Dear fellow grads,
We are reaching out with additional information and guidance about withholding grades for Winter quarter. Though the procedures are basically the same as for Fall, we want to reiterate the power of withholding grades as leverage against the administration in our fight for better working conditions.
In addition, we want to remind everyone of the powerful movements that have developed at other UC campuses in the few short months since fall quarter ended. These movements are advancing rapidly at all campuses, but especially at UC Santa Barbara, UC San Diego, UC Davis, and UC Berkeley, all of which are now engaged in wildcat strikes. It is crucial to remember that we are not alone in this fight. The wildcat grading and teaching strikes across the UC, along with the unfair labor practice (ULP) lawsuits filed by the union against the UC, are further building our power to bring the UC to the bargaining table. In this moment, it is essential that we maintain our position and withhold as many grades as possible for Winter quarter, along with our colleagues at UC Santa Barbara, UC San Diego, and UC Davis.
Please see the “How to Strike” document for detailed information about how to withhold grades. However, please note the following key pieces of information:
- Failing grades: We recommend posting failing grades immediately, as these will impact a student’s progress and may have a more negative impact if they show up unexpectedly later.
- Winter graduation: If a student is unsure about whether they need their official grades posted in order to graduate in Winter quarter, the most important question is whether they need an official transcript in the near future to prove their graduation (say, to an employer), or whether it can wait. If a student has applied to graduate in Winter quarter, the Registrar usually cannot clear them to graduate until all official grades are posted. However, it is important to remember that the Registrar can (and often does) backdate a student’s graduation to their transcript–if the student finished their degree requirements in winter 2020, that is what their transcript will reflect (even if, for example, that degree is not officially posted until sometime in spring quarter).
- Admin emails asking for individual grades: Last week, several instructors received emails from the Registrar’s office indicating that grades were needed for specific students, either due to Winter 2020 graduation or for undisclosed reasons. In any case in which you/your instructor receives emails from the Registrar, the Financial Aid office, or similar entities, a good first step is to reach out to the specific student(s) mentioned in the emails. They have likely received communications from these offices as well; they can decide if they want their official grade posted.
Again, the most effective way to support the movement right now is to withhold winter grades. Use the attached how-to document, the grade request flowchart, and the template for emailing undergraduates to guide you through the process. The administration is going to extreme lengths to punish strikers and to calculate/input fall grades without negotiating with TAs–they want these grades very badly, which underscores the power of this tactic.
In solidarity,
Striking graduate students