UB statement on graduate assistantships and stipends

The following statement was released today by Robin Schulze, dean, UB College of Arts and Sciences, and Graham Hammill, UB Vice Provost for Educational Affairs:

“The Graduate School has had very informative meetings with graduate students who are concerned about this issue and we look forward to continuing this discussion with students in the days ahead.
 
“With the collaboration of our faculty, the College of Arts and Sciences hopes to move forward with a plan to raise stipend levels in academic departments that are below national benchmarks as part of a comprehensive effort to strengthen all graduate programs at UB and improve the outcomes of students enrolled in these programs.

"This approach has increased stipend levels within several academic departments in the College of Arts and Sciences, and we anticipate working with additional academic departments, such as English, to implement similar strategies.
 
“We again want to convey to our graduate students that the university is committed to providing them with excellent academic and professional experiences that will advance their education and careers.”

Background

• The average stipend awarded at UB is competitive nationally at $17,343 for the nine-month academic year. This ranks UB 12th among 23 public universities in the Association of American Universities. UB’s average stipend figure is derived from official payroll data for 1,429 doctoral students who received stipends from UB departments in 2016-17.   
• Graduate students who receive assistantships at UB are awarded a total financial package averaging about $38,000 annually.  This includes a stipend, a tuition scholarship and free health insurance, in exchange for 20 hours of service per week during the nine-month academic year in the student’s field of study.
• UB’s financial package for graduate assistantships is nationally competitive and reflects a university investment of more than $48.5 million in 2016-17.
• UB’s investment in stipends and tuition scholarships has grown by $7.4 million over the past four years.