Graduate students seeking full tuition waivers from the University of Texas didn't appreciate it when Maurie McInnis, the executive vice president and provost, declined to meet with them.

So about 50 of them staged a "grade-in" Monday, sitting on the floor in the waiting area outside her office to mark exams and papers for classes where they work as teaching assistants or assistant instructors.

"We know she sits on the University Budget Council, which sets the tuition reduction benefit, and we want her to visibly see what our work for the university consists of for when she is in those meetings — hence our grade-in," said Sam Law, who is working on a Ph.D. in anthropology and is a member of the group Underpaid at UT.

The protesters also complained that McInnis is not moving swiftly enough to address their concerns, noting that a task force of students, faculty members and staff members will not submit final recommendations until December.

"Over the past 15 years, multiple task forces across the university have identified the urgent need to raise stipends to competitive levels, yet graduate workers remain paid at rates significantly behind peer institutions," said a statement by Underpaid at UT.

The protest followed an outdoor rally May 1 involving graduate students, faculty members and others who called on administrators to raise stipends and tuition waivers so the students can afford to live in Austin.

Research by Underpaid at UT shows that 65% of graduate students receive stipends of less than $18,000 a year, which is $7,000 below the cost of living calculated by the university. Although most top-tier research universities around the nation waive tuition entirely for graduate students with teaching or research appointments, UT waives only a portion, resulting in an average shortfall of more than $1,000 per student each semester.

In an email to Underpaid at UT last week, McInnis said the university is raising compensation for some graduate students as it works on a comprehensive and sustainable solution.

"The Graduate School increased its centrally funded fellowships from approximately $14 million in 2013-14 to more than $23 million in 2017-18," McInnis wrote. More recently, some of UT's colleges and schools have boosted tuition support and wages for graduate students, including the Moody College of Communication and the College of Natural Sciences. "I realize these early investments have not benefited all graduate students, but it is an indication of the urgency and attention we are giving these matters."

McInnis said the task force will produce preliminary recommendations later this month ahead of its final report in December. "In the interim period, the Graduate School will work with colleges and schools to address tuition coverage in many departments beginning this fall," she wrote.

As for declining the request to meet with graduate students, McInnis said "a more productive conversation" would be with Mark J.T. Smith, dean of the Graduate School and senior vice provost for academic affairs, and Daina Ramey Berry, the school's associate dean.