CSU Budget Priorities for
2002-2003
AS-2536-01/FGA - May 10-11, 2001
RESOLVED: That the Academic Senate of the California
State University endorse the following budget priorities for
the development of the CSU Trustees' proposed budget for the
2002-2003 academic year (in descending order of
priority):
- That the compensation component of the budget be
sufficient to provide the increased compensation levels
necessary to attract and retain the highest caliber
faculty.
- Likewise, that the budget include funding sufficient
to ensure teaching assignments competitive with other
comprehensive universities.
- That funding be provided to establish efficacious
programs of housing assistance for faculty members,
especially those whose campuses are located in areas
where housing costs are particularly high.
- That the state support per additional full-time
equivalent student (FTES) be adjusted upward: (a) to fund
the hiring of an appropriate complement of full-time,
tenure-track faculty; and (b) to include a greater
portion of campus fixed costs in order to more fairly
recognize the increased capital and maintenance needs
that accrue when large numbers of students are added to
campuses' enrollments.
- That the formula for determining a full-time graduate
student be changed from enrollment in 15 credit units per
semester to 12 credit units.
- That the normal level of CSU academic year funding be
provided year-round to campuses that convert to
state-supported, year-round operation in order: (a) that
instruction may be undertaken with an appropriate
complement of full-time, tenure-track faculty; and (b)
that faculty members receive full compensation and
pension benefits for their work during all
state-supported academic sessions.
RATIONALE: CSU has made progress in raising faculty
and staff salaries to levels closer to those of comparison
campuses; however, salary levels remain insufficient to
recruit and retain faculty of the highest caliber in many
disciplines. Two of the great deterrents to hiring faculty
are CSU's high teaching assignment requirements and
California's high cost of housing. It is important for the
state to provide new funding to create programs of housing
assistance to CSU faculty members. Each year CSU is adding
approximately 10,000 new full-time equivalent students
(FTES) funded at a marginal level that does not fully
account for the costs of adding large numbers of students to
the campuses. Graduate programs have been funded at the same
level as undergraduate programs. Changing the definition of
a FTES at the graduate level to 12 credit units of
instruction per term would yield greater state funding for
post-baccalaureate instruction consistent with the higher
average cost of post-baccalaureate instruction. Likewise,
year-round operation at campuses requires sufficient funding
to ensure that the quality of instruction is not diminished
in any academic term. Fairness dictates that faculty members
be paid for all state-supported academic sessions at a level
commensurate with the regular academic-year compensation
including the accrual of pension benefits.
APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY - May 10-11, 2001
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