“UCI community rallies to save the humanities after massive cuts,” New University (6/10/25)

As UCI proposes drastic 9% cuts to its School of Humanities, UC-AFT teaching faculty and graduate student workers from UAW 4811 rallied in protest. Speaking to the New University, Chris Varela, a full-time composition lecturer who has taught at UCI for a decade, explained how bureaucratic and painful the experience can be. Despite passing his review, Varela was told that his appointment was not being renewed for next year. “In other words, I will be essentially laid off after the end of the quarter. And this is, I quote, the legal budgetary consideration — to quote Article 7A Section J-61 — ‘lack of work.’ Lack of work. In other words, ‘unavailability of [a] course assignment for which the Unit 18 faculty is qualified, as determined by the university.’” Read more at the New University