Vanderbilt University announced an increase in some student stipends on Monday as campus unionization efforts reach a crescendo. Earlier this month, graduate students rallied for a union that would deliver federal labor protections and collective bargaining to an estimated 2,000 student-employees.
According to a press release from Vanderbilt, stipend increases will affect some 1,900 Ph.D. students, which will bring annual pay between $34,000 and $38,000 starting in the 2024-2025 academic year. Nashville’s median household income was $71,328 in 2022, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
“In response to the insightful data presented by the Graduate Student Council, the deans and I were able to find creative solutions during this budget cycle that allow us to continue to enhance our support of all doctoral students, beginning in the next fiscal year,” says provost C. Cybele Raver in a written statement.
Organizers collect authorization cards, the first step toward a vote on official recognition
Graduate student stipends currently range from $28,000 to $38,000, according to students, with students at Vanderbilt’s Peabody School of Education receiving the lowest annual pay. Students at the College of Arts & Sciences receive stipends in the middle of that range. The biggest annual stipends go to students studying engineering and the biomedical sciences. Recently announced increases will not bump up the top of the pay scale.
Vanderbilt administrators cite a recent “listening tour” and presentations from leaders of the graduate student council, a campus representative body, for their decision to raise pay. Union advocates consider the raises long overdue and evidence that organizing has put pressure on administrators to improve campus working conditions. Princeton University brought graduate stipends between $47,880 and $50,400 last year amid unionization efforts on campus.
Students are still collecting union cards, which could trigger a union vote overseen by the National Labor Relations Board. Peabody students lead other departments in signed cards, signaling strong support where students are paid the least.
“I think it is a great example of how effective organizing is,” Kelly Cunningham, co-president of Graduate Student Workers United, tells the Scene. “Peabody students saw the largest jump — over $5K — and they are the first college to reach a supermajority.”
