[Ucrfacultyandstaff] Passing of University Writing Program Lecturer Julie Cline

[Provost]

Dear Colleagues,

I am deeply saddened to inform the campus community of the recent death of Julie Cline, a Lecturer in the University Writing Program (UWP) since 2017.

Julie received an MFA in Creative Writing from UCR and continued to be deeply engaged with the field. She was a co-founder of the Los Angles Review of Books, and prolifically contributed to their early reviews. She brought a wealth of knowledge and passion for writing into the classroom, often inviting other writers, directors, and creatives to engage with her students.

Wallace Cleaves, director of the UWP, shared the following tribute:

Julie was sometimes quiet and could be shy, but her students knew how deeply invested she was in their progress and that she put in tremendous efforts to make certain that they gained the skills and confidence necessary to become successful writers, students, and individuals. Students often commented on how transformative her instruction was for them and how her classes profoundly changed their relationships with writing by providing immense levels of engagement and feedback that demonstrated how seriously she took their writing and how much she cared about their development.

In a letter of support one student wrote that, "In Ms. Cline's class... every sentence I wrote had something to be said about it. Every idea I had was worth exploring, and every effort I made to communicate something was rewarded with fair criticism and sincere attention. Her approach to critique, a crucial part of the writing process, helped me heal my relationship with criticism and develop a more robust sense of self-worth. The inclusivity of Ms. Cline's class affirmed to me that all of my ideas matter, even if I don't yet know how best to write about them."

For some students, particularly those who were not as comfortable with their writing skills, she opened up both an understanding of the process of writing and a willingness to engage with it creatively.  A student wrote, "Not many lecturers can tear down years of academic formality and truly have students write creatively as if their minds were one with the pencil. As a STEM major, I can say with confidence that Julie Cline has unlocked my understanding of the English language, a feat unaccomplished by my instructors before her."

Her passion for teaching and her commitment to her students was profound.  The many students whom she encouraged and inspired will miss her deeply sympathetic and ardent support and instruction, and her colleagues will miss her warm, quirky, and generous spirit and her steadfast recognition of the importance of the work of teaching our students.

A memorial fundraiser account<https://www.gofundme.com/f/julie-cline-memorial-fundraiser> has been created by Julie's family members to help cover funeral costs and final expenses.

Please keep Julie's family, friends, students, and colleagues in the UWP in your thoughts during this time of sorrow.

Sincerely,

Liz

Elizabeth Watkins, PhD (she / her / hers)
Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor
Professor of History
University of California, Riverside
951.827.1129 | Elizabeth.Watkins at UCR.edu<mailto:Elizabeth.Watkins at UCR.edu>

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