April Kim, a second-generation Korean American, entered UCLA with a limited understanding of her culture, so she decided to pursue Korean studies as a way to get in touch with her heritage.
Kim graduated in spring 2008 as a Korean and Japanese studies student. Knowing that the ongoing University of California budget cuts were causing downsizing in the Asian languages and cultures department, though, Kim checked the online schedule of classes to see what courses were offered for current students seeking to understand the Korean culture.
She noticed one of the program’s required literature courses was canceled for the fall and would only be available in the winter, with no guarantee for the future. Also, Professor Nayoung Aimee Kwon, who previously taught the class, had been replaced by retired Professor Emeritus Peter H. Lee, a former department chairman of Korean and comparative literature.
The UC budget cuts began in January with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s proposed across-the-board cuts of 10 percent. While the governor’s budget revision restored $98.5 million in funding, the UC system was still left with more than $200 million in cuts. Campus-wide cuts were required in order to close the gap, which meant class sizes, student services and funding for a variety of programs would be negatively affected.
The budget cuts have grown problematic for UCLA programs, especially those in the Asian languages and cultures department. The Korean studies program, which attracts a large variety of Asian and non-Asian students who hope to understand cultural diversity on a global scale, is facing a series of problems.
UCLA’s Korean studies program is an acknowledged leader in its field, according to the UCLA Center for Korean Studies. Students are trained in the language and cultural aspects of Korea, including its history, literature and anthropology.
Before he retired in 2007, Lee carried the burden of leading the Korean literature program, which consists of four undergraduate courses, three of which are required to complete the major.
Lee had been teaching Korean literature courses for many decades as one of the most prominent figures in Korean studies, which made replacing him an even more difficult task.
Unlike other literature programs with multiple professors, the Korean literature department had only one teaching position, with an almost impossible load to carry, Kwon said. “The position was vulnerable and an easy target to be cut,” Kwon added.
Kwon was hired to teach the literature courses as a visiting professor for one year while the department performed a search to fill the only tenured position in the Korean literature department. However, the search was abruptly canceled, with no plans for the future of the Korean literature department, because of the budget cuts.
“The UCLA Korean studies is one of the central programs in the Asian studies department,” Kwon said. “To cancel (the position) with no promise for the future is quite irresponsible. Despite budget issues, this position has been nurtured for decades with help from the faculty and department.”
Some university programs have alleviated budget costs by reaching out to other sources for funding.
The Korean studies department had applied for outside funding from the Academy of Korean Studies. Although the academy gave some funds to UCLA, the amount was very minimal compared to the costs, Kwon said.
“The administration was not committing funds, not even for interim positions,” Kwon said. “It is ironic that the acknowledged leader in Korean literature has refused to make a commitment.”
Lee’s temporary return to UCLA was made to benefit students.
“I would think the position to be close to volunteering, almost pro bono,” Kwon said. “Nobody teaching Korean literature would have caused issues for students trying to graduate on time.”
Students from various racial, ethnic and academic backgrounds, along with alumni, came together on a Facebook group called “Save Korean Studies at UCLA” with hopes of keeping the cultural studies program intact at UCLA despite ongoing budget cuts.
Although the title emphasizes Korean studies, the group’s creator, fourth-year Korean studies student Amy Lee, described the page as a student coalition to save Asian studies at UCLA.
The Facebook group is similar to an earlier one created at UC Berkeley to save Asian studies there; that group led to a student protest in May 2008 at UC Berkeley’s Lower Sproul Plaza.
The UCLA Facebook group has more than 400 members and encourages its members and visitors to the Web page to sign an online petition written by Lee condemning the effects of California’s budget cuts on UCLA’s Korean studies program.
The petition states, “The budget cuts will mean not only a drastic reduction in course offerings, but will severely cripple UCLA Korean studies’ standing as the world’s leader, as well as the well-being of the Asian studies program at large. These shortsighted decisions based on Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s assault on higher education in California are doing a great disservice, not only to the student body but also to the local and global community at large.”
Many of the departmental changes resulting from the UC budget cuts have been a mystery to students.
“It’s all been by word of mouth. … Students have to seek the office for more answers,” Lee said. “We thought students should know and not be surprised when the year starts.”
Lee personally felt the effects of ongoing budget cuts last year when she tried to apply for departmental honors last year, which can only be completed with professors with tenure. Most of Lee’s professors had temporary positions.
“It was hard; I had to randomly e-mail and communicate with professors I had not met yet,” Lee said.
As a fourth-year, Lee has finished one of the three Korean literature requirements. She said most students planning to graduate in the upcoming year are scared they won’t finish their requirements before graduation because language and culture courses are being canceled and because fewer lectures and TAs are available.
Students were told of the possibility of fulfilling graduation requirements by taking other upper-division courses in Korean studies. However, some think the quality of learning within the program would be compromised.
“Literature is a core for the Korean studies major,” said Kwon. “Not to have a course in literature is unheard of and does affect the quality of education students are getting.”
The manager and administrative analyst for the Asian languages and cultures department were unable to comment as of press time.
Despite budget cuts, students still see cultural studies as an opportunity to go back to their roots or learn about a completely different culture.
“I am Korean, but a 1.5-generation Korean. … I came from Korea when I was 10 years old. There’s a bond I want to go back and find out about,” Lee said.
The cultural programs at UCLA have also taught students like Kim a new appreciation for their heritage.
“I almost feel it was unique to UCLA; it taught me about my heritage that even my parents couldn’t teach,” Kim said.
Although Kim has graduated and would not benefit from the petition, her actions are geared toward helping students obtain a cultural program with the same, or even better, quality than the one she experienced.
“It doesn’t affect me at all, but it’s such a great program for future students,” Kim said. “I’m worried future students won’t get the same quality.”