York offers funding guarantee without work obligation.
Graduate studies are demanding. That’s why York University created the fellowship funding model, to better support students in focusing on their academics, without the obligation to work.
In the current Unit 1 collective agreement, teaching assistants are already guaranteed a minimum amount of funding ($5,384) in addition to their teaching assistant earnings.
Currently, funding is provided through:
- An additional work assignment (teaching assistantship or graduate assistantship); or
- Non-taxable scholarships, fellowships or research assistantships that advance students’ progress toward fulfillment of their degree requirements.
The University is now proposing to remove the additional work requirement (#1 above) from the collective agreement.
This means that students working under the Unit 1 collective agreement would continue to receive the guaranteed additional funding amount in the form of non-taxable student financial support, but no longer have the obligation to complete an extra work assignment.
The University maintains that graduate students are students first.
The University wishes to build on its efforts to support graduate students in focusing on their academic success. Employment opportunities should further graduate students’ professional development without jeopardizing their progress toward successful degree completion.