Fwd: CSUDH Labor Studies Update!
Lilly Irani
From: Alfredo Carlos <aca...@csudh.edu>
Date: Wed, Sep 24, 2025 at 4:49 PM
Subject: CSUDH Labor Studies Update!
To: Stephen McFarland <smcfa...@csudh.edu>, fredocm <fre...@gmail.com>
Hello CSUDH Labor Studies Supporters,
Thank you all for signing on to our letter defending our program and publicly expressing your concern about the threat to diminish or eliminate our Labor Studies department at CSUDH. As CSU budget cuts loom, the Dominguez Hills campus continues to discuss program cuts and department “reorganizations” which could negatively impact Labor Studies’ ability to continue to grow and to train the next generation of Labor and social justice leaders and organizers at a time we need them more than ever.
In mid-May we submitted to the University administration the support letter you all signed on to in addition to a department narrative defending our program and highlighting our program’s growth. We got 342 signatures from Labor and Community members from across Los Angeles and the country. From Union Local presidents, to Labor researchers, to field reps, organizers, educators, nurses and people in the trades. You all showed out and helped us make the case that our impact is seen and felt beyond the campus walls. Some of you even wrote individual letters supporting us which made a strong impact and impressed our college Dean.
As of now, the campus has been working with a consulting group called Huron. They recently revealed their campus assessment report where they are offering suggestions on how the campus might be able to cut some costs. Some of it was logistical, like merging our payroll and other administrative processes with other local campuses since they have the capacity and infrastructure to do it more efficiently. But they also graded degree programs (departments and majors) according to “market positioning” they state, “14 of DH’s 49 undergraduate programs (~29%) have market positioning scores of 2.0 or below, indicating relatively low alignment with student demand and labor market needs.”
Not only is this an impoverished way to analyze the importance of any program, the data they used is also laughable, as they used information from Spring of 2023, data that is now nearly two and a half years old. The names on this list of lower graded programs and departments included Labor Studies, the different Ethnic Studies departments, Geography, even History and others. Of these programs the consultants ask, “What modifications should DH consider to retain these programs? Are these programs central to DH’s mission and future strategy or should they be considered for sunsetting?”. They are effectively recommending these programs be ended and phased out by not allowing new students to enroll in them. The consultants were paid upwards of $400,000 for this report and the university is seriously considering these suggestions. Imagine ending Labor Studies at a mostly working-class university, approaching its 50th anniversary on this campus, and Ethnic Studies departments at a 70% Latino and 11% Black campus.
Despite the 2.5 year old data they used, our department is thriving. Since hiring the first 2 full-time tenure-line faculty in its 50-year history, our department has nearly doubled in majors as it now has 23 majors (it was 11 just 2 years ago). Our courses this semester are packed, with an average enrollment of 42 students per class. We continue to host the annual Labor, Social and Climate justice fair going on year 18. We are more actively engaged in regional labor work and are developing more community collaborations and partnerships connecting our students to labor struggles in Los Angeles. We are growing our audience and social media presence supporting working people regionally and nationally. We also are in the process of reshaping the future of the major. We hope to soon work towards developing a certificate program for local unions, their stewards, and members to help develop their skills to have active and engaged memberships to wield power effectively on the shop floor.
All of this is to say that we are growing, thriving and pushing ahead despite budgetary constraints or threats of discontinuance or “sunsetting” because the historic moment requires students to have a critical education that teaches them effective skills to organize in their workplaces and their communities to defend our labor, civil and immigrant rights and fight for a just society. We are excited about that prospect and are humbled to be able to carry on that legacy and grow it here at CSUDH in Labor Studies. We thank you for supporting us thus far.
We expect our outgoing campus President will make a set of campuswide budget recommendations by the end of the year, to be carried out by an interim President. We will keep you posted on developments and ask you to be ready to continue to support and defend Labor Studies if and when definite plans for program elimination or reorganization are announced.
And in order to continue our momentum even in the face of these threats, we are asking you for a few things
- Help us gather even more signatures. Share this link with people who haven't signed yet.
https://forms.gle/NJHGCtiuGHMLU1tr7
- If you can write a personalized letter from your union on our behalf please do so. Here is a sample
- Will you commit to making a $10 recurring monthly donation? It isn't a lot but shared among many it will go a long way! Please contribute financially to our department so that we can support our students, host more events, fund labor gatherings, conferences, organizing trainings and much more. Please click to following link, click on recurring donation and enter the amount you wish to donate monthly, then follow the prompts to enter your information and please share this email with others and ask them if they can contribute. https://host.nxt.blackbaud.com/donor-form/?svcid=renxt&formId=b54d594c-bc52-49c7-bdad-28978348da76&envid=p-Gsq3bzpvZki81XX5qlVK3g&zone=usa
Thank you for supporting our department and program and helping us continue educating working class students with an education to fight for the working class.
In solidarity,
follow
us on Instagram @csudhLaborStudies
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Dr. Alfredo Carlos Dr. Steve McFarland
Assistant Professor Professor and Chair
Department of Labor Studies Department of Labor Studies
University of California, San Diego