In a now-viral TikTok video, Dr. Daniel McKeown, a professor at UCLA, claims low pay has left him homeless, shocking many of his followers.
“Hi everyone, my name is Daniel, and I’m an astrophysics professor at UCLA. I’m only being paid $70,000 for this academic year,” McKeown says in the video.
McKeown, listed as a lecturer on UCLA’s website, says he had to move out of his apartment because he could no longer afford the rent.
“Technically, I am homeless. I do not have a place of my own. I’m not on any lease,” he says.
McKeown says his rent was $2,500 a month. According to RentCafe, the average rent is $3,700 in Westwood.
Now, he’s turning to social media in an effort to afford a permanent roof over his head.
“I’m asking for $100,000 so I can afford my rent, so that I can live in Los Angeles in Westwood, so I can commute to school every day,” McKeown said in an interview with KTLA.
McKeown said he asked the head of his department for a raise but was denied.
KTLA reached out to UCLA several times for comment on his claims but received no response.
Since moving out of his apartment, McKeown has been staying with a friend while trying to figure out how to afford housing near UCLA. He now lives hours away from the university and has moved his classes online.
The comment section on his TikTok video is filled with support, with many questioning where their high tuition goes if it’s not paying lecturers a livable wage.
“You’re my favorite professor at UCLA! I hope it works out for you,” one commenter said. “Most kind, passionate, and empathetic person. UCLA is so lucky to have you.”
Another wrote, “I had him as a professor over the summer, and he was so flexible and understanding!”
Others questioned why the university doesn’t offer housing for professors. One commenter shared their own experience: “I was an adjunct professor for a year and realized I would be headed towards homelessness, so I left.”
According to UCLA’s website, tuition averages $34,667 for in-state students.
When asked why he doesn’t teach elsewhere, McKeown said, “I refuse to stop teaching. Teaching my students is my absolute passion. UCLA is a top university for physics.”
McKeown holds a Ph.D. in astrophysics.
“I teach full-time. I teach six classes a year, yet I’m being paid about half of what the average physics professor in California makes. It’s not fair,” he told KTLA.
UCLA has faced previous criticism for the lack of affordable housing in the area. In 2023, The Daily Bruin published an op-ed on the issue, urging the university to address housing affordability.
The Los Angeles Homeless Initiative estimates that as of 2022, the county is lacking about 499,430 affordable homes. In 2022, UCLA became the first University of California campus to guarantee housing for students, but the policy does not extend to professors.
McKeown’s video comes just weeks after the UC Board of Regents voted to increase University of California chancellors’ pay, in most cases by 30%, according to the Los Angeles Times.
“The ideal outcome would be that every lecturer in my position gets a pay increase,” McKeown said. “The goal is to help everyone in my situation, whether they speak out about it or not.”
McKeown said he is a member of the American Federation of Teachers union and is working with them to find a solution.
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