A Summary of the July 19-20, 2005, Board of Trustees Meeting

Contact: Clara Potes-Fellow, cpotes-fellow@calstate.edu, 562-951-4800

Trustees discuss second CSU Alcohol Policies Report

The Trustees received the second biannual report on CSU alcohol policies and prevention programs, which summarized significant activities that have taken place on campuses the last two years.

The report shows a trend toward less alcohol use by students and a reduction in alcohol-related incidents. These outcomes have been achieved over four years of concerted alcohol abuse training programs, the application of social norms marketing strategies and partnerships with local enforcement agencies.

“The CSU alcohol prevention program has earned national recognition and federal and state financial support,” said CSU Chancellor Charles B. Reed. “The most successful aspect of the program is that it encourages students to adopt responsible behavior and to influence each other to reduce drinking.”

Two key initiatives, funded by the state Office of Traffic Safety, were developed during the period covered by the report.

The Sober Driver Initiative provided participating campuses with a grant of $750,000 over two years. The state’s Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control provided a $720,000 grant to local enforcement agencies to partner with CSU campuses. The grants focused on enforcement, prevention and education on campuses as well as in the communities surrounding campuses.

The initiative resulted in a 5 percent reduction in the incidence of alcohol abuse and impaired driving on some campuses. In addition, several campuses reported marked reductions in alcohol-related activities. For example, Long Beach reported a 14.7 percent reduction in binge drinking, Monterey Bay a 13 percent reduction in driving after drinking, and San Bernardino a 15.7 percent reduction in binge drinking.

The second initiative, the Alcohol and Traffic Safety Initiative, will provide participating campuses with $750,000 for 2005 and 2006. The initiative seeks to reduce by 5 percent the incidence of driving after consuming alcohol by 18-25 year-old students, and to reduce by 5 percent alcohol-related misconduct by CSU students.

“The CSU alcohol prevention program includes a social norms campaign that instills the belief that students don’t need to drink to be socially accepted,” said John Welty, president of Fresno State University and chairman of the CSU Alcohol Policies and Prevention Program. “We don’t claim to have solved the problem but we have plenty of evidence that these programs are making a difference at our campuses.”

All CSU campuses have created alcohol education, prevention and enforcement programs. These programs have resulted, for example, in fewer alcohol-related problems at home football games because of training beverage-servers and increasing law enforcement around the stadiums.

The CSU Board of Trustees adopted the Alcohol Policies and Prevention Programs in July 2001, creating a national model for other systems of higher education.

State Budget Update

Trustees heard a status report on the recently signed 2005-06 state budget. The new budget fully funds the compact for higher education, provides $235.2 million in total dollars, an increase of 6.5 percent for fiscal year 2005-06, and ensures enrollment for an additional 10,000 students.

The 2005-06 budget increases the CSU General Fund support by 5.4 percent, and provides $134 million in new revenue, the first increase after three consecutive years of budget reductions. The CSU’s general fund budget for the 2005-06 year is $2.6 billion.

The budget increases financial aid by $23.3 million, bringing State University Grant funding to $232.6 million. This increase will support an additional 2,700 State University Grants for a total of 101,200 awarded grants.

For the first time in three years, CSU employees will receive a pay increase, which must be bargained for represented employees. The budget also provides $26 million in General Obligation Bond funds for capital renewal programs.

The budget also includes $560,000 to expand graduate nursing programs and $250,000 to increase the number of teacher preparation programs to produce additional K-12 science and math teachers.

The budget includes an 8 percent fee increase for undergraduate students and students enrolled in CSU teacher credential programs. Graduate student fees will increase by 10 percent.

For additional information, see budget release.

Changes in Student Conduct Code Proposed

Trustees received information on a proposed revamping of the CSU Student Conduct Code contained in Title 5. The new version is still under discussion among CSU officials, students and faculty. Once completed the revamped version will express more clearly university expectations for student conduct on and off campus. Among the new areas addressed are proper student conduct as regards to computer use, university authority over off-campus behavior, and what the university expects of its students as members of the learning community.

Campus presidents and vice presidents of student affairs, Academic Senate members, student association representatives and Student Judicial officers are discussing the revision. The item will return to the board for action in September.

San Diego Master Plan Vote Delayed

San Diego State University requested a two-month delay in the vote on its proposed 2005 Campus Master Plan revision by the Board of Trustees.

“Given the complexity of the information we have presented in the Final Environmental Impact Report, we feel it is in everyone’s best interest to allow more time for the Trustees to review the issues,” said SDSU President Stephen L. Weber. “SDSU will use the additional time to continue listening to community concerns.”

The plan called for the university to slowly increase its enrollment capacity from 25,000 to 35,000 full-time equivalent students over the next 20 years. To support the increased enrollment, the university would build new classroom and support space, a new residence hall, a new and larger student union, a hotel, and affordable housing for faculty and graduate students on university-owned land north of Interstate 8.

Presidential Search

Chair Murray Galinson announced the Trustee members of the presidential search committee for Monterey Bay. The committee will be chaired by Roberta Achtenberg and will include Trustees George Gowgani and Bill Hauck. The first meeting of the committee will be announced in September.

The Trustees also approved:

• Amending the 2005/06 nonstate funded capital outlay program to include a Center for Reading Diagnosis at Monterey Bay, phase I of faculty and staff housing at Monterey Bay, and Parking Lot F at San Marcos.
  
• Certifying the Final EIR and approving the Campus Master Plan Revision with enrollment ceiling change for Chico.
  
• Categories and Criteria for the State Funded Five-Year Capital Improvement Program, 2007/2008-2011/2012.
  
• Approving schematic plans for the College of Business and Economics at Fullerton, the Student Recreation Center at Fullerton, and North Campus Faculty and Staff Housing at Monterey Bay.
  
• Amending the 2005/2006, Capital Outlay Program, Nonstate Funded.
  
• Naming an endowed center focusing on the subcontinent of India at Long Beach the Yadunandan Center for India Studies in recognition of the support of Uka Solanki and his wife Nalini.
  
• Naming a facility at Northridge the Mary and Jack Bayramian Hall in honor of a $7.3 million bequest which established the Bayramian Family Scholarship Fund.
  
• Naming an academic program at San Diego the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation Institute on Tribal Gaming in recognition of their $5.5 million contribution to SDSU’s Hospitality and Tourism Management Program.
  
• Approving the issuance of systemwide revenue bonds and related debt instruments for a hospitality center associated with the Green Music Center at Sonoma.
  
• Approving auxiliary organization taxable financing at Fullerton for construction of for-sale faculty and staff housing.
  
• Accepting the 2005/2006 Legislative Report No. 4.
  
• Amending CSU Conflict of Interest Code to recognize changes in various designated positions.
  
• Establishing an official residence for San Jose State President Don Kassing.
  
• Selecting an external audit firm for the university for the next three fiscal years.
  
• Commending CSU faculty for their leadership and support of Trustee graduation initiatives.

The Trustees also heard:

• The annual report on CSU compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act.
  
• A status report on the 2005/2006 State Funded Capital Outlay Program.
  
• Proposed revisions to CSU policy to increase energy conservation, foster energy independence (including increased use of renewable energy sources), and promote sustainable building practices.
  
• A proposed permanent change in the placement of public comment at Board meetings.
  
• A status report on current and follow-up Internal Audit assignments.
  
• A report on community service learning in the CSU.
  
• A progress report on campus efforts to facilitate student graduation.

The Board also honored departing trustees Larry Adamson, Eric Guerra, Shailesh Mehta, and Anthony Vitti.