall 1997 would be "grandfathered" for one year, exempting them from the 10-unit minimum until July 1,1998.

Associate Dean David Cox said he was pleased with the policy outcome.

"This ended up to be the right thing for the students and the right thing for the university," he said.