Cal State faculty criticize presidents’ hefty pay boost amid layoffs, budget shortfall

Top administrators across the California State University system will receive more than half a million dollars in pay raises in what trustees announced is an effort to improve recruiting for executive-level candidates but the framework change sparked outrage from faculty and staff who stated it comes as they face tsunamis of layoffs Trustees approved pay hikes and eliminated salary caps for the system s executive employees presidents vice chancellors and the system s chancellor Mildred Garc a last week after a pay analysis presented by the consulting firm Segal unveiled that about of comparable institutions pay executives more than CSU The new executive compensation framework also includes a performance-based pay incentive up to of the executive s base salary a more competitive retirement plan and increased housing allowances ranging from to The -campus university system explained the previous agenda which capped president salaries at no more than above the predecessor s salary prevented the system from offering competitive compensation and significantly constrained the CSU from recruiting candidates and filling vacant positions As of now CSU has three presidential vacancies CSU Long Beach Channel Islands and Cal Poly Pomona with two more presidents set to retire soon CSU San Bernardino and Dominguez Hills Related Articles Trump administration to investigate UC Berkeley over Turning Point USA event Shutdown proves how much Department of Training is needed experts say Trump administration sues California over giving in-state tuition to immigrants in US illegally Judge delays Stanford Daily free speech lawsuit against Trump administration Tuition Department takes a major step forward amid Trump administration s plans to dismantle it But the approach change hastily sparked outrage across the state Faculty and staff in the CSU system condemned the change arguing it comes amid widespread layoffs tuition increases and a staggering billion budget shortfall The system s faculty union contended that the majority of the new compensation guidelines s funds come directly from state funding and tuition dollars California Faculty Association president Margarita Berta- vila likened the pay boost to President Donald Trump s construction of a new ballroom while working people were unable to provide for their families during the shutdown at the system s board meeting last week Loren Cannon CFA secretary and a lecturer at Cal Poly Humboldt argued the pay increase for campus presidents comes at the expense of faculty and staff This affluence of upper management requires the impoverishment of workers he noted We merely can t have it both techniques We can fund a higher schooling oligarchy or we can endorsement higher teaching for California students We re at an inflection point that becomes clearer every day the people of California can t afford you But CSU defended the move acknowledging that while the timing is a concern the adjustment is necessary to attract and retain leaders capable of guiding campuses through challenging times The university system also stated the changes will not affect tuition or scholar fees and performance-based incentives and retirement compensation will be funded through non-state non-tuition and non-student funds In CSU approved a five-year tuition increase of each year to address growing operational costs Under the initiative CSU presidents will see a salary increase ranging from to more than San Jose State University s president Cynthia Teniente-Matson is expected to receive a increase bringing her base salary to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo president Jeffrey Armstrong is set to receive a nearly boost bringing his base salary up more than to Cal State East Bay s president Cathy Sandeen will not receive a boost to her base pay It was not only California State faculty who condemned the pay boosts Democratic Assemblymember Dawn Addis who represents San Luis Obispo Monterey and Santa Cruz counties and is a former special schooling mentor also criticized the pay change In a declaration this week Addis urged the system s presidents to reject the pay bump and prioritize bringing educator and staff salaries in line with the true cost of living in California It is unbelievable that the CSU would use citizens funds to increase the pay of their majority of highly compensated executives who already make dozens of times more than their lowest-paid employees while the regular working people who teach our students keep our campuses running and ensure students are supported struggle to afford life in California Addis announced Every dollar diverted to inflated executive compensation is a dollar not invested in making higher learning more affordable accessible and equitable for the young students who depend on the CSU to build their future Addis comments come as CSU plans to use a one-time million no-interest state loan to offer one-year bonuses to faculty and staff roughly a increase in the total pay for the university system s workers State lawmakers offered the university the loan as a way to offset the million cut from the university s funding as included in the state s budget CSU reported it has prioritized investing in faculty and staff in latest years providing more than million in salary increases over the last four years while executives received a increase in and no wage increase in or