While the search for Cal State Long Beach’s new president kicked into gear at Tuesday’s Board of Trustees meeting, pay raises for new presidents across the Cal State University system came to a halt.
The trustees voted to keep compensation for all incoming presidents at either the same level as their predecessors’ or lower. As a result of the vote, Interim CSULB President Donald Para will receive an annual salary of $320,329, according to the CSU website.
In addition, Cal State Dominguez Hills President Willie J. Hagan will receive $295,000; Cal State Monterey Bay President Eduardo Ochoa will receive $270,315; Cal State Stanislaus President Joseph Sheley will receive $270,000; Cal State Fresno President Joseph Castro will receive $299,000; and Cal State Los Angeles President William Covino will receive $299,000.
The trustees’ decision aligns with a 2012 Board policy that capped new presidents’ pay at no more than 10 percent above that of their predecessors. The policy also stipulates that any raise must be provided through private, university-raised money, not state funding.
The Board set the presidential pay cap after receiving criticism for its 2011 decision to provide a $400,000 annual salary to San Diego State President Elliot Hirshman. The salary amounted to $100,000 more than Hirshman’s predecessor, and the Board approved a 12 percent tuition increase at the same meeting.
CSU Spokesman Mike Uhlenkamp said that presidential compensation is meant to appeal to the nation’s best candidates without straining the CSU’s limited resources.
“We need to be competitive in the national marketplace because we are competing for our presidents from all over the country,” he said. “What the [Board] is saying is that we feel this is the appropriate level of compensation and that we understand there are limited number of resources available to compensate these individuals.”
The CSU is now dipping into this national marketplace again to find a new president for CSULB.
Robert Linscheid, chair of the CSU Board of Trustees, announced at the Tuesday meeting the members of the committee that will search for CSULB’s new president. Trustee Roberta Achtenberg will chair the search, and trustees Lupe Garcia, John Perez, Margaret Fortune and Linscheid will serve on the committee.
Cal State University Spokesman Erik Fallis said the next step in the search is to decide on members of an advisory committee, who will consult with the trustee committee about what characteristics the next president should have.
“Those are probably the most important next few steps, identifying those Long Beach campus as well as community folks who are going to be a part of the process, as well as setting up that first public meeting,” he said.
The advisory committee will include CSULB Academic Senate Chair Daniel O’Connor, a student, two faculty members, a staff member, an alumnus, a member from the campus advisory board, a vice president or academic dean and a president from another CSU campus.
Terri Carbaugh, associate vice president for legislative and external affairs, said that the full advisory committee should be determined by September.
