Huey Lin, a Chinese language lecturer in the Asian Languages and
Cultures department, is fighting to get her job back after being
dismissed by her department for alleged unprofessional
behavior.
The notification of her dismissal from the department in May
came as a surprise because she received high marks on her
evaluations during her two years at UCLA, said Bill Quirk, a field
representative for University Council ““ American Federation
of Teachers, a union which represents lecturers.
Unlike professors, lecturers do not have tenure and are hired on
a yearly basis.
Though the Asian Languages and Cultures department has the right
to decide which lecturers will be reappointed, the reasoning behind
Lin’s dismissal is unclear, Quirk said. He said Lin’s
dismissal is a violation of contract and departmental policies on
two counts.
Lynne Thompson, director of Campus Human Resources who has been
involved in the case, declined to comment on Lin’s case
“because it is in the grievance process.” Other
university officials could not be reached for comment.
Lin, along with angry students and parents, demands a valid
explanation for why her contract was not renewed.
Two students and two union representatives held a protest
Tuesday during the Chinese language placement test to let students
know the injustice of the situation, participants said.
“I think that she deserves justice, deserves an
explanation, and I want her back in the department,” said
Lisa Yung, a second-year undeclared student who took Lin’s
courses last year.
According to an end-of-the-year review letter from the Asian
Languages and Cultures department, the review committee
acknowledges Lin’s excellence in teaching but ends the
document with her non-reappointment, citing “several
incidents of unprofessional conduct involving Huey Lin.”
UC-AFT, the union representing Lin, has filed a legal grievance
on her behalf. The union also filed charges for unfair labor
practices in the department unrelated to Lin’s case.
The union claims the university labeled her as unprofessional
without providing any evidence alluding to such behavior, and did
not allow Lin the opportunity to respond to the letter before the
faculty vote, Quirk said.
Lin, who had no prior contact with the union before her
dismissal, said she will continue to fight for her job.
“I want to resolve this so other lecturers don’t
have to go through this … (Lecturers) teach the most students but
receive the least respect,” Lin said.
Though Lin wants her job back, she says she is more concerned
about the ethical aspect of her dismissal.
“First and foremost I want them to apologize for the false
accusation and to undo the damage they did to my career, and then
hopefully reappoint me,” Lin said.
Lin said that her case represents the surface of deeper issues
of unfair treatment towards lecturers.
“My feeling is that the department maybe as well as the
school is seeing this case as a war between the union and the
school, but it’s not ““ it is about how the lecturers
are being treated,” Lin said.
Union representatives and Lin have had several meetings with the
department and UCLA labor relations.
“They have not been cooperative in efforts to settle the
matters as of yet,” Quirk said.
If Lin’s dismissal is not resolved within the department,
the next step of the grievance process takes the issue to the UC
Office of the President.