I am spending another summer in Los Angeles with Dan. This
summer we did not plan any activity because Dan is working in the summer session
at California State University Los Angeles. Dan got a one-year contract for
teaching as a Lecturer in English at Cal State Los Angeles. We exhaled the financial
worries and insecurities we experience each semester. In the California State
University system, no college guarantees a long-term teaching contract to
part-time instructors until they are on the seniority list or sign a contract.
Dan told me that the teachers’ union helped him to prepare his portfolio, and
Dr. James Garrett, the English Department Chair, wrote good comments and feedback
about him. Thus, Dan got the contract. We considered Mr. Ruben Quintero, the former
English Department Chair who originally hired Dan, our well-wisher. We regarded
Dr. Garrett as our backup.
Every day, Dan
called me with updated information about the University. He excitedly told me about
the union meetings, the English Department meetings, the new President’s Inauguration,
a retirement party, his new office, and those people Dan met and talked to. Jackie,
the union representative, and Yolanda and Jeanne, the administrative assistants
from the English Department, often asked about me. Dan liked to communicate
with his colleagues and students. Sometimes I warned him not to take his
coworkers’ valuable time, but he assured me that he only talked to them for a
short time before or after the class meetings. Dan has taught for two years at
Cal State L.A. He also feels as comfortable, welcomed and supported at Cal
State L.A. as he does at East Los Angeles College, where he has taught for
nearly 15 years.
At Cal State
Los Angeles, the instructor-to-student ratio is low. Dan often teaches only 15
to 20 students in each classroom. Therefore, Dan has more time to work with
each student on their individual needs. The online student feedback system is
new to me. Dan has learned new teaching strategies and methods from his
experienced colleagues to enhance his teaching techniques. This quarter, Dan
teaches a new course for entering freshmen to prepare them to write academic
college essays. Jim, the English Department Chair, hopes to familiarize high
school graduates with new writing tools so they will not panic when writing university-level
essays. The course syllabus is simple, and all instructors teaching this course
use the same teaching methods.
In addition
to the campus’ fascinating view and friendly community, I choose California State
University Los Angeles as a top-notch university because of its daily updates
on Facebook. The campus offers free activities, such as concerts. The
information is posted everywhere, so students can view it easily. Once when I
accompanied Dan to the school, we came early and stayed in the parking lot to
work. I accessed the internet on my laptop. I provided my information as a
visitor, signed in, and was using the internet within five minutes. Amazing!
Last but not least are the restrooms. I have visited the campus several times,
and have used the restrooms in different areas. I have always been happy with
the clean restrooms.
California
State University Los Angeles provides a high-quality education. The
administration keeps building the campus structure, upgrading the university’s technology,
enhancing its scope of teaching, expanding its social network, and adjusting
and taking care of the personal lives of individuals like a big family, to meet
the needs of education in the twenty-first century. California State University
Los Angeles is a top-notch university in the titanic city of Los Angeles.
Anhthao Bui
Los Angeles: July 17, 2014
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