GEO Tutor-In, December GMM, Mutual Aid, and More!
Table of Contents:
Announcements
The GEO Tutor-In is on Thursday, December 10th!
Reading Day is upon us! And so, therefore, is the GEO Tutor-In!
The GEO Tutor-In has become an annual Reading Day tradition, where grad students meet up with undergrads in the Illini Union for 12 hours of tutoring (and solidarity-building) in preparation for final exams and papers. This year we won't be able to share late-night pizza and coffee together in person, but, thanks to the efforts of our Stewards Council, we have found a way to hold the event online, 4-10PM CT this Thursday, December 10th!
Please fill out this form to participate either as a tutor, as a "reception desk" volunteer connecting students to their tutor or TA (we will explain to you how to do this if you volunteer), or simply to do your own work in the company of other grads in a separate breakout room.
Participating, either as a tutor or "receptionist," is an excellent way for us to make our graduate labor visible and show our students what solidarity looks like in university education. We’ll be offering digital tutoring for six hours total: you can sign up for a shift to simply hold your office hours during this time, tutor for lecture courses you TA for, tutor in a subject or skill you know well, or join a collective work space for grads.
To make this event work, we'll also need your help with advertising -- at the very least to tell the students you teach or the other grads in your department, but see more options in the sign-up form.
We are looking forward to seeing you Thursday!
General Membership Meeting
The final GMM of the calendar year will take place next Monday, December 14th at 6:30 PM CT, to give general membership and committee members a chance to reflect together on what we’ve been up to this year, and envision and project what we want to make happen through the union next year. In the first half of the meeting, committees will briefly present on their activities; in the second half, discussion will be open to member suggestion -- so come with questions and ideas, or let us know in advance if you want the discussion to address a particular topic, by writing to geo@uigeo.org. To attend, please follow this link.
Spring TA/GA Appointment Letters
Did you know that as a TA or GA you should receive your appointment letter at least 30 days before the start of your Spring appointment? Make sure everything that’s supposed to be in your appointment letter is there. Check your letter for:
Appointment title (your letter should clearly state whether you are a Teaching Assistant or a Graduate Assistant)
Major components of assignment (e.g. proctoring exams, holding office hours)
Wages amount (minimum of $18,500 for a 50% 9 month appointment)
Dates (duration) of service, including mandatory or optional orientation sessions
The supervising official in the department
Full time equivalency (FTE) of the appointment (e.g. 25%, 50%)
Childcare information
Statement that the position is subject to the GEO contract
If you want to see the full language in the contract, you can find this excerpt under Section D. Notice of Appointment, Article IV. Appointment Terms, or page 3 of the contract. If you have not received your appointment letter, or your appointment letter is missing any of the required information, please contact the Grievance Committee at grievance@uigeo.org.
Updates
Solidarity Committee Updates
Prior to Fall break, Chancellor Jones released a statement that once again conflated anti-semitism and anti-Zionism. GEO condemns this irresponsible and inaccurate portrayal and its harmful impacts on our campus community. You can read the Solidarity Committee’s full response to the Chancellor’s statement here.
The GEO stands in solidarity with the Peruvian people as they face political and police repression in the aftermath of a legislative coup. Their struggle for direct democracy, in the workplace and in society at large, is our struggle as well. Read our statement of solidarity here.
Are you interested in getting involved with the solidarity committee? Looking to virtually meet some new people over break? We could use your help! Solcomm will be working on the following projects for Spring semester:
Organizing a transnational solidarity event with garment workers in Dhaka, Bangladesh
Publishing a retrospective zine on GEO’s former print newsletter, the Organizer
Contact solcomm@uigeo.org to learn more about our Solidarity Committee and its work!
COVID-19 Impact Bargaining Updates
After ongoing negotiations between university administrators and the GEO’s COVID-19 Impact Bargaining Team, the university signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Monday, November 23, 2020, giving graduate workers the right to work remotely through Spring 2021 if it is possible for their work to be done remotely, if they are concerned for their health, the health of someone they live with or care for, or the health of their coworkers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The GEO COVID-19 Impact Bargaining Team met with university administrators on Friday, November 20, to discuss issues related to Proctorio, an invasive proctoring software that the university is using in many online courses. After the bargaining team presented information regarding the GEO’s position and requested that the university prohibit the use of Proctorio for all courses, university administrators refused to bargain this issue. The COVID-19 Impact Bargaining Team is continuing internal discussions about how to move forward with this issue. If you are interested in getting involved, please contact geo@uigeo.org.
GEO Disability Caucus
The GEO Disability Caucus has met regularly during our inaugural semester. The caucus has put together a letter for faculty and instructors regarding accessibility and accommodations during the pandemic. For more information about joining the Disability Caucus, or for information about how to improve the accessibility of any courses you instruct or TA for, please contact Alana at aacker02@gmail.com.
Local Events
Mutual Aid Books 2 Prisoners Spring Book Drive
Image Description: Cream colored poster with green trim on the top and bottom. GEO Mutual Aid is written in orange, followed by UC Books 2 Prisoners Book Drive in green. The dates Jan. 24th and Feb. 14th, 2021 are also written in orange. At the center of the flyer, there is a yellow book lying open with a red and pink hard floating out of the pages. The words Book Drop Locations TBA are below, written in green.
January 24 — February 14, 2021
The GEO Mutual Aid Working Group is hosting a book drive from January 24 to February 14, 2021 to support the Urbana-Champaign Books 2 Prisoners lending library program in the Champaign County jails. Many community members have been thinking about the needs of incarcerated individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic and recently, due to the suspension of in-person programming, the need for entertainment and ways to pass the time has grown. Books are one way that we can collectively provide mutual aid for the incarcerated individuals of our community. Be sure to start saving your books from the holidays — here is a list of books people have previously requested! More information and designated book drop locations are forthcoming.
In Solidarity,
Graduate Employees’ Organization
809 S. 5th St., Geneva Room
Champaign, IL 61820
Email: geo@uigeo.org