Last month the California State University Board of Trustees decided to increase the salary of Chancellor-select Joseph Castro to a record-breaking $625,000 base salary. This decision was criticized by the California Faculty Association, which argued against executive raises as the CSU system faces budget cuts, layoffs, a hiring chill and campuses like Cal Poly Pomona have adopted early retirement incentive programs.
The CSU Board of Trustees approved an increase in salaries for newly appointed presidents to CSU East Bay and CSU Northridge during its Oct. 29 meeting. The CFA opposed this action in a statement released on Wednesday due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and its economic ramifications for the CSU.
The recent approvals of raises for the two presidents-select constitute 10% increases over the incumbent presidents. As for Castro’s salary, it represents a 30% pay increase from current Chancellor Timothy White. To keep in mind how much money Castro has coming his way, consider this: The Governor of California has a salary of $188,772, and the President of the United States makes $400,000.
CFA Vice President Kevin Wehr said that while he found the hiring of Castro to be an inspirational choice, he remains disappointed with the raise.
“I think the board of trustees is out of touch to make the salary offer that they did while the CSU system is laying off staff because of difficult budgetary times,” said Wehr.
The CSU Chancellor’s Office did not respond to inquiries made by The Poly Post.
The CFA criticized the approval of the chancellor-select’s approved salary as “downright immoral” and similarly criticizes White’s recommendation of raises for the two president-selects in a statement released a day prior to the vote.
“CFA strongly opposes any raises and exorbitant pay for executive and administrative roles during an ongoing pandemic,” the union stated.
These related cuts refer to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposed budget for 2020-21 that withdrew any promises of higher state support to California’s public universities and cut funding by about 10% from current levels.
To tackle the resulting budget shortfalls, the CSU has implemented a systemwide hiring chill. Not to be confused with a hiring freeze, which means no hiring can be done, a chill is when the CSU slows down its hiring, focusing on only hiring for positions that administrators deem essential.
However, one common cost-cutting technique used by universities nationwide is a salary freeze, used by 28% of universities according to an EAB analysis. A salary freeze takes place when a company suspends salary or wage increases for a period of time, a strategy rejected by the CSU.
This crux of the issue, according to CPP psychology professor and CFA Chapter President Nicholas Von Glahn is seeing the CSU offer pay raises while there are lecturers losing their jobs.
“We are confused and dismayed by the trustees’ decision to fund such an enormous salary increase in the middle of a recession,” said Von Glahn.
The CSU layoffs have had a significant impact on the university. According to the Employment Development Department’s annual WARN report, there have been hundreds of staff positions cut from Cal Poly Pomona and other CSU’s.
“With all that going on at the classroom level, you’d expect the board of trustees to exercise some fiscal discipline,” said Von Glahn. “Seeing them do the opposite is very frustrating.”
(Feature image courtesy of Chronis Yan)