In a move praised by both students and administrators, incoming California State University (CSU) Chancellor Timothy P. White asked the Board of Trustees this past Wednesday for a 10 percent pay cut.
Originally set to receive the same pay as outgoing Chancellor Charles Reed—an annual salary of $421,500 plus an additional $30,000 from university foundations—White will now receive $380,000 annually plus the $30,000 supplement.
In a letter sent to the trustees, White talked of the many problems the CSU still faces even after the passage of Prop 30, which will alleviate some—though not all—of the CSU’s financial woes while explaining his altruistic request.
“Despite the passage of Proposition 30, there remain grave economic issues to solve in California and the California State University,” his letter read. “Indeed, the success of Proposition 30 was the voice of the voters and taxpayers of California to start to reinvest in education.”
Miles Nevin, executive director of the California State Student Association, praised White’s move when he told the Post, “Chancellor-elect White is obviously a leader with great perspective and the best of intentions for the CSU. While we believe he deserves to be paid equally to his peers, his humble decision to take a base pay reduction is one we will support.”
Nevin’s latter point about equal pay in regards to White’s peers should not be understated. In comparison, for example, University of Texas System Chancellor Francisco Cigarroa made $751,680 last year dealing with less than half the amount of campuses than that of the CSU. And Pennsylvania State University System President Graham Spanier received $1,068,763 last year and deals with less than a third the amount of campuses compared with the CSU.