The Need for a Graduate Student Representative on the SMUSA Board
Written by Bethany Leal-Iyoupe
SMUSA logos by SMUSA.ca
Graduate students are integral to Saint Mary's University (SMU). They make up the student population of the twenty-seven masters and doctorate programs offered at SMU, paying up to $46,000 per year in tuition fees. They are on student committees, societies, and engage in critical research. It is evident that graduate students actively serve our community-- but does our community truly serve graduate students? One Reddit user notes that the small campus environment does carry some social perks; however, "SMU is not ideally set up for graduate programs." One anonymous student stated that "Because SMU has a smaller graduate population than other large universities, grad students get lost in the mix of things." She continues that "we're not a top priority because there are so many more [undergraduates] on campus." How does the student union, which champions advocacy for all students, handle the concerns of graduate students?
When speaking to graduate students, some noted that they felt isolated from the rest of the university even before switching to remote learning last March. At this point, non-graduate students might be wondering why it's essential to have a graduate student representative on the SMUSA Board. Take this as an example: research assistants (RA’s) at SMU make, on average, between $12 to $14 per hour (although this varies by department). In comparison, the average wages for RA's at Ontario universities range from $22 to $45 per hour. If the cost of living is relatively the same between the two regions, then why are student assistants in Halifax being paid significantly less? Another student I spoke to mentioned that most graduate students must pay out of pocket for medical services due to the school insurance plan's limited benefits. However, since graduate students in Nova Scotia aren't unionized, they rely on student associations to raise these concerns. Therefore, the absence of a graduate student representative on the SMUSA team raises questions on the Association’s ability to advocate for the needs of graduate students at this university.
It's important to note that the designation of Graduate Representative (in various places on campus) has existed in the past. There is a history of graduate student representatives within specific programs and committees. For example, I was able to find Emily Walker, Ph.D., who alleged to serve as a graduate student representative on the Faculty of Sciences Committee back in 2014. She would then solicit these inquiries with active members in the Faculty of Science including the Dean. So my question is, if faculties can appoint a graduate student representative when needed, what is stopping the student government from doing so?
Most student unions in Nova Scotia have previously appointed at least one graduate student representative to their roster. In 2020, Dalhousie University appointed Hariprashanth Deivasigamani as a councillor on the Faculty of Graduate Studies. There are also numerous societies that have appointed their own graduate student representatives, such as the Chemistry Society, to vouch for graduate students in extracurriculars. In Wolfville, the Acadia Graduate Students' Association (AGSA), led by Lyndsay Sprado, advocates for student concerns to faculty in each department. In Antigonish, Lauren Viviana acts as the graduate representative for the StFX Students’ Union. It seems that graduate students at SMU and Cape Breton University are the only ones left in the dog house across the province.
Over a year ago, the SMU Journal wrote an article about the need for a graduate student representative to solicit concerns and help grad students feel connected to the campus environment. One student even testified that their advocacy efforts went unaddressed. The only person with the jurisdiction to take on these concerns was the last VP of Student Affairs, Asha Graham. She resigned as a result of being overworked and underappreciated.
Four months ago, SMUSA's President Bryn de Chastelain informed the Board that SMU does hold a seat on the Canadian Alliance of Student Association's (CASA) Graduate Advisory Board. In his meeting with the Board, de Chastelain mentioned that former VP External, Samantha Graham, was delegated to recruit graduate students with concerns. However, there are no leads suggesting that Graham has fulfilled this obligation; let alone, how an undergraduate student can effectively represent the concerns of folks completing masters and doctorate programs. To make matters worse, this was only reported in a meeting with the Board when it should have been announced to the body it is meant to serve - you guessed it - graduate students. Graduate students were not even aware of the Association’s involvement with CASA’s Graduate Advisory Board. Yet another example of how SMUSA clearly does not represent graduate students.
If you are a graduate student with concerns, try reaching out to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research (FGSR) or the new VP External, Adrian White, at vpexternal.smusa@smu.ca for any inquiries you may have.
CORRECTION: A previous version incorrectly identified Samantha Graham as the current VP External. Since then, Adrian White has taken on the role and the article has been changed accordingly.