Reneged Funding Package

[deltaqsquared]

I am currently a first year student in a 3 year accelerated PhD program. I accepted the offer last year to come to this school based on the fact that they guaranteed funding in some form (TA/RAship, etc) for the duration of my research here, and at the bare minimum, they stated that they guarantee that I will be getting a TA/RAship at least 1 quarter per year for the 2nd and 3rd years. 

I got an email from the department last week, telling me that they are not going to fund me at all next year. I have been TAing a specific course for the last 2 years I have been at this university (1 during my MA, and 1 during my first PhD year), and asked them whether I can expect to get at least that gig. They told me not to expect anything from the department.

Are funding package award letters legally binding? I mean, if they "guarantee" me funding, can the department renege on this guarantee without any explanation?

[Solio]

I believe they are legally binding, but the devil is in the details.  What exactly did they promise you?  Is there a sneaky way for them to legally wiggle out of their promise?  

[Volition]

Sorry to hear. Usually funding packages come with conditions, some of them ongoing, so I'm curious to know if yours came with any as well? Chances are they can easily cut your funding if some of your conditions are not met. Did they go in detail as to why your funding is being cut? 

Edited May 24, 2016 by Volition

[deltaqsquared]

Yea, so this is the exact gist of the issue at hand:

Last year, I received an Award Letter, signed by the Director of the program, explaining the following for the 2nd and 3rd years (I have added the 'boldface'):

"In your second and third years you are guaranteed at least one quarter of funding through the [program] in some combination of Research Assistantships and/or Teaching Assistantships related to Japan studies.  The conditions and compensation for future Research Assistantships and Teaching Assistantships are expected to be the same as outlined above."

 

The caveat for being funded for the 2nd and 3rd years, was that I had "satisfactory progress" in the preceding years, and as of this moment, I have yet to receive any word from the program that I have not had satisfactory progress. The annual assessment stated that the program acknowledges my "achievements thus far and look forward to your continued work in the program."

 

I am not the only one that is getting screwed over by this program, but we are all at a loss at the disarray we face. 

[deltaqsquared]

10 minutes ago, Volition said:

Sorry to hear. Usually funding packages come with conditions, some of them ongoing, so I'm curious to know if yours came with any as well? Chances are they can easily cut your funding if some of your conditions are not met. Did they go in detail as to why your funding is being cut? 

 

They did not give me any reason as to why they are not funding me next year, no. If there was some formal justification, and if they had told me so, then I wouldn't be as frustrated.

[Pink Fuzzy Bunny]

6 minutes ago, deltaqsquared said:

Yea, so this is the exact gist of the issue at hand:

Last year, I received an Award Letter, signed by the Director of the program, explaining the following for the 2nd and 3rd years (I have added the 'boldface'):

"In your second and third years you are guaranteed at least one quarter of funding through the [program] in some combination of Research Assistantships and/or Teaching Assistantships related to Japan studies.  The conditions and compensation for future Research Assistantships and Teaching Assistantships are expected to be the same as outlined above."

 

The caveat for being funded for the 2nd and 3rd years, was that I had "satisfactory progress" in the preceding years, and as of this moment, I have yet to receive any word from the program that I have not had satisfactory progress. The annual assessment stated that the program acknowledges my "achievements thus far and look forward to your continued work in the program."

 

I am not the only one that is getting screwed over by this program, but we are all at a loss at the disarray we face. 

You are much calmer than I would be! Go to the department chair. If they don't help, go to the graduate school. If they don't help, the dean of students. If they don't help, call Obama himself, damnit.

[deltaqsquared]

9 minutes ago, Pink Fuzzy Bunny said:

You are much calmer than I would be! Go to the department chair. If they don't help, go to the graduate school. If they don't help, the dean of students. If they don't help, call Obama himself, damnit.

I have sent a cordial email to the department about this situation, with all the contradictions, and currently am waiting for their reply. Depending on their reply, we may consider a nuclear option. But until then, I'm just waiting and seeing.