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Classification

CSUEU Step Structure & New Classification Mapping

As provided by Provision 20.5 of the Agreement between The Board of Trustees of the California State University and the California State University Employees Union (CSUEU), effective October 1, 2025, all CSUEU-represented employees will transition to a new Salary Step Structure.

Step Placement

To transition into this new step-structure, initial step placement is the closest step to your current salary within your classification’s assigned structure-grade, effective October 1, 2025, while negotiations continue (Provision 20.5(B)). Bargaining will re-open and negotiations of salary and benefits will commence.

Notification of official step placement will be sent to all impacted CSUEU employees no later than September 30, 2025.

More information regarding CSUEU Step Implementation can also be found here.

Why closest step and not "target step"?

The negotiated agreement between CSU and CSUEU stated placement on “target step” was contingent upon the State of California providing compact funding to the CSU. The 2025 Budget Act does not meet that funding threshold and as a result, employees are being placed on the closest (higher) salary step to their current salary as required by the collective bargaining agreement (CBA).

For additional information regarding the CSU Budget see CSU Budget FAQ and campus Budget Informationpage.

New Classification Mapping

As part of the transition into the Step Structure, new classifications* have been introduced to more accurately reflect the scope of employees’ roles for certain jobs, effective October 1, 2025. While all CSUEU covered positions were considered to determine if sorting into a new classification was needed, only those requiring mapping received a notice. If you did not receive a notice, your classification will remain the same into the new Step Structure.

If a position was mapped into a new classification, it has no affect or change to current job responsibilities; rather, it is simply an assignment to the appropriate new classification within the new Salary Step Structure.

Additional information can be found on the Chancellor's Office Website.

*Note: Existing CSUEU classification standards remain in effect until October 1, 2025.

Frequently Asked Questions

CSUEU Red Circle Information

Employees that have a current salary above the maximum of their classification’s assigned structure-grade, will have an official step placement at the top step of the range, effective October 1, 2025 and their salary will be red circled. All impacted employees will be notified of their red circled status on September 30, 2025.

Although the official step placement is at the top step of the assigned range, there is no impact to the current salary of a red circled employee. The salary will not be adjusted to correspond with this assigned step and the employee will maintain their current salary. However, the difference between the top step and the current salary will be red circled which impacts the contributions paid to CalPERS for retirement.

Additional information regarding these impacts can be found below:

If you are interested in opening or increasing a voluntary retirement account to adjust for the potential impact to your CalPERS retirement, please visit the following:

If you have questions regarding these programs please contact the Benefits Office at benefits@csus.edu.

Position Description Reviews

Classification & Compensation (C&C) strives to ensure that all duties, responsibilities, and skill levels assigned to positions on campus reflect the appropriate classification and skill level in accordance with the Classification and Qualification Standards issued by the Office of the Chancellor. Responsibilities of this unit include reviewing and analyzing new and updated position descriptions, conducting classification and skill level reviews, and making classification determinations for represented and Management Personnel Plan (MPP) employees.

Position Description (PD) describes the actual work performed by an incumbent. The HEERA designated Manager is responsible for setting a position’s responsibilities and duties based on campus and/or departmental needs. A PD can be used for classifying, orienting, training, and evaluating employees.

Looking for a copy of your official Position Description?

Request a copy from your Official Personnel File through Employment Services here.

A PD can be submitted for the following reasons and require varying documents for processing (see About Position Description Reviews for more information).

  • Backfill/Replacement Positions
  • New Positions
    • All new positions must first be allocated by Budget Planning & Administration (BPA)
      • More information can be found here.
  • Position Description Updates (Existing Employees)

Classification Reviews

An Official Classification and/or Skill Level review is a way of gathering pertinent facts about a position. Sacramento State is constantly changing due to new programs, procedures, technologies, and more. As a result, duties and responsibilities of a particular position often evolve over time. When this occurs, the employee and/or management can submit a request for Official Classification and/or Skill Level Review pursuant to applicable Collective Bargaining Agreements.

See About Classification Reviews, for more information.

Classification Resources & Forms