Cloudy skies and chilly winds did not prevent teaching assistants from spending the day outside the Administration Building and the evening in Linton Hall rallying for their jobs.
Based on preliminary budget numbers crunched by individual colleges, a smaller number of teaching-assistant positions was offered by the Graduate Employees Union's March 31 deadline.
Many teaching assistants consider the Department of Spanish and Portuguese to be the hardest-hit. Of the 33 instructors in the department, 25 are TAs, but the number invited back in the fall has shrunk to 16.
"It's very disappointing that the administration hasn't given importance to foreign language," Spanish TA Adriana Martinez said, while holding a picket sign depicting the world with and without foreign language. "In a world getting more globalized, language is very important."
A Mexico native, Martinez said she will complete her master's program this semester and had planned to continue to a doctoral program next year. Since she did not receive an assistantship letter, she doesn't know what her future holds.
From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., an average of 20 to 50 TAs made their presence known outside, chanting, "Tell the administration, don't cut education" with picket signs in their hands. Office hours also were held by the TAs in the Administration Building lobby.
TAs from other departments also came out Thursday to support the cause.
English TA Aryn Bartley said it's important for the university to understand the importance of TAs and how they affect programs.
"When you cut TAs, the programs become less stable and fewer grad students will come to MSU," she said.
Bartley received a letter to return in the fall, but braved the cold Thursday to support her fellow TAs.
Students for Economic Justice member Sayrah Namaste joined the protest because she is concerned with how the cuts will affect students.
"We're all connected, so when you hurt one to this extent, it will affect us all negatively," the painting graduate student said.
Students also have shown support to protect the jobs of their TAs by signing petitions and letters addressed to MSU President M. Peter McPherson and Provost Lou Anna Simon.
Simon and faculty members from the College of Arts & Letters met Thursday evening in Linton Hall to discuss budget issues.
Spanish and Portuguese professor Miguel Cabanas said the meeting was positive, with open discussions.
"The provost has been asked to find a way to deal with the situation, and it's going to be tricky," he said. "We have to come up with interesting ways to provide instruction. This affects us all and we need to work to make this university stronger."
