From our colleagues at UC-AFT Local 1474 Merced Chapter:
UC Merced’s commitment to academic excellence has been — and continues to be — at serious risk. Per-student education funding has fallen to the lowest level in the UC system. The student credit hours funding model has compounded this problem by incentivizing larger classes and fewer instructors, while effectively penalizing the smaller, high-engagement classes that students need most.
Many of the Lecturer faculty facing layoffs are first-generation scholars and/or members of historically underrepresented communities — just like a majority of the UCM student body. Additionally, many lecturers are also of the San Joaquin Valley, as are 30–40% of UC Merced undergraduates. The underfunded instructional budget risks underserving student populations who benefit the most from small class sizes and quality instruction.
Stand with UC Merced students and faculty. Demand that instruction be treated as the university’s first priority — not its last. Specifically:
- Increase the instructional budget to a level commensurate with the UC-wide average and stop non-senate faculty layoffs.
- Reduce the administrative budget to a level commensurate with the UC-wide average.
- Repeal curricular cuts and adjustments, such as class size increases, that harm students.