Csu

Re "Tuition costs prompt hunger strikes," April 29 California State University spokesman Mike Uhlenkamp says the students planning hunger strikes to protest excessive executive compensation don't understand the issues. It is the university that seems not to understand the issues. I am a Cal State faculty member, and as such it is important to me that people understand that the university leadership does not represent the thousands of faculty and staff of Cal State. We stand with the students against excessive executive compensation.

Re "Brown prods UC, Cal State to streamline," Jan. 16, and "Micromanaging the UCs," Editorial, Jan. 17 Gov. Jerry Brown is one of the finest state chief executives in the history of the United States. But in calling on the University of California and California State University systems to offer more teaching and online courses and do less research, he should be careful that he doesn't throw out the baby with the bathwater. The best teaching in the sciences is student involvement in research.

Maybe the trustees of California State University need to take a remedial music class. Their tone-deafness is disturbing. A few months ago, CSU drew widespread criticism for setting the salary for the new president of San Diego State at $400,000 — an increase of $100,000 over what his predecessor had received. Now, the trustees are expected to approve a new compensation policy that, if it had been in place at the time, could have paid him close to $460,000. Salaries for new presidents at other campuses also could increase under the policy.

The California State University Board of Trustees on Wednesday approved a tuition increase for next year -- contingent upon voters rejecting a tax hike measure on the November ballot. Students will get a reprieve, however, if voters approve the Gov. Jerry Brown-backed Proposition 30, which would raise billions of dollars in sales and income taxes and forestall deeper cuts to education. The trustees, meeting in Long Beach, voted 11 to 3 to approve the plan, with faculty representative Bernadette Cheyne, student representative Jillian Ruddell and state Supt.

Re "Brown prods UC, Cal State to streamline," Jan. 16, and "Micromanaging the UCs," Editorial, Jan. 17 Gov. Jerry Brown is one of the finest state chief executives in the history of the United States. But in calling on the University of California and California State University systems to offer more teaching and online courses and do less research, he should be careful that he doesn't throw out the baby with the bathwater. The best teaching in the sciences is student involvement in research.

Re "Underappreciated and Unrepresented, With Nowhere to Turn," by Craig Smith, Commentary, April 12: In his 13 months with the system, Chancellor Charles Reed has been a tremendous advocate for the California State University. And, whether the faculty acknowledge it, Reed has been their champion in Sacramento. All of us with responsibility for running the CSU appreciate the outside service and academic responsibilities of our faculty. That does not mean there isn't room for improvement--be it the more efficient use of facilities through year-round operations and more evening and weekend classes, or more flexible structure within some related institutions such as the Commission on Teacher Credentialing.

The number of eligible California high school graduates entering the state's public four-year universities has plunged in the last five years, as budget-strapped institutions increasingly adopt practices to reduce enrollment, a new study has found. At University of California and California State University campuses, enrollment rates dropped by one-fifth, to fewer than 18% of all state high school graduates in 2010, from about 22% in 2007. The report, released Wednesday by the Public Policy Institute of California, found that these declines have occurred even as demand has risen: The number of high school graduates in California reached an all-time high of 405,000 in 2010; the number of seniors who completed college admission requirements increased dramatically, as did the number of students taking and passing Advanced Placement exams.

Re "Raises OKd for Cal State presidents," Jan. 24 As a retired Cal State San Bernardino faculty member, I can tell you that I was always offended by administrative salary increases. But when salaries for corporate executives and University of California administrators are considered, California State University administrators are grossly underpaid and deserve a lot better. The same can be said for the CSU faculty and staff, who are underpaid and overworked by any measure of academic life.

When Chancellor Charles Reed and the California State University Board of Trustees voted to raise student fees, they did so without a complete examination of the CSU budget and a thorough study of the alternatives (Dec. 17). Such an analysis would have uncovered layers of budgetary "fat" that could be shed. The CSU could, for example, delay implementation of its $400-million information technology project, or pare administrative costs. Scaling back expenses not central to its educational mission is a viable alternative to raising revenue through student fee increases.

Re "For Good of All, Hike Fees at CSU," Commentary, July 10: Many of professor Shirley Svorny's observations probably hold true for some college students in California and in the nation. However, the premise of the argument to support at least a 30% increase in tuition is flawed. As a graduate of the University of California system and an emeritus of the California State University system, I am less inclined to denigrate students, for any of a number of reasons, but insist that those attending the UC system should carry a larger total financial burden, not their counterparts at the CSU system.

