Free Laptops & Pedagogy & Office Space, Oh My!
“The only effective answer to organized greed is organized labor.” ―Thomas Donahue, Report to the AFL-CIO Convention
Do you need a laptop or hotspot for work? Guess what? KU is legally obligated to supply everything we need to for our workas GTAs – including a computer and Internet! To access a loaner laptop or wifi hotspot, login and fill out this form. There will be information on the page meant for students, most of which does not apply to you as a GTA. Please review this post before filling out your loaner tech form.
Remember: You’re entitled to the tech you need to work as part of our negotiated union contract. If you’re glad to know you’re entitled to a laptop and/or single-person office space during a pandemic, happy about our Fall 2020 pay raise, or happy to be a part of a labor union, then join our union today! Right now, our solidarity matters more than ever – click here to become a dues paying member of GTAC.
Fall 2020 Contract Q&A: Tuesday, September 1st at 7:00pm
Does the contract require that you sit in front of your camera for two hours as “office hours”? What happens when your workload suddenly increases? How do paid holidays work? Join Hannah Bailey and Rose Welch at 7pm for a Fall 2020 Contract Q&A via Zoom! Pre-submit questions by replying to this email or bring ’em to the Zoom. RSVP here!
- 7:00pm: Fall 2020 GTA Contract Q&A
with Hannah Bailey, Grievance Officer and Rose Welch, AFT-Kansas
Online Pedagogy for GTAs Q&A: Thursday, Sept 3rd starting at 6:30pm
How do I get captioning into my lectures? What are the best practices to increase engagement in the online format? How can we be inclusive and address the needs of International undergraduate students? Join GTAC on Thursday for a GTA-to-GTA Online Pedagogy for GTAs Q&A via Zoom. Feel free to drop in for whatever segments interest you, or all of them! Pre-submit questions here or bring ’em to the Zoom. RSVP here.
- 6:30pm: Reaching & Teaching Intl Undergrads
with Hipatia Medina, SPAN and Dr. Araceli Masterson-Algar, SPAN - 7:00pm: Pedagogy for Online/Hybrid Teaching
with Lauren Anderson, ELPS - 7:30pm: Recording, OBS, & Closed Captioning for Accessibility
with Patrick Gauding, POLS
Oops! KU admin was premature! Yesterday, you may have received an email from KU HRM regarding “changes” to the 2018 Memorandum of Agreement regarding office space. Unfortunately, KU jumped the gun a bit and sent out some incorrect info. The good news is that GTAs are entitled to a safe working environment including single-person office space and computers. So if you’re not planning on using your currently assigned office space or if you need/want single-person office space for the Fall 2020 semester, you can:
- Use the HRM survey if you’re okay with that,
- Communicate directly with your department chair, or
- Hang on until the details are final!
If you choose to use the HRM survey or communicate with your chair, please understand that you do not have to give (and shouldn’t be asked) for any personal information about your life, health, or why you want single-person space. All you have to do is say you want it. Either way, impact negotiations aren’t quite done yet – watch this space for developments.
We’re on Facebook! Are you? If so, check out our private GTA-only Facebook Group! Looking for tips or tech support? Come across something that seems… well, a little shady? Want to hear about resources and events? Join our Facebook Group!
Glad you got a pay raise this semester? Relieved to know you’re entitled to a laptop and/or single-person office space during a pandemic? Happy to be a part of a labor union? This is a time when our solidarity matters more than ever – click here to become a dues paying member of GTAC.
In solidarity,
Graduate Teaching Assistants Coalition
AFT Local 6403