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Possible Termination of Two LALS Professors at UCSC
According to the director of the Chicano/Latino Research Center (CLRC), Dr. Gabriela Arredondo, two professors from the Latin American and Latino Studies (LALS) Department, Dr. Susanne Jonas and Dr. Guillermo Delgado, might be terminated. This is the letter Dr. Arredondo released:
As a response to the current budget crisis, Social Sciences Dean Sheldon Kamieniecki is recommending the termination of Dr. Susanne Jonas and Dr. Guillermo Delgado, founding members of the CLRC, long-time research fellows, and founding members of the LALS Department.
As many of you know, they are valued and treasured teachers. Dr. Jonas joined the UCSC community in 1986; Dr. Delgado joined us in 1989. In addition to teaching successfully six courses per year, both are internationally distinguished scholars whose research is published in leading journals and presses both in the U.S. and in Latin America.
Dr. Delgado (PhD, UT Austin) is an advisor to the President of Bolivia and is currently serving on the Executive Committee of LASA. He is a specialist in Latin American comparative indigeneity; indigenous property rights; cultures of the sacred; Quechua/Andean linguistics, culture theory, and anthropology in the developing world.
Dr. Jonas (PhD, UC Berkeley) recently received a prestigious award from ALAS (Asociacion Latinoamericano de Sociologia) and is an internationally renowned scholar on Central America. She is a specialist in Central American immigration and Latino communities in the U.S., comparative Latin American politics, Central American binational organizing, U.S. foreign policy in Latin America, the Left in Latin America, and comparative peace processes in Central America.
As many of you already know, colleagues in the Community Studies Department are also facing extreme consequences under proposed budget cuts.
The CLRC invites you to join us in firmly supporting our colleagues. Please share this information widely. Your expressed support and active opposition to the termination of Dr. Delgado and Dr. Jonas is critical in these difficult times.
As many of you know, they are valued and treasured teachers. Dr. Jonas joined the UCSC community in 1986; Dr. Delgado joined us in 1989. In addition to teaching successfully six courses per year, both are internationally distinguished scholars whose research is published in leading journals and presses both in the U.S. and in Latin America.
Dr. Delgado (PhD, UT Austin) is an advisor to the President of Bolivia and is currently serving on the Executive Committee of LASA. He is a specialist in Latin American comparative indigeneity; indigenous property rights; cultures of the sacred; Quechua/Andean linguistics, culture theory, and anthropology in the developing world.
Dr. Jonas (PhD, UC Berkeley) recently received a prestigious award from ALAS (Asociacion Latinoamericano de Sociologia) and is an internationally renowned scholar on Central America. She is a specialist in Central American immigration and Latino communities in the U.S., comparative Latin American politics, Central American binational organizing, U.S. foreign policy in Latin America, the Left in Latin America, and comparative peace processes in Central America.
As many of you already know, colleagues in the Community Studies Department are also facing extreme consequences under proposed budget cuts.
The CLRC invites you to join us in firmly supporting our colleagues. Please share this information widely. Your expressed support and active opposition to the termination of Dr. Delgado and Dr. Jonas is critical in these difficult times.
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wtf?
we knew UCSC wanted to become a science and engineering school and gut its legendary social studies programs, but who know so much would happen in one year?
cutting the entire Community Studies Dept. and two of the major professors in LALS.
Vice-Channcellor David Kliger (UCSC's Dick Cheney) must really be pleased with himeslf.
shut it down while you still can!
we knew UCSC wanted to become a science and engineering school and gut its legendary social studies programs, but who know so much would happen in one year?
cutting the entire Community Studies Dept. and two of the major professors in LALS.
Vice-Channcellor David Kliger (UCSC's Dick Cheney) must really be pleased with himeslf.
shut it down while you still can!
This is more disinformation by catastrophizers. This, like the Community Studies situation, is one of many, many options being considered. There isn't even a formal proposal, it's a potential budget reduction. POTENTIAL, folks. That means that it may, or may not happen. No decisions have been made, but lots of options are being evaluated.
And another piece of disinformation. The POTENTIAL reduction is NOT TERMINATION at all. It's to reduce two 100% time lecturers to two 50% time lecturers.
Why this single-minded focus on social sciences? Everyone's budget is being cut, and there are layoffs happening in all parts of campus.
I had the privilege of being her student in the 1980's in the midst of the Central American solidarity movement.
This post is focused on two LALS professors. If you have more information to add, such as news about cuts in other departments, go ahead and share with us.
There was the mention of "cuts being focused" on social sciences, and not elsewhere.
As a professor from "elsewhere" (within the division of physical and biological sciences), I can tell you that the cuts are hitting my department extremely hard. We now have no grading positions -- I now work an extra 5-10 hours each week, so that my students can get enough feedback on their work. We cannot support our graduate students - some will be unsupported (and therefore probably leave) next year, and we cannot afford to admit more than a tiny number of new graduate students next year. We do not have the funds necessary for a typical active academic environment, i.e., we cannot afford to invite speakers for seminars. We require about 5-6 more professors to successfully cover the courses in our curriculum. But we will only be able to hire one professor next year, and that is only because of recent departures.
So, there is some pain all around. But, to be clear, I am putting in extra work now, and I am still hopeful that in a few years UCSC will be running more efficiently and will enjoy better funding.
As a professor from "elsewhere" (within the division of physical and biological sciences), I can tell you that the cuts are hitting my department extremely hard. We now have no grading positions -- I now work an extra 5-10 hours each week, so that my students can get enough feedback on their work. We cannot support our graduate students - some will be unsupported (and therefore probably leave) next year, and we cannot afford to admit more than a tiny number of new graduate students next year. We do not have the funds necessary for a typical active academic environment, i.e., we cannot afford to invite speakers for seminars. We require about 5-6 more professors to successfully cover the courses in our curriculum. But we will only be able to hire one professor next year, and that is only because of recent departures.
So, there is some pain all around. But, to be clear, I am putting in extra work now, and I am still hopeful that in a few years UCSC will be running more efficiently and will enjoy better funding.
But there won't be difference until the budget is no longer mismanaged and top-serving.
we don't need to maintain luxury campus restaurants or upper administration-oriented perks when the rest of the school pays more and more every year through labor or money just to get a watered-down education.
So many people I've talked to are sick of the way that this place has been run into the ground by greedy motherfuckers.
So many are ready to step it up.
we don't need to maintain luxury campus restaurants or upper administration-oriented perks when the rest of the school pays more and more every year through labor or money just to get a watered-down education.
So many people I've talked to are sick of the way that this place has been run into the ground by greedy motherfuckers.
So many are ready to step it up.
The University Center was fought for by faculty, for a long, long time...like 15+ years. It was their desire to have a faculty club. When it finally came about, staff fought hard to have it made inclusive of students and staff alike, and it was.
You don't have to eat there if you find it expensive. It covers its costs via sales and rentals for events, and that event space was much needed on the campus.
Keep it real; it's not the boujie money pit your making it sound, and it wasn't foisted on the campus by Admin.
You don't have to eat there if you find it expensive. It covers its costs via sales and rentals for events, and that event space was much needed on the campus.
Keep it real; it's not the boujie money pit your making it sound, and it wasn't foisted on the campus by Admin.
and in SF... FYI
San Francisco Art Institute Laying Off 25% of Faculty
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2009/04/16/18589553.php
San Francisco Art Institute Laying Off 25% of Faculty
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2009/04/16/18589553.php
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