On Friday, Duke University doctoral students filed to form a federally recognized union, one with the power to negotiate wages and benefits on their behalf. Three days later, the school administration announced its position on the union — and it wasn’t favorable.
In a Dec. 6 letter addressed to Duke Ph.D. students and faculty, interim Provost Jennifer Francis wrote, “Ph.D. students are not admitted to do a job; they are selected because of their potential to be exceptional scholars.”
Doctoral students pursue their own research and don’t pay tuition but they also serve as teaching and research assistants, with duties including instructing classes, grading papers and working in labs. This academic year, Duke Ph.D. students earned a stipend of $34,660, which will rise next year to $38,600.
