The Cal State University Board of Trustees discussed a wide a range of topics from bullying in the workplace to student fees at Tuesday’s BOT meeting.
At the meeting, faculty leaders rallied together holding signs with the number “100” written across, signifying to the Board and the public that the contract for Cal State University Employees Union ends in 100 days.
Several faculty members expressed concerns about the current contract, wages that have not kept up with inflation and the overall cost of living.
Faculty also brought to light the issue of workplace bullying in the CSU system. Several faculty members gave testimonials that they were put in compromising situations after the recession in 2008. Additionally, Susan Smith, a Cal State Fullerton employee, said faculty were told by administrators and management that they were lucky to have jobs.
Smith told the Committee on Collective Bargaining that bullying is not the culture or climate the faculty are looking for.
“I am grateful I have a job,” Smith said. “But I think the CSU needs to be grateful for the work that we do and for our loyalty to this institution.”
A new California State Students Association fee was also discussed at the meeting. Associated Students Inc. President John Haberstroh and CSSA President Sarah Couch gave a presentation about the voluntary statewide student involvement and representation fee to the Board’s Committee on Finance.
The $2 student fee would be used to ensure students are able to fund the activities of the CSSA, which would enable students to participate in policy development at the system, state and national levels, according to the CSSA’s report.
The fee would be added to students’ tuition, CSU spokesperson Mike Uhlenkamp said. He said that students that didn’t want to pay would be able to opt out.
The BOT told Haberstroh and Couch to bring more information to the next meeting in May.
Cal State Los Angeles student Sasha Perez advocated for the fee increase during public comments.
“Expanding that program will give students the opportunity to travel to Washington, D.C., and to intern in D.C. and get these [leadership] opportunities,” Perez said. “I believe more funding will provide these opportunities.”
The committee on finance also heard informational reports on the 2014-15 support budget as well as an annual debt report on deferred maintenance, which is approximately $1.8 billion for the entire 23-campus CSU system, said Ryan Storm, assistant vice chancellor for budget.
Gov. Jerry Brown said although the state won’t be able to provide enough money to cover the debt in deferred maintenance, the CSU should still be able to operate “gainfully” with efficient financial management.
“We only have so much,” Brown said. “We make due with it.”
Due to the two-hour delay to the start of the meeting, today’s meeting will begin at 7:30 a.m. and begin with the agenda items that were not addressed at yesterday’s meeting.