Revenge of the TAs
I read in The Daily that the University of Washington plans to fire 447 teaching assistants (TAs) next year as part of their cost-cutting process, and that the teaching assistants are organizing a strike to protest this unfortunate decision. In a school that is already burdened with large classes, I would like Seattle Times reporters to answer the following questions:
- The University raised more than $2.5 billion dollars in a capital campaign. Where has this money gone?
- The top eight officials at the UW make exorbitant salaries. Why don’t they take a 50-percent salary cut to support their TAs?
- Why won’t the state Legislature allow the UW to increase tuition so it could pay for more teachers?
The alumni watching from the outside are very puzzled by the actions of the UW and the state Legislature. If the UW is a teaching institution, why is it not supporting its own teachers and students?
— Glenna Burmer, Seattle