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In a now-viral TikTok video, Dr. Daniel McKeown, a professor at UCLA, claims low pay has left him homeless, stunning a lot of his followers.
“Hello everybody, my identify is Daniel, and I’m an astrophysics professor at UCLA. I’m solely being paid $70,000 for this tutorial yr,” McKeown says within the video.
McKeown, listed as a lecturer on UCLA’s web site, says he needed to transfer out of his residence as a result of he may now not afford the lease.
“Technically, I’m homeless. I shouldn’t have a spot of my very own. I’m not on any lease,” he says.
McKeown says his lease was $2,500 a month. In keeping with RentCafe, the common lease is $3,700 in Westwood.
Now, he’s turning to social media in an effort to afford a everlasting roof over his head.
“I’m asking for $100,000 so I can afford my lease, in order that I can dwell in Los Angeles in Westwood, so I can commute to highschool each day,” McKeown mentioned in an interview with KTLA.
McKeown mentioned he requested the top of his division for a increase however was denied.
KTLA reached out to UCLA a number of instances for touch upon his claims however obtained no response.
Since shifting out of his residence, McKeown has been staying with a pal whereas making an attempt to determine find out how to afford housing close to UCLA. He now lives hours away from the college and has moved his courses on-line.
The remark part on his TikTok video is crammed with help, with many questioning the place their excessive tuition goes if it’s not paying lecturers a livable wage.
“You’re my favourite professor at UCLA! I hope it really works out for you,” one commenter mentioned. “Most type, passionate, and empathetic particular person. UCLA is so fortunate to have you ever.”
One other wrote, “I had him as a professor over the summer time, and he was so versatile and understanding!”
Others questioned why the college doesn’t provide housing for professors. One commenter shared their very own expertise: “I used to be an adjunct professor for a yr and realized I’d be headed in direction of homelessness, so I left.”
In keeping with UCLA’s website, tuition averages $34,667 for in-state college students.
When requested why he doesn’t educate elsewhere, McKeown mentioned, “I refuse to cease educating. Instructing my college students is my absolute ardour. UCLA is a high college for physics.”
McKeown holds a Ph.D. in astrophysics.
“I educate full-time. I educate six courses a yr, but I’m being paid about half of what the common physics professor in California makes. It’s not honest,” he advised KTLA.
UCLA has confronted earlier criticism for the dearth of inexpensive housing within the space. In 2023, The Daily Bruin printed an op-ed on the difficulty, urging the college to handle housing affordability.
The Los Angeles Homeless Initiative estimates that as of 2022, the county is missing about 499,430 inexpensive houses. In 2022, UCLA grew to become the primary College of California campus to ensure housing for college kids, however the coverage doesn’t prolong to professors.
McKeown’s video comes simply weeks after the UC Board of Regents voted to extend College of California chancellors’ pay, most often by 30%, in keeping with the Los Angeles Occasions.
“The best end result could be that each lecturer in my place will get a pay improve,” McKeown mentioned. “The objective is to assist everybody in my state of affairs, whether or not they communicate out about it or not.”
McKeown mentioned he’s a member of the American Federation of Lecturers union and is working with them to discover a resolution.
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