At a meeting in Long Beach this morning, the California State University (CSU) Board of Trustees unanimously approved an agenda item that granted a two percent increase in pay to Chancellor Timothy White and all 23 presidents in the CSU system.

The wage increase was approved in November, CSU officials noted, along with a two percent raise across the board for all faculty within the system. The California Faculty Association (CFA) maintains that a two percent for raise for faculty ends up being insignificant when compared to a two percent raise for management, which averages to be about $6,000 more per year.

“It’s about funding priorities,” said Jennifer Eagan, a professor at CSU East Bay in a statement. “Whether the state budget goes up or down, faculty salaries remain flat.”

Eagan noted that the raises for faculty have not kept pace with inflation, which averages about three percent each year.

“This item was brought before the Board months ago as an information item. This item today is the action item but the topic has been addressed since November 2014,” said CSU Chancellor’s Office Public Affairs Director Toni Molle in an email to the Post. “The Support Budget, approved in November 2014, included a two percent compensation pool for all employees, including executives. The Board has been supportive of compensation increases for all employees, and that is why compensation has been prioritized in the 2015-16 Support Budget.”

Molly Talcott, Associate Professor at California State University, Los Angeles noted that administrative officials often receive free housing and occasional bonuses, perks for which faculty are ineligible. She said that from 2004 to 2014, the average pay for CSU administrators increased about 44 percent, or around $100,000, while the faculty average increased by just $4,000, from $46,000 annually to $50,0000 annually. 

“We’ve lost purchasing power,” she said. “We’ve actually slid backwards […] Two percent sounds fair and equal for all, but two percent of a $40,000 salary is a lot different. It doesn’t even show up in your paycheck.” 

“The CFA feels that the top executives have gotten a lot in recent years, and the focus needs to be more on the faculty and staff who teach the students,” said CFA spokesperson Alice Sunshine.

With the raise, California State University, Long Beach’s (CSULB) president Jane Close Conoley will experience a $6,599 increase per year, increasing her pay from $329,939 to $336,538.

See below for the specific two percent wage increases for all CSU presidents. 

CSU Executive Salaries