**University of Michigan Instructors Issuing False Grades as Graduate Instructors’ Strike Continues**
The Graduate Employee Organization (GEO) at the University of Michigan continues its strike, disputing wages and benefits. As a result, the staff has begun providing students with possibly “falsified” grades, creating uncertainty around the validity of this semester’s results.
The University of Michigan’s three campuses are facing an ongoing battle between the graduate-student instructors and the school administration, resulting in “falsified” grades assigned to undergraduate students. Demands for higher wages and better benefits have led to the strike led by the Graduate Employee Organization (GEO), intensifying the conflict between both parties.
Since the universities began withholding payments from the striking workers last month, the graduate instructors have gone on strike, refusing to teach or provide grades. In response, school administrators have seemingly exerted pressure on faculty members to assign grades despite their lack of familiarity with the students or the work they have completed. This has prompted some instructors to give out straight As.
Various department heads have openly admitted their intentions to assign top marks to all students in the affected classes without proper assessment of their performance. GEO representatives allege that administrators have forced faculty members to submit grades, leading to inflated or reduced grades for some students. However, university spokeswoman Kim Broekhuizen denies any pressure coming from the administration to give straight As and claims that 95% of the semester grades have already been recorded.
On May 12, the school offered the GEO a contract with a proposed wage increase. Although it fell short of the 60% increase demanded, some graduate instructors are prepared to extend their strike into the fall if their requests are not met. In the meantime, the ongoing strike and the potential for inaccurate grades to be awarded compromises the credibility of this semester’s academic achievements.
**As the dispute between graduate instructors and the University of Michigan administration remains unresolved, the validity of this semester’s grades hangs in the balance, leaving many students in uncertainty.**
