The number of teaching assistants might be slashed in the fall, but some graduate employees are more concerned for their students than they are about the fate of their positions.
Some department officials say the lack of TAs could force class sizes to escalate or certain sections to be eliminated.
"We knew the cuts were coming," Spanish TA Erin Brothers said. "But it's still a major shock."
Officials from the College of Arts & Letters offered teaching assistants fall jobs on Wednesday based on preliminary budget data received the day before. Wednesday was the deadline to offer TA positions.
Jose Colmeiro, chairman of the Department of Spanish and Portuguese, said department officials are considering the elimination of some classes because they simply can't afford to maintain the same number of classes with fewer TAs.
Brothers said although the situation is unfortunate, she recognizes that the options are limited.
"With what they're handed, this is going to be a result," she said. "Everybody's hands are just tied and this is what we have to do."
But any TA cuts still would hurt the education, especially in the Spanish program, she said. There are currently 33 instructors in the program; 25 are TAs.
That number has been slashed to 16 TAs who were offered positions in the fall.
"They still can't offer the number of classes," she said, adding that the classes that aren't eliminated will grow in size because there are fewer people to teach them.
"One of the important keys of learning Spanish is the interaction," Brothers said.
Graduate Employees Union President Scott Henkel said he also heard that as many as one third of the TAs in the College of Arts & Letters could be cut.
"It's absolutely imperative that we protect the quality of education at MSU, even in budget cuts," Henkel said. "A third of the TAs in the College of Arts & Letters will be cut, which would eviscerate programs and graduate education at Michigan State."
Spanish junior Andrea Brandell said she's concerned because it might take her more time to graduate if the classes she needs aren't offered.
"You're not going to get as good of an education if there aren't any classes open or if there are more students in the class," she said. "It's not going to be a good thing."
Brandell, who said she has been in a large Spanish class, said it's almost impossible to learn much in a huge class.
"You get more individual attention and you're forced to talk more if there's less people in the class," she said. "I just hope I can get into the classes I need."
Some students, such as Spanish senior Marco Broggio, said although smaller classes are more conducive to learning, larger one still will be effective.
"In the long run, I really don't think it's going to affect them at all," he said. "The classes are going to still be 50 people or less, which is still pretty decent."
Yet Broggio said he has valued his class experience at MSU.
"You have to have some sympathy for the TAs," he said, adding that he has no idea how MSU will get by with fewer TAs. "I don't understand how they're going to deal with this."
Amy Bartner can be reached at bartnera@msu.edu.
