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Volume 53 Issue 60 • A financially Independent student newspaper
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Who’s picking CSUN’s president? More taxes for Selection was postponed, but campus representatives have been chosen Angela Braza daily sundial
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ith President Jolene Koester retiring at the end of the semester, the Northridge Presidential Search Committee has been working hard to find her replacement. The search committee consists of the Advisory Committee to the Trustees
Committee for the Selection of the President and the Trustees Committee for the Selection of the President itself, said Liz Chapin, CSU spokeswoman. “The trustees committee is responsible for the recruitment, selection and appointment of the campus president,” she said. “Members of the advisory group help with the selection process and provide advice and consulta-
tion regarding the position.” Members of both committees are selected by the chair of the CSU board of trustees, she added. “Each member of the trustees committee is selected based on their experience (and) whether or not they have previously served on a committee,” Chapin said. “But their selection is really at the discretion of the chair of the board.”
The trustees committee consists of the chair of the board, Chair Herbert Carter, Chancellor Charles Reed, and board members Carol Chandler, Debra Farar, Robert Linscheid and Glen Toney. Below is the list of advisory group committee members who represent the CSUN community.
See president, page 4
The Advisory Committee
Amanda Flavin, president, Associated Students Associated Students President Amanda Flavin is the student representative on the presidential selection committee. As president, Flavin is meant to serve as a voice for the student body, advocating students’ needs
Steven Stepanek, Faculty Senate president Steven Stepanek’s time at CSUN spans multiple decades. He has seen the campus through the eyes of an undergraduate, a staff member, a part-time lecturer and a tenured professor. He began working full-time at CSUN as a professor in the computer science department, where he currently serves as
and defending their interests. She has been with A.S. since her freshman year and is a graduating senior studying business law with a minor in economics. There are a number of characteristics Flavin is looking for in the future president. “I look for someone who demonstrates a willingness to listen to student concerns,” she said in an email. “I also look for a candidate with good listening skills, an ability to work well with others, and a belief in the mission of the CSUs.” Flavin also hopes to see a candidate who is both honest and transparent. “I would be happy to see a candidate that understands how to work in the California political environment and with the CSU board of trustees,” she said. department chair. Stepanek also serves as the president and chair of the Faculty Senate, a position which automatically granted him a place on the advisory group. In the committee’s search for a new president, Stepanek said potential candidates are likely to be compared to the current president. “In many respects, we’re looking for someone with similar qualities as President Koester,” he said. “The campus truly appreciates the qualities she has.” Stepanek wants a candidate who is student-centered, committed to the campus and has strong beliefs in faculty governance. With major issues such as fee increases and budget cuts continually facing the university, Stepanek notes it is important to select a president who has knowledge of how a larger campus can function and can understand how these issues are greatly affecting students.
Dr. William Watkins, vice president for Student Affairs Vice President for Student Affairs William Watkins provides leadership to a number of facilities on campus, including the Klotz Student Health Center, University Counseling Services, Disabilities Resources and Education-
Michael Neubauer, professor in the Dept. of Mathematics and director of the liberal studies program Michael Neubauer is actively involved on the CSUN campus. He has worked as a professor of mathematics since 1995, and currently serves as
al Services, Financial Aid and Scholarships, Student Outreach and Recruitment Services, the Career Center and Student Housing and Conference Services. Watkins’ duties also include oversight of the University Student Union and the Associated Students, Inc. Watkins said he and the advisory group are looking for a candidate who has a clear vision of higher education. The future president should have the ability to build and effectively leverage external resources and relationships, Watkins said in an email. He is also looking for someone with the capacity to exercise sound judgment, courage to do the right thing and the ability to exhibit patience and effective leadership in difficult situations. the director of the liberal studies program. Neubauer has recently served as co-chair of the WASC Re-accreditation Steering Committee, is chair of Intercollegiate Athletics Advisory Committee, a member of the Faculty Senate and serves on the board of directors of The University Corporation. Neubauer is one of two faculty representatives on the Senate Executive Committee. He has worked closely with President Koester and is knowledgeable about what qualities a president should have. “The president needs to be somebody who will respect the culture of the campus community,” he said. “This individual needs to have a great understanding of CSUN and the region.”
better education Poll finds majority of Californians would shell out more tax money Joelle Katz daily sundial
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majority of Californians are willing to pay higher taxes to support public education, according to a recent poll conducted by USC and the Los Angeles Times. Despite the poor economy, 64 percent of Californians surveyed said they would be willing to spend more of their tax dollars for a better state-funded education, whose teachers and programs have been cut. California ranks 42 in the nation in funding per student, according to a news release by USC Dornsife and the Los Angeles Times. The 2011-12 budget signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown on June 30 gives approximately $2.1 billion to K-12 schools from 2011-12 and 2012-13 revenues. The budget reduces California community college funding by $400 million and reduces CSU and UC funding by $650 million each for the 2011-12 year, according to the California Budget Project. The estimated expenditures through the state budget in 2010-11 on K-12 education is 8.4 percent, and on higher education is 6.7 percent, according to the Department of Finance. The CSU system might face a $100 million trigger cut in January, H.D. Palmer, deputy director of California’s Department of Finance told the Sundial in November. “Both the Legislative Analyst’s Office and the Department of Finance will have a budget forecast in by Dec.15,” Palmer said. “The higher of the two forecasts will be used to determine whether or not CSU will face another cut. If the forecast is $1-2 billion lower than expected, the trigger cuts will take affect.” Communications major Micah Shafton, 24, said he would be willing to pay more taxes.
“I’d rather put my money into education than into jails,” he said. “Education is the most important thing you can have. (The government) can take anything away from you except your education.” Some of the disadvantages caused by budget cuts that Shafton has seen are larger class sizes, which means less one-on-one time between students and teachers. As previously reported, the campus is looking to cut about 4,000 full-time equivalent students (FTES), according to academic affairs documents. One example is CSUN’s communication department, which faces a 25 percent cut in full-time equivalent students (one FTES equals five seats for students in classes) planned for Spring 2012, according to Bernardo Attias, chair of the department of communications studies. The original target for the spring was 900 FTES. After some controversy and debate, the department’s new target is 540. This new target has actually made the cuts almost 40 percent before possibly opening new courses, Attias said. “Our department got hit particularly hard by the cuts because of the high number of GE courses concentrated in our field,” he said. “The dean chose to concentrate cuts on GE courses in order to protect courses in the majors. While I think this was a wise decision, it did result in our department getting hit worse than the rest of the college.” According to the California State Controller’s Office, 51 percent of the California General Fund Revenue comes from personal income taxes in 20092010. The California Budget Project shows the impact budget cuts have had on public schools over the last year through surveys by the Legislative Analyst’s Office and UCLA.
See taxes, page 5