WHEREAS the Preamble of the AGS Constitution specifies that AGS shall “provide a forum for the expression and recognition of graduate students’ needs and rights”;
WHEREAS AGS Council has traditionally voiced graduate student opinion and needs through the passing of legislation,
WHEREAS the fiscal constraints and changes made to the University have caused significant concern among graduate students regarding their financial security;
WHEREAS the current financial state of the university has resulted in less lines of TA-ships, less money in labs, and less department funding to support current graduate student needs;
WHEREAS increasing tuition costs will exacerbate these financial pressures on graduate students;
WHEREAS at a time of fiscal uncertainty, many departments plan to continue to increase enrollments;
WHEREAS increasing enrollments will exacerbate existing problems, cause decreased productivity among current graduate students and ultimately higher attrition rates;
LET IT THEREFORE BE RESOLVED that AGS Council urges caution in increasing enrollments for Ph.D. programs at a time of fiscal downsizing;
LET IT BE FURTHER RESOLVED that AGS Council urges the University of California, Irvine make current graduate students a priority when considering how to work with limited financial means;
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