(1) Existing law establishes the California State University, under the administration of the Trustees of the California State University, as one of the segments of public postsecondary education in this state.
This bill would express findings and declarations of the Legislature, as well as the intent of the Legislature, relating to executive compensation of top officials of the California State University.
(2) Under existing law, the trustees are composed of a total of 25 members, which include 5 specified ex officio members, a representative of the alumni associations of the university, 16 members appointed by the Governor, subject to confirmation by 2/3 of the membership of the Senate, for 8-year terms, and 2 California State
University students and one California State University faculty member appointed by the Governor for 2-year terms.
This bill would authorize any ex officio trustee to designate a staff person to attend a meeting or meetings of the board in his or her absence, and would prohibit a staff person designated under this provision from attending closed sessions of the board. The bill would prohibit an ex officio trustee from designating more than one staff person to attend board meetings in any calendar year.
(3) Existing law authorizes the trustees to select a chief executive officer for the university, known as the Chancellor of the California State
University, to employ other officers and employees, and to delegate powers and responsibilities to these individuals. Existing law authorizes the university to operate 25 institutions of higher education at designated locations throughout the state.
This bill would prohibit the trustees, on and after January 1, 2008, from approving a contract for the hiring of an executive officer, as defined, unless and until that contract and its terms are adopted, by resolution, in a duly noticed meeting of the board.
The bill would require that, to the extent that the trustees provide executive officer compensation in the form of transition pay at the time an executive officer, as defined, ceases to perform his or her regular duties, that transition pay would not exceed the compensation, as defined, being received by that executive officer in the last year of regular duties, and would only be paid for actual duties performed. The bill
would provide that, to the extent the trustees provide executive compensation in the form of trustee professorships at the time an executive officer, as defined, ceases to perform his or her regular duties, no compensation, as defined, would be paid unless it is paid in consideration for actual teaching and does not exceed the amount a full professor of the California State University would be paid for a similar teaching assignment. The bill would exempt from these provisions employment agreements approved by the trustees and implemented prior to January 1, 2008.