ASI supports CFA talks

Associated Students, Inc. unanimously accepted a resolution supporting the California Faculty Association as it negotiates with the CSU Chancellor's office for an equitable contract when the board of directors met October 7.

Traditionally, CSU schools were designed as teaching institutions, where the main focus is placed on teaching and education. By contrast, the University of California was designed to encourage research and publishing.

CFA contends that placing such an emphasis on research and publishing at CSUS will cause the educational values of the institution to be devalued.

"CSU is a teaching institution that will rise or fall on the level of its teaching," said Lorie Hammond, who is both a member of CFA and an assistant professor in teacher education at CSUS.

"CSU's chancellor want to move more towards (running the university as a) business," said Jeff Lustig, president of CSUS' Faculty Association.

CSU administrators and the faculty association are also at odds about pay increases, especially the percentage of the increase that will be reserved for merit awards only. CFA would like to settle the disputes over pay increases before it begins negotiations over the awarding of merit pay.

"Teachers should be paid for their ability to teach and not their non-teaching performance," said Lustig, who is also a government professor at CSUS. According to Lustig, the current agreement will call for 40 percent of the agreed seven to eight percent pay raise to be set aside for research and publishing merit awards.

"Professors should be allowed to teach in a way we see fit as opposed to trying to please administration," said Hammond.

In other business, the board of directors grilled Gustavo Arroyo, ASI President Gary Davis' recommendation for executive vice president.

Only three board members -- Davis, Kim Shaw, vice president of university affairs, and Krista Behl, director of education -- had a say in the choosing Arroyo as the recommendation for the position. Several board members had questions of their own for Arroyo, a senior majoring in government.

Stephanie Johnson, director of social sciences and interdisciplinary studies, was originally upset by the decision made by her fellow board members. But she voted in favor of Arroyo after he assured her he was able to handle the responsibilities of the office.

Jeremy Brickner, director of health and human services, asked Arroyo whether or not he would be able to "put in the time" that the position will require.

"I will have ample time to take care of business... within the parameters of reason," said Arroyo, a former coordinator of Latino Educators of Tomorrow.

The board decided 5-4 to accept Arroyo as Executive Vice President. Despite Arroyo's assurances, board members Brickner, Sean South, director of undeclared students, Stephanie Parrish, director of business and Minh Ly, director of engineering and computer science, were not convinced. The Executive Vice President holds a supervisory position over all of the board members.

Despite the split among members of the board on accepting Arroyo, he asked for the board's cooperation.

"The E.V.P. position can only be as successful as the board wants it to be," said Arroyo. He will continue an open-door policy for board members needing his assistance.

The board of directors also accepted Davis' two recommendations for unpaid assistants, Shaun Lumachi and Morgan Stewart, both of whom are junior government majors. Lumachi, who attended the meeting, thanked the board for their approval.

"I am confident that both students will represent me well among our campus community," Davis said.

Matt Silver, also a junior majoring in government, was accepted by all nine board members as the board of directors' ex-officio representative of Residence Hall affairs.

"There has been no defined process in the past couple of years in the residence halls," Davis said.

Usually Residence hall representatives are appointed by residence hall counsel.

"Sutter Hall has no counsel yet this semester," said Silver, himself a Sutter resident.

ASI Operating rules call for the appointment of this position by the president upon the failure of the residence hall councils to provide a name.