Posted on 07/18/2006 5:44:45 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez on Tuesday called for a legislative audit of California State University after revelations that the nation's largest public university system had secretly paid millions of dollars to outgoing campus presidents and top executives.
"I'm deeply troubled by allegations that former high-level CSU officials have been given dubious positions after their tenures, collecting hundreds of thousands of dollars to do no discernible work while students have seen their tuition rise almost 30 percent in the past three years," Nunez, D-Los Angeles, said in a statement.
An investigation by the San Francisco Chronicle showed that at least seven departing campus presidents and other executives have been kept on the payroll for an extra year after accepting employment elsewhere.
In one example cited by the newspaper, Tomas A. Arciniega, president of California State University, Bakersfield from 1983 to 2004, is to be paid $540,744 through June 2007 for a three-year special assignment to reach out to communities defined as underserved by the university. He also receives a $12,000 annual car allowance and $36,000 in clerical support.
Manuel A. Esteban, who was president of Chico State University from 1993 to 2003, received $208,248 for a "transition year" to prepare for his return to teaching. He decided instead to retire as a faculty member and received two additional years of service in his retirement benefits.
Esteban then worked as a part-time special assistant to the chancellor, earning $93,711 to assist with presidential evaluations, work with the McConnell Foundation and with Shasta Community College to study how best to serve students in the northernmost parts of the state.
Chancellor Charles B. Reed said in a June 23 e-mail to trustees that none of the deals violated university public disclosure policies or those giving executive compensation authority to the board of trustees.
On Tuesday, a CSU spokeswoman reiterated Reed's position that the payments had not violated any school policies.
"We would welcome any audit. We've followed our policy and will cooperate fully," spokeswoman Claudia Keith said.
Also Tuesday, the union representing Cal State faculty filed a complaint related to the compensation practices with Attorney General Bill Lockyer.
The California Faculty Association claims that the CSU board of trustees violated open meetings laws, which require public input or disclosure on executive appointments and compensation. The pay arrangements were made without public disclosure.
"Many students are now working two jobs to pay for their tuition, while former administrators are receiving taxpayer dollars in the six-figure range for performing no job," Professor John Travis, president of the faculty association, wrote in a letter to Lockyer.
Travis said the $4 million in CSU deals came as student fees increased 76 percent, faculty positions were eliminated, the number of classes decreased and student services were cut across the 23-campus system.
Lockyer spokesman Tom Dresslar said the office was aware of the complaint and will review it.
Tuesday's action comes on the heels of a lawsuit the union filed in May accusing university officials of violating state laws by rehiring former Chancellor Barry Munitz. Munitz was hired to teach one course for an annual salary of $163,776, considerably higher than the $112,548 paid to CSU's full professors.
The lawsuit alleged that Munitz's rehiring was never publicly discussed at a trustees meeting. Munitz, who headed CSU for seven years during the 1990s, left in 1998 to become president of the J. Paul Getty Trust. He resigned in February amid allegations of lavish spending that led to a state attorney general investigation.
..at least seven departing campus presidents and other executives have been kept on the payroll for an extra year after accepting employment elsewhere..
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It's OK, it's just "transition pay".
ping
The lawsuit alleged that Munitz's rehiring was never publicly discussed at a trustees meeting. Munitz, who headed CSU for seven years during the 1990s, left in 1998 to become president of the J. Paul Getty Trust. He resigned in February amid allegations of lavish spending that led to a state attorney general investigation.
They sure can pick 'em! It's time to throw the trustees out on their ear(s)!
Between the CSU and UC systems,, talk about watering holes for hyenas..
Don't get me wrong, I'm all for higher education and getting top notch folks to fill posts, but..
Someone needs to be in charge and not doing all this behind doors.. Things seem to have gone awry,, time to clean it up... and maybe roll a few heads out the door and down the chancellery steps to emphasize the value of the education being provided and what is expected in return from a trusting public.
The oldest criminal enterprise in the United States is the United Nations. The next oldest is our education system.
Uhh,, what about the Federal Reserve? ;-)
You are certainly correct.
You mean this isn't Enron or some other business. Boy talk about golden parachute.
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