Ryan ChartrandThe CSU Board of Trustees awarded CSU executives with pay raises last week, which has aroused a certain amount of bitterness in the California Faculty Association and students.
“The pay raises they give themselves shouldn’t outstrip what they give other employees,” said Richard Saenz, president of the CFA’s Cal Poly chapter.
The CFA compiled their grievances in an “investigation” released Wednesday. The report mentioned scandals involving certain campus presidents, “no show jobs” with substantial paychecks and an increase in housing and auto allowances.
The motive behind the executive raises had to do with the salary lag, CSU spokesman Paul Browning said. Presidents at comparable U.S. universities earn an average of 46 percent more than CSU presidents earn, he said.
“The CSU (system) is actually trying to increase both faculty and executive pay so we can attract top (presidents) to our campuses. We have had recruitment problems,” Browning said.
However, the large raises have faculty worried. Giving the biggest raises to the most highly paid people “raises a warning flag,” Saenz said.
President Baker’s salary has increased by 65 percent over the past 10 years.
He is the second-highest paid executive in the CSU system, after the Chancellor. He now earns a salary of $328,209. Put into perspective, a “top shelf,” full professor earns about $90,000 a year, Saenz said. A full professor’s salary has increased 36 percent over the past 10 years.
While the CFA is pushing for AB 1413 to be passed by Gov. Schwarzenegger, the CSU administration is requesting that he veto the bill. The bill would require the executive pay decisions to be made public.
“We feel the bill is poorly written (and) leaves its subject open to interpretation,” Browning said.
However, both parties are still satisfied with the recent contract negotiations.
“Certainly nothing’s perfect, but I think we did pretty well,” Saenz said. “We have negotiated four years of pay raises, something all faculty can be happy about.”