After hearing dire budget scenarios of devastating cuts to faculty, students and classes, California State University trustees Tuesday tentatively approved a plan to raise tuition 5% next year if voters reject a tax measure on the November ballot. The board's finance committee acted on a series of contingency measures during a meeting in Long Beach to deal with what Chancellor Charles B. Reed called "the biggest challenge CSU has ever had to face. " Failure of Proposition 30, backed by the governor, would trigger a $250-million funding cut to the Cal State system.

The California State University Board of Trustees on Tuesday approved pay raises for several incoming campus presidents despite criticism from some students and faculty that the money would be better spent on academic programs. The move also came as trustees heard worst-case budget scenarios — including tuition hikes, pay cuts and enrollment reductions — that could hit the system midyear. The salary packages for four incoming and three interim executives were the first under a new policy that freezes state-funded pay but allows individual campus foundations to supplement compensation as much as 10%. Trustees voted 10 to 4 to approve the new salary deals over some impassioned pleas not to do so. New Cal State Northridge President Dianne F. Harrison will receive $324,500, including $29,000 from the campus foundation; incoming Cal State San Bernardino President Tomas D. Morales will receive $319,000, with $29,000 coming from the campus foundation; new San Francisco State President Leslie E. Wong will receive $325,000, including $26,251 from the campus foundation.

SACRAMENTO - California's public universities could lose out on an extra $125 million in state funds if they hike tuition in the fall under a budget agreement that legislative leaders have reached with Gov. Jerry Brown. Lawmakers and the governor have no authority over tuition. The deal represents a bold attempt to use the state budget in their ongoing effort to force the University of California and California State University systems to keep the price of higher education in check.

More than $1 million in public and private funds have been spent over the last year or so to renovate university residences of several new California State University presidents, improvements officials say are necessary as the pressure on campus leaders to raise funds becomes more acute. Repairs to many of the homes had been delayed for years and the transition to new campus leaders provided a natural window to conduct the remodels, Cal State officials said. The $1 million is a small sum in a university system with about 420,000 students and more than $2 billion in state funding.

Re "Fewer in state enter CSU, UC campuses," May 10 When I started teaching high school in California 30 years ago, I thought my students had it pretty good. Now I feel sorry for students. They're pushed and tested, spending days of the high school year taking so many exams, most of which have no significance for them personally. They're cajoled and threatened that they must go to college, even if it means taking on big debt. And now we're refusing to accommodate our own California residents, increasingly favoring out-of-state students because they pay more.

The number of eligible California high school graduates entering the state's public four-year universities has plunged in the last five years, as budget-strapped institutions increasingly adopt practices to reduce enrollment, a new study has found. At University of California and California State University campuses, enrollment rates dropped by one-fifth, to fewer than 18% of all state high school graduates in 2010, from about 22% in 2007. The report, released Wednesday by the Public Policy Institute of California, found that these declines have occurred even as demand has risen: The number of high school graduates in California reached an all-time high of 405,000 in 2010; the number of seniors who completed college admission requirements increased dramatically, as did the number of students taking and passing Advanced Placement exams.

A former high-ranking California State University official collected more than $150,000 in improper expense reimbursements, including claims for unnecessary trips to Amsterdam and Shanghai, meals that exceeded allowable amounts and travel between his Northern California home and the university's Long Beach headquarters, a state audit has found. The audit, released Thursday, scolds the university for a lack of oversight in approving the expenses, saying they were "unnecessary and not in the best interest of the university or the state."

The recent letter from the chair of the CSU Long Beach Academic Senate (April 2) misses the main thrust of my investigation of educational fraud at CSU--that San Diego State is systematically falsifying reports on faculty workload. Faculty are given units for supervising students whom they never even met. The legislative analyst is currently conducting an independent investigation which, I believe, will confirm my allegations and bring about reforms to ensure that the CSU system is honestly accounting to the Legislature and the taxpayers on the use of educational resources.

Even a large pay raise for a college president is unlikely to have a noticeable impact on daily campus life. It wouldn't require an increase in student fees or lead to a significant reduction in the number of courses being offered. But that doesn't mean presidential pay at California State University is unimportant; a commitment to shared sacrifice is necessary to help everyone power through tough times. Four months after adopting a controversial policy that allowed new campus presidents a 10% pay increase over what their predecessors had earned, Cal State's compensation committee will try again on Tuesday.

Re "Tuition costs prompt hunger strikes," April 29 California State University spokesman Mike Uhlenkamp says the students planning hunger strikes to protest excessive executive compensation don't understand the issues. It is the university that seems not to understand the issues. I am a Cal State faculty member, and as such it is important to me that people understand that the university leadership does not represent the thousands of faculty and staff of Cal State. We stand with the students against excessive executive compensation.