Guided by social justice principles, we demonstrate our tremendous respect and appreciation for graduate assistants by offering them a transformative education in the Jesuit, Catholic tradition, an exceptional overall student experience, and competitive financial aid, learning, and development support and resources.
Inspired by our commitment to live our social justice values and provide an exceptional student experience, Loyola offers its graduate assistants a competitive package of services and financial aid and learning development resources.
We believe graduate students who are engaged in teaching and research as part of their academic program are fundamentally students and therefore do not qualify as “employees” within the meaning of the National Labor Relations Act.
Our mission to serve graduate assistants is guided by our belief that they are students. Graduate assistants pursue academia in the context of Loyola’s distinct mission and values.
Loyola is committed to offering graduate assistants a competitive package of services. To that end, the University has made a number of recent enhancements for graduate assistants, including:
Effective in fall 2017, many graduate assistants in a University-funded full research or teaching assistantship received a base stipend of $18,000 ($2,000/month for 9 months), with a prorated adjustment for those in less than a full assistantship. In addition, starting in the 2017–18 academic year, graduate assistants receive an additional stipend increase of $500 for each year of service within years 2–5 of a full graduate assistantship and a prorated amount for a less than full assistantship. We believe this level of support is competitive with comparable institutions. With the implementation of these enhancements, Loyola spent an additional three-quarters of a million dollars on stipends in 2017–18.
We are committed to regularly undertaking market-based reviews to ensure that stipends and our other academic-based awards for graduate assistants are in keeping with our social justice values.
We believe graduate students who are engaged in teaching and research as part of their academic program are fundamentally students and, therefore, do not qualify as “employees” within the meaning of the National Labor Relations Act. Their primary role is academic. Graduate assistants are neither hired nor employed by the University. Rather, they are selected as students on the basis of their academic achievements. Their acceptance into our graduate programs and the degree awarded to them at the end of their graduate education are based on academic standards and not on labor or employment standards. Consistent with our position, which is shared broadly within the higher education community, we are challenging graduate assistants’ eligibility for representation. Click here for more details about our philosophy on the role of graduate assistants.
11/12/19: On November 8, 2019, roughly 20 graduate assistants marched from Cudahy Hall to the Sullivan Center to present their latest petition which Father Tom Regan, Dean of the Graduate School, accepted. The petition has been shared with and recognized by the President.
8/26/19: Father Tom Regan, dean of the Graduate School, welcomes back graduate students and thanks them for their contributions.
4/15/19: Approximately 30 Loyola graduate assistants marched to the office of Dr. Rooney and presented a petition that was accepted by Father Tom Regan, dean of the Graduate School, on behalf of the Office of the President—the same petition that was presented by graduate assistants in March. The petition has been shared with and recognized by the President.
