At the University of San Diego (USD), students and faculty united in December to oppose potential course cancellations for the Spring 2025 semester. They gathered hundreds of petition signatures demanding no financial loss for instructors whose classes might be dropped.
During recent bargaining sessions with non-tenure track (NTT) faculty in USD’s College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), the administration indicated that some courses could be withdrawn due to low enrollment. While specifics remain unclear, any cancellations would likely lead to job and pay losses for CAS NTT faculty, most of whom work on semester-to-semester contracts.
“Losing my courses next semester would mean losing my sole source of income,” said Soroya Rowley, a theater lecturer, who noted she would need to urgently find new work if her classes were canceled.
The CAS NTT faculty’s elected Bargaining Action Team—representing members who overwhelmingly joined SEIU 721 in the summer of 2024—has proposed several solutions to ensure job security or compensation for affected faculty. However, the administration has not committed to any of these measures.
“No NTT Faculty should face economic loss due to circumstances beyond their control,” states a petition signed by hundreds of students, faculty, and community supporters. “We, the Faculty at USD and allies, demand that the University of San Diego ensure no NTT Faculty Member suffers financial loss from canceled courses.”
CAS NTT faculty will continue bargaining in January,
pushing to prevent course cuts and secure a more substantial contract that includes improved pay, benefits, job security, and worker protections.