Chancellor, California State University
CSU Board of Trustees Meeting - Chancellor's Report
Long Beach, CA
February 1, 2006
Thank you, Chair Achtenberg.
Budget
I want to begin with thanks to the governor for a solid budget that is going to be good for our students and good for the future of the CSU.
This budget honors the compact and makes it possible for us to open the doors of the university for more students. By rolling back the scheduled fee increases, it also allows us to give middle-class students some relief.
I'm also pleased that this budget allows us to make some headway in closing the employee compensation gap. We will use $77.4 million of the Higher Education Compact to fund a 3 percent compensation pool for all employees. We will also be launching our five-year strategic plan to begin reducing the salary lags with $16.6 million for the first year of the plan.
Combined, they represent an overall compensation increase pool in 2006/07 of 3.64 percent. This total amount, of course, is subject to collective bargaining.
Financial Statements
I want to say just a few words on our financial statements because it is a very serious issue. I'm going to make sure that our presidents are aware of the deadlines and the importance of staffing their accounting offices with enough qualified people.I will remain personally involved in this issue, monitoring the schedules throughout the year, to make sure we are prepared.
Spellings Summit
Last month I attended the U.S. University Presidents Summit on International Education, held at the U.S. State Department. The event was co-hosted by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings. President Bush also spoke. The summit focused on strengthening international education and highlighting its importance to our national interest.
I'm pleased to report that Secretary Spellings highlighted the CSU and our Early Assessment Program during her remarks. I was very proud to see the CSU get this kind of high-profile recognition.
Commission Appearance
Also, I have been invited by the federal Commission on the Future of Higher Education to appear at a hearing on Friday to discuss the CSU's partnerships with the private sector.
The commission has been holding a series of hearings around the country on issues affecting the future of higher education. I will be speaking along with several other higher education leaders and students.
PIQE
Another exciting upcoming project: In our work with the Latino community, we have developed an agreement with the Parent Institute for Quality Education or PIQE to provide a program at each of our 23 campuses.
PIQE aims to help low-income ethnically diverse parents of K-12 students take a participatory role in school success and encouraging college attendance.
The agreement would help parents navigate the local school system, collaborate with teachers and counselors and encourage college attendance. This program has been a success at San Diego State for many years.
Honored Faculty Members
Next, I want to highlight two faculty members who have recently won prestigious national awards for their outstanding efforts in the classroom and beyond.
Carlos Gutierrez of Cal State L.A. was recently named U.S. Professor of the Year in the Master's University and College category.
The award was given by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. He was one of only four honorees in the country. I should also mention that he is a former Wang Award recipient for the CSU.
Professor Gutierrez is here today. Would you please stand so we can recognize you? Congratulations.
Also, I want to congratulate David Pagni, a mathematics professor at Cal State Fullerton.
Dr. Pagni was recently honored at the White House with the 2005 Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring. This award is administered by the National Science Foundation. Dr. Pagni is another former Wang Award winner. Congratulations, Dr. Pagni.
Chair Achtenberg, that concludes my report.