Cutbacks

From the Daily Bruin: The UCLA Department of Mathematics eliminated paid graders and limited working hours for teaching assistants after UCLA cut its budget for the 2025-26 academic year. Mario Bonk, the interim chair of the mathematics department, said the department can no longer afford to employ TAs at their previously contracted levels. The department cut its budget for graders – who read and grade students’ exams and homework – reallocating those funds to support the TA budget... 

The Department of Mathematics limited TA teaching appointments from a guaranteed 50% – which amounted to 20 hours a week – to 25% for the current academic year, said Ely Jrade, a mathematics doctoral student. The department removed TAs and discussion sections from most upper-division courses...

The UC enhanced packages for members of United Auto Workers Local 4811, a union representing academic student employees, graduate students and academic and postdoctoral researchers, after the union struck in 2022...

Full story at https://dailybruin.com/2025/10/28/ucla-math-department-ta-grader-cuts-spark-concern-over-student-learning-support.