Spring Break
Letter to the editor
Issue date: 3/14/08 Section: Ed-Op
Dear Editor,
I'm a graduate student pursuing a Ph.D. in molecular biology in the CoAS. Research is my passion, and I spend the majority of my time at Drexel. We, graduate students, are always busy: teaching, doing research in the labs and in the field. We study Alzheimer's Disease and neutrinos, excavate dinosaurs, inject fruit flies and study the effects of human activities on ecosystems. We are TAs and mentors for undergrads. With the increased focus on research and the growing undergrad enrollment, graduate students are fundamental to Drexel's further growth.
Last year I got a nicely embossed invitation to donate money to Drexel University. I would love to donate money to Drexel. I'm proud of being a Dragon!
Drexel is giving me an excellent higher education along with promising future prospects, and I would like to give something back. Also, the University needs money for new buildings. The Integrated Science Center alone costs $75 million. It has a "bio-wall," a wall covered by real plants that serves as an ecological air filter system. How cool is that? Maybe if I pitch in, it can be completed before I graduate.
I have many good reasons for wanting to donate money to Drexel. The problem is, I'm broke. The average living expenses for the graduate students I know are $18,407 a year and we are getting paid $14,400 after taxes. That's not including health insurance, which is an extra $1,022 a year. Did I say I'm broke? Well, scratch that. I'm in debt.
According to the Drexel Strategic Plan for 2007-2012, "Outstanding research programs require exceptional graduate programs that attract the best possible students." We do conduct outstanding research, but when I present it at international conferences, I dodge questions about graduate stipends and health benefits. I'm worried that prospective graduate students will not consider Drexel for financial reasons. I've seen two fellow students leave for other universities, and I don't want to see it happen again.
Drexel's administration is already aware of this problem. The Strategic Plan suggests building a "culture of student connection and engagement [by] increase in graduate student stipends/benefits to become more competitive with peer institutions." One year into the plan, our living expenses have increased but stipends have fallen behind. Why isn't this part of the plan being followed? If you were waiting for my approval, you've got it - raise the stipends and cover health insurance.
My condition really bugs me. I was considering getting an extra job, but it's against the rules. Maybe I can transfer to Penn - the stipend in the bioscience department is $28,000, plus free health insurance. With all the money I'd save, I could finally donate some cash to Drexel.
Sara Ansaloni
President, Bioscience and Biotechnology
Graduate Student Association
I'm a graduate student pursuing a Ph.D. in molecular biology in the CoAS. Research is my passion, and I spend the majority of my time at Drexel. We, graduate students, are always busy: teaching, doing research in the labs and in the field. We study Alzheimer's Disease and neutrinos, excavate dinosaurs, inject fruit flies and study the effects of human activities on ecosystems. We are TAs and mentors for undergrads. With the increased focus on research and the growing undergrad enrollment, graduate students are fundamental to Drexel's further growth.
Last year I got a nicely embossed invitation to donate money to Drexel University. I would love to donate money to Drexel. I'm proud of being a Dragon!
Drexel is giving me an excellent higher education along with promising future prospects, and I would like to give something back. Also, the University needs money for new buildings. The Integrated Science Center alone costs $75 million. It has a "bio-wall," a wall covered by real plants that serves as an ecological air filter system. How cool is that? Maybe if I pitch in, it can be completed before I graduate.
I have many good reasons for wanting to donate money to Drexel. The problem is, I'm broke. The average living expenses for the graduate students I know are $18,407 a year and we are getting paid $14,400 after taxes. That's not including health insurance, which is an extra $1,022 a year. Did I say I'm broke? Well, scratch that. I'm in debt.
According to the Drexel Strategic Plan for 2007-2012, "Outstanding research programs require exceptional graduate programs that attract the best possible students." We do conduct outstanding research, but when I present it at international conferences, I dodge questions about graduate stipends and health benefits. I'm worried that prospective graduate students will not consider Drexel for financial reasons. I've seen two fellow students leave for other universities, and I don't want to see it happen again.
Drexel's administration is already aware of this problem. The Strategic Plan suggests building a "culture of student connection and engagement [by] increase in graduate student stipends/benefits to become more competitive with peer institutions." One year into the plan, our living expenses have increased but stipends have fallen behind. Why isn't this part of the plan being followed? If you were waiting for my approval, you've got it - raise the stipends and cover health insurance.
My condition really bugs me. I was considering getting an extra job, but it's against the rules. Maybe I can transfer to Penn - the stipend in the bioscience department is $28,000, plus free health insurance. With all the money I'd save, I could finally donate some cash to Drexel.
Sara Ansaloni
President, Bioscience and Biotechnology
Graduate Student Association
Be the first to comment on this story