Hidden Frontline Workers of Higher Education: Supporting Graduate Students as they Navigate the Pressures and Expectations of COVID-19 Response
When schools transitioned to online learning in the Spring of 2020, most students packed up their belongings and headed home to tackle virtual classes. While the transition was not easy in many respects, being away from campus provided them the opportunity to remain safe, spend time with loved ones, and focus on classwork1. As campuses began to empty, staff who were left behind faced the daunting task of continuing university operations in the midst of a growing pandemic. Many graduate students found themselves in this exact position, forced to remain on campus for assistantships that were deemed essential by the university, many within Residence Life.
While the trials of this Fall semester largely reflect those of the Spring, new pressures have further complicated the work of graduate assistants. As undergraduate students returned to campus and flooded the residence halls, student unions, and campus quads, graduate students are on the frontlines of providing an “extraordinary student experience,” all while adhering to strict safety measures. While university administrators make decisions on how to best engage students, the burden of fulfilling these measures and supporting students often falls upon graduate students.
The impact of this responsibility has been significant for many graduate students, including those I spoke with regarding the impact that COVID-19 has had on their assistantships, classes, and wellbeing in general. The overarching themes that emerged from our discussions include feelings of uncertainty and fear, mounting pressure to engage students, increased mental health concerns, and a lack of recognition and compensation for their work.
1We acknowledge that not every student has a home to return to (international students, homeless student populations, those within state care, etc.), or that the home they return to may not provide safety.
Uncertainty and Fear
At a time when circumstances are always changing and evolving, the impact of this uncertainty has been significant on graduate students. The primary concern has been surrounding job security, as many jobs are dependent on students remaining on campus. As individuals that rely heavily on stipends and other benefits like housing and meal plans, losing graduate positions could result in the inability to pay rent, afford consistent meals, and maintain a basic standard of living. Without assistantships, students may also lose tuition remission, which would significantly limit the ability for many students to complete their program on time (or at all). The consequences of losing a graduate position can be severe, and the fear surrounding those possibilities has led to heightened anxiety and worry.
Additionally, as graduate students prepare to enter the job market, the uncertainty surrounding hiring freezes, budget cuts, and furloughs adds an additional element of anxiety. Not only are students facing the possibility of losing their current position, their ability to earn income in the future is also jeopardized as institutions grapple with significant budget restrictions to combat lost revenue.
Mounting Pressure
As institutions struggle to engage students in the midst of heightened restrictions and online learning, the burden of supporting undergraduate students is often falling on graduate students in their numerous roles across campus. While working with and engaging students is often the most rewarding part of working in student affairs, it requires an immense amount of
emotional labor. Especially now, as students are experiencing heightened feelings of isolation, stress, and anxiety, their needs for support and engagement are more significant than ever.
Although there is a culture of overworking graduate students even in traditional university settings, the current pandemic appears to be exacerbating this. One student expressed this increased pressure by stating, “We're human beings. Please stop expecting us to do everything. We aren’t machines that can work nonstop.” Students are taking on the responsibility of setting boundaries with their professional and personal lives in areas like hours worked, responsibilities associated with COVID-19 measures (i.e. working in quarantine housing, accessing PPE and other safety precautions), and taking time to support their mental health. The burden of advocating for ourself and our needs is exhausting, especially while simultaneously navigating the power dynamics between graduate assistants and full-time staff and supervisors.
Mental Health
Graduate students are exhausted. “We are struggling, hard.”, as one student expressed it. Anxiety is at an all time high and the stress of balancing work, classes, and personal responsibilities can be overwhelming. While some students have found it beneficial to utilize resources provided by their institution for mental health support, others feel like their needs are not being met, either by their employer or the university itself. Many students also described acute feelings of hopelessness and an overall lack of motivation. Even if they try to maintain a positive attitude, one graduate assistant shared that “there is a constant wave of negativity and a feeling that there is nothing we can do to fix it.”
Fair Compensation
Prior to COVID-19, graduate student compensation was a hot topic of debate, as many 50% FTE graduate positions have work equivalent (or greater) than a half of a full-time position, but with significantly less compensation per hour, relatively speaking, than their full-time counterparts. With the increased responsibilities as a result of the pandemic and the heightened risk that graduate students face while interacting with students—and for many positions, living in student housing—there simply isn’t enough being done to protect graduate students or fairly compensate them for their time.
Supporting Graduate Students
When asked how graduate students can be better supported, many students touched on principles of understanding and flexibility. Until their basic needs for safety and financial security are met, it is difficult to expect students to perform as expected either in academic or work environments. Understanding and empathy from faculty members was also noted several times, as school simply is not a priority for many graduate students right now. Between supporting undergraduates who are having an immensely difficult time, to balancing work and personal responsibilities, it is hard to dedicate time to classwork that may seem insignificant in relation to the realities of life today.
Additionally, several students spoke to the importance of feeling like their work mattered and was making a difference. Recognizing the emotional and physical labor required to support students can make all of the difference. Part of this recognition is being appropriately compensated for additional time worked, risk assumed by working and living in a campus environment during a pandemic, and receiving adequate access to quality physical and mental health care.
Lastly, graduate students want their voices heard. In a time when difficult decisions surrounding student safety and wellness are being debated by upper-level administrators, those in graduate positions often have the least input but are the most impacted. As people who are working on the frontlines of university responses to COVID-19, graduate students not only have an incredible amount of insight to share, but also deserve to have a role in decisions that have such a direct and immediate influence on their lives.