Committee Charge

This Task Force has been formed to assess and make recommendations that can lead to improved graduate student recruitment, research productivity, retention, completion rates, and student outcomes.

The specific charge to the committee is the following:

1. Develop a framework of guiding principles for setting current and future levels of graduate student stipends and benefits in support of improved graduate student recruitment, research productivity, retention, completion rates, and student outcomes.
2. Review the current levels of graduate student stipends across campus in the context of the cost of living in the Salt Lake Valley. The committee will examine the level of graduate support for the University’s different student demographics, including international students, married graduate students, and graduate students with families.
3. Review the impact of imminent increases in university graduate student housing rent on current graduate and professional students and make recommendations to address these impacts.
4. Review the inequity of graduate student stipends across campus and make recommendations for addressing this issue.
5. Make recommendations for the future levels of graduate student stipends, benefits, and student support based on the above considerations.

Progress to Date

To date, the Task Force has impacted positive change by supporting the

1. Elimination of the 20% graduate student health insurance fee for all graduate students (Starting Fall 2023), (YOUR HEALTH INSURANCE IS NOW FREE)
2. Creation of a temporary reduction in rent for current housing residents moving to new graduate housing (Feb 2023).  
3. Increase of all Graduate School administered scholarship stipends to > $20,000/9 months (Starting Fall 2023), (15% increase in stipend minimum)
4. Launched a short survey to explore graduate student experiences.
5. Create a webpage for the Task Force that communicates progress on milestones and shares information with campus.
6. Form a Graduate Student Advisory Board. Students interested in being part of the advisory board, should contact Sarah Lucas: slucas@asuu.utah.edu

Feedback

Your feedback is appreciated. Please email us at gradstudenttaskforce@utah.edu or you may provide anonymous feedback through our feedback form.

Give us feedback!

Reports

The reports will inform and enable the implementation of time-critical recommendations. The tentative milestones are as follows:

• Delivery of preliminary recommendations on Item #3 by March 15, 2023
• Delivery of preliminary recommendation for all charges by April 15, 2023
• Delivery of final recommendation by the end of Spring Term 2023