Re "Much-criticized computer system serves CSU well," Op-Ed, June 12: CSU Trustee Bill Hauck's statements seem to fly in the face of reality. His remarks make one wonder if he has actually read the state auditor's scathing report on the California State University's Common Management System (CMS).
While Hauck sings the praises of the CMS project and its benefit to CSU students, a number of CSU employees, who actually use CMS in their day-to-day work, tell a very different story. They speak of a system that is not user friendly, that requires more work to accomplish tasks and that doesn't serve students in a timely fashion.

As a 26-year employee at CSU, Sacramento, and vice president of the Academic Professionals of California representing CSU Unit 4 employees, I find Hauck's disparaging remarks about "employee unions and their legislative allies" both arrogant and offensive. I believe that his remarks are in fact reflective of the disregard the CSU has consistently shown toward the opinions of its employees, the findings of the state auditor's report and the determination of the legislators who seek to hold them accountable.

- Barbara Petersen, Rancho Cordova

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I have no doubt that Hauck believes what he wrote about CSU and the PeopleSoft CMS computer debacle. Too bad so much of what he wrote is simply not true.
For example, legislators have never questioned the CSU need for a computer system. What they have done is to raise legitimate questions on specifics concerning the CMS PeopleSoft system that the CSU has tied itself to at an enormous expense in public funding.

Haulk seems to be unaware that students at CSU Sacramento (and some other CSU campuses) have been able to register and track their grades online for several years without any of the enormous CMS/PeopleSoft expense or difficulties. It is simply not true that CMS provides this capability to the CSU "for the first time."

He is correct when he states that what really matters is serving the students. However, until we have more CSU trustees willing to listen to faculty, staff and students (something that has not happened in recent years), neither the students nor the taxpayers in California will be well served.

- Jim Chopyak, Sacramento
CSUS Chapter President, California Faculty Assn.