2008 Woodie Awards
State bill would add oversight to CSU board
Nick Veronin
Issue date: 3/6/07 Section: News
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Two state lawmakers introduced a bill on Feb. 23 aimed at stopping the CSU board of trustees from striking secret deals with top California State University executives.
The proposal, authored by Los Angeles County Assemblymembers Anthony Portantino, D-La Cañada Flintridge, and Julia Brownley, D-Santa Monica, is intended to combat the practice of awarding compensation packages to top CSU executives behind closed doors.
The packages were called "clearly excessive" by Portantino in an official press release from his office.
In the same press release, Brownley said "a handful of top administrators are receiving record raises at the same time that faculty are struggling to negotiate fair contracts and students are being hit with tuition increases."
Zachary Mwei, a junior majoring in chemical engineering, said he thinks mandating the CSU board to hold open meetings is a good thing.
He said it is unfair for the CSU board to make decisions about executive compensation without consulting the taxpayers.
"The public needs to have some input and a way of evaluating what the directors are doing, and see if their salary is justified," Mwei said.
According to Eduardo Martinez, a spokesman for Portantino, the bill would require the CSU board of trustees to approve all executive contracts in public sessions.
By requiring the board to reveal all benefits top CSU executives are receiving, instead of just the housing and salary portion of compensation packages as is currently done, Martinez said the bill would make the board more accountable for its actions.
The bill would also add two legislature-appointed members to the CSU board of trustees, Martinez said, increasing the number from 16 to 18. Currently all members of the Board are chosen by the governor.
This would bring more oversight to the board, he said.
In addition, Martinez said the bill provides that the California Postsecondary Education Commission submit detailed reports of the funding levels of all of its employees.
The proposal, authored by Los Angeles County Assemblymembers Anthony Portantino, D-La Cañada Flintridge, and Julia Brownley, D-Santa Monica, is intended to combat the practice of awarding compensation packages to top CSU executives behind closed doors.
The packages were called "clearly excessive" by Portantino in an official press release from his office.
In the same press release, Brownley said "a handful of top administrators are receiving record raises at the same time that faculty are struggling to negotiate fair contracts and students are being hit with tuition increases."
Zachary Mwei, a junior majoring in chemical engineering, said he thinks mandating the CSU board to hold open meetings is a good thing.
He said it is unfair for the CSU board to make decisions about executive compensation without consulting the taxpayers.
"The public needs to have some input and a way of evaluating what the directors are doing, and see if their salary is justified," Mwei said.
According to Eduardo Martinez, a spokesman for Portantino, the bill would require the CSU board of trustees to approve all executive contracts in public sessions.
By requiring the board to reveal all benefits top CSU executives are receiving, instead of just the housing and salary portion of compensation packages as is currently done, Martinez said the bill would make the board more accountable for its actions.
The bill would also add two legislature-appointed members to the CSU board of trustees, Martinez said, increasing the number from 16 to 18. Currently all members of the Board are chosen by the governor.
This would bring more oversight to the board, he said.
In addition, Martinez said the bill provides that the California Postsecondary Education Commission submit detailed reports of the funding levels of all of its employees.
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