Bad News: UCLA lecturers to be laid off

I have received news from my department (Asian Languages & Cultures) that, over the next few days, all state-funded lecturers who teach in the humanities and social sciences at UCLA, as well as a number of lecturers in the sciences, will be receiving layoff notices with an effective date of August 1, 2010. This seems to be a work-around by the administration to procure the maximum amount of flexibility in budget cuts while adhering to the legal requirements in lecturer contracts that a full year's notice in case of termination be afforded.

The Humanities Division at UCLA is emphasizing that it hopes the layoffs can be rescinded, and we all very much hope that this will is true, that this is merely a cautionary step. Still, departments here affected by the new development should prepare for the worst. In Asian Languages, we are trying to increase our summer offerings to offset the budgetary cutbacks and to protect our lecturers. Other departments might want to consider similar steps.