{"id":527,"date":"2015-07-21T19:26:46","date_gmt":"2015-07-21T19:26:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/columbiagradunion.org\/?page_id=527"},"modified":"2016-12-20T16:11:55","modified_gmt":"2016-12-20T16:11:55","slug":"due-process","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/columbiagradunion.org\/campaigns\/due-process\/","title":{"rendered":"Due Process"},"content":{"rendered":"

GRAD WORKERS AT COLUMBIA LACK DUE PROCESS<\/strong><\/h1>\n

Without a union contract, research and teaching assistants at Columbia University do not have the right to a fair grievance procedure (due process), and are instead left to hope for the goodwill of the administration is one of the many reasons we need to continue organizing and win recognition of our union. A typical union contract will have due process and a fair grievance procedure requiring just cause for dismissal.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>In March 2015 PhD student Longxi Zhao was terminated from his teaching assistantship in the Columbia University department of Chemical Engineering during Spring 2015. He was not dismissed from his position as a student, but without his assistantship, he was left with no income or tuition support. Below are the basic facts of what happened.<\/p>\n

TERMINATION OF TA POSITION<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

After excelling in the Master\u2019s program, Longxi was admitted to the PhD program and assigned as a Teaching Assistant in Spring 2015. Under the supervision of Professor Scott Banta, Longxi was one of two TA\u2019s assigned to CHEN4230 Reactor Design. On March 23, upon returning from spring break Longxi was notified of his termination through a letter<\/a> signed by his principal investigator, Professor Sanat Kumar, listing four reasons for his termination.<\/p>\n

NAVIGATING THE LACK OF DUE PROCESS FOR GRADUATE WORKERS AT COLUMBIA<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

Longxi began exploring options to appeal his termination.\u00a0 Given the lack of clear procedures for such situations, he began working with activists from GWC-UAW, the union for graduate research and teaching assistants at Columbia to formally file his appeal<\/a> (click here to read Longxi\u2019s full appeal<\/a>). The allegations and his rebuttals follow below.<\/p>\n