Some lecturers at San Francisco State University said they have been let go as the university grapples with financial woes.
For 17 years, Sean Connelly has been an adjunct lecturer in the Humanities and Comparative World Literature department at SFSU. He recently learned that in two weeks he won’t have a job or health insurance.
“As we reach the end of fall semester, it’s over,” he said. “This career that I had is at an end and it’s all because of the disinvestment of higher education by the state of California.”
A university spokesperson confirmed in a statement that in an effort to adapt to declining enrollment some lecturer faculty will not be rehired in the spring.
“As enrollment has declined, unfortunately, lecturer faculty are being significantly impacted as there are fewer sections to teach, especially course sections which are populated by incoming freshmen,” a SFSU spokesperson said.
The university did not disclose how many lecturers have been let go. But Connelly estimated that it’s more than 100, and he predicts the move will negatively impact students.
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“It’s also a loss for students because they will have fewer classes, their class sizes are bigger and while all that's happening, they are paying more money in fees."
The San Francisco State lecturer layoffs come as other California universities grapple with budget shortfalls.
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On Thursday, Cal State University trustees announced that Cal State Maritime in Vallejo, which has seen a sharp decline in enrollment, will merge with Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. The integration is expected to be completed by July.
