Teamwork, collaboration brought about historic stipend increase
The combined commitment to pay more to master’s and doctoral student employees reflects how much they and their work are valued.
On Jan. 1, 2023, Carolina implemented the single largest increase in University history for minimum graduate student stipend amounts. The change comes as a direct response to recruitment and student support goals and places the University in a better position to attract top candidates and to better care for current students.
To bring about the historic increase, the chancellor and provost worked closely with leaders from The Graduate School, graduate students, faculty members, the Board of Trustees and others.
“The Graduate School strives to provide the resources necessary for all graduate students to flourish. The recent collaborative effort resulting in an increased graduate student stipend will positively affect our University, our students and the state,” said Graduate School Dean Beth Mayer-Davis. “To ensure we can provide graduate education that supports an ongoing pipeline of knowledge creation and a workforce poised for innovation and growth, the stipend increase is indicative of a commitment toward a shared vision.”
Graduate students in research and teaching assistant positions as well as fellows and trainees receive a stipend to help offset education and living expenses. The Jan. 1 increases bring the minimum stipend amounts to $16,000 for master’s students and $20,000 for doctoral students, both for a nine-month service period.
Theodore Nollert, president of the Graduate and Professional Student Government and a doctoral candidate in English and comparative literature in the College of Arts and Sciences, led the stipend increase proposal. His presentations to the September 2022 Board of Trustees meeting and November 2022 Faculty Council meeting underscored the need. Once the council passed a resolution supporting the increase, campus leadership worked quickly to finish fleshing out the details for implementation by the first of the year.
Nollert built a case for the increase using stipend data from Carolina and peer institutions. He compared both raw and adjusted stipend data from Carolina to schools of similar mission; quality of faculty, staff, students and programs; and research productivity.
In raw stipend amounts, Carolina ranked last place among similar institutions. When stipend amounts were adjusted for cost of attendance and a nine-month service period, Carolina ranked 11th out of 15 universities. The comparatively low stipend created recruitment struggles for graduate candidates.
“We have competitive programs. We have world class faculty. But the pay made it hard for people to come here. I think one of the things that was compelling to the chancellor, provost, deans and the Board of Trustees is that this creates an access issue, which influences the diversity of the campus,” Nollert said. “The low stipend relative to the cost of attendance made it harder for us to provide the kind of advanced training Carolina has to offer.”
The new minimum amounts bump Carolina up to seventh out of 15, assuming the other universities’ stipends remain flat. The increase creates a much more competitive offer to graduate candidates when compared to similar institutions’ 2022 stipend amounts.
“Moving up those four places, that is good progress. I think it’s proof that we have at Carolina a successful model of collaborative, data-driven advocacy,” Nollert said. “I think it sets us up for a lot of success over the next five years to support the mission of the University and for the various governments to support their constituents as they collaborate with central administrative partners.”
The stipend increase represents continued support for the distinction of the Carolina graduate programs and increases the livelihood of students.
“Our graduate students are at the heart of the University. They are excellent teachers and scholars,” said Provost and Chief Academic Officer J. Christopher Clemens. “They represent some of the best that Carolina has to offer in building the future of the academy, the public and private sectors, and beyond. Our campus, community and state benefit when we support our current students and entice the best and brightest to come study at UNC. Raising the stipend was an important step toward making our commitments tangible.”
