It’s been over a month since former linguistics lecturer Henry Acejo was tragically murdered, and UCSD has yet to say or do anything about the matter.
Although he was not internationally known or a highly renowned figure like other faculty
members — such as political science professor Chalmers Johnson, who passed away last November — Acejo deserves the acknowledgment for his contributions as a Filipino language and culture lecturer, either in the form of a statement, on-campus memorial or
commemoration.
According to UCSD spokesperson Christine Clark, it is not university protocol to release a statement regarding loss of faculty members. Clark said statements regarding deaths are only for chancellors or administrative faculty that have died. While Acejo may have only been employed by UCSD since 2006, it does not hurt to commemorate the life of a faculty member who taught ESL and Tagalog classes not only at UCSD, but also at SDSU, Southwestern College and Mid-City College.
He still deserves the “swift, caring and professional assistance” UCSD provides to the “family, survivors and eligible beneficiaries of any death benefits administered by
or through UCSD” that is typically given to faculty members after they die.
Acejo’s passing has already received national and international news coverage. His death has been acknowledged — in the form of statements, memorials, Facebook groups and donations for funeral expenses — by all the San Diego institutions of higher education he
has worked at, save UCSD.
There is no harm or difficulty in sending out a mass e-mail to express condolences to the friends and family of Acejo. All it takes is the willingness to spare time to write a simple e-mail and click send to “all academics, staff and students at UCSD.” And for a faculty member whose love for teaching inspired hundreds of students, it would be effort well-spent.