Yesterday, I added my story to our online picket page.
The University of California said, when this crisis started, that our jobs were safe until 6/30.
That’s when our yearly contracts are up.
We’re worried they’ll use this crisis to get rid of people with experience and replace them with brand new teachers who cost less.
And so we’re standing together today (and every day) to explain what a 6/30 layoff would mean.
For those of you outside of academia, know that someone who is laid off in the Summer will NOT be able to get hired to teach somewhere else in Fall. Our job searches take months–almost a year for the good ones. A tenure-track job starting in Fall 2020 had its call go out in October of 2019. The positions are filled.
And yes, we’re still working out of contract.
One of the biggest frustrations for me is how the university’s understanding of my job is so different from reality.
The university says I’m not teaching online, that I’m doing remote instruction (meaning fully synchronous courses).
My students would be surprised by that, since we’re asynchronous.
(We’re supposed to get paid more if we’re teaching online, which is why this semantic argument matters.)
The university says we don’t write letters of recommendation.
Just this week, I’ve been asked for four more.
The university says we don’t mentor.
Just this week, I’ve gotten eight emails thanking me for checking in on students. They say their professors are “less personal” with learning.
Just this week, I’ve gotten three emails from students of years past, telling me they’re thinking of me, that they’re grateful for me, that they’re wishing me health in this uncertain time.
Just this week, I’ve gotten four emails letting me know about the final graduate school choice I helped my mentees make.
Just this week, I’ve gotten confirmation that I’ve helped a student whose dissertation committee I was on get a tenure-track job.
Just this week, I’ve been asked to be the opener for the stand-up club’s Zoom show they’ve organized.
I’m used to the university insisting that my research doesn’t count, since I’m teaching faculty.
But damn if I don’t want them to fucking recognize the great teaching we do.
