The Orion: Vol. 71 issue 16 by The Orion

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volume 71 Issue 16

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CSU, union look to fix lecturer pay disparities Nicholas Carr

Staff Writer

Concerns of inequities in lecturer compensation may be resolved in the spring. The California State University system is currently looking at the prevalence of lecturer salary misclassification across the system, wrote CSU spokesman Mike Uhlenkamp in an email to The Orion. These misclassifications occur when a lecturer is placed at a pay rate inconsistent with their education or previous work experience, according to a Chico State faculty union report. The CSU’s current plan to address the issue is through the collective bargaining process with the Calpaul ifornia Faculty Assozingg ciation, a system-wide President, Chico faculty union, when it State recommences in the spring, Uhlenkamp wrote. Because of the “dynamic” nature of the negotiation process, there is no set date for when a resolution will be reached. At an Academic Senate meeting on Dec. 12, Chico State President Paul Zingg urged system administrators to go into the collective bargaining negotiations acknowledging the issue. “We’ll be holding the Long Beach people’s feet to the fire to make sure they follow through,” Zingg said. While the union has collected data to indicate that lecturer pay misclassification is a system-wide issue, Chico State faces its own problems, said Vincent Ornelas, Chico State’s California Faculty Association chapter president. The university’s faculty union chapter requested that an audit of the campus’ lecturer pay scales be conducted in October, as previously reported by The Orion. A report included with the request indicated that the proportion of Chico State lecturers classified in the lowest two salary ranges is 17 percent higher than the system-wide average. “Here it’s especially noticeable given the size of the campus,” Ornelas said. The faculty union is collecting data from department chairs and lecturers to share with the administration, he said.

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Shining the lighton safety A local cycling club is teaming up with law enforcement to give out bike lights as an alternative to fix-it tickets.

Benjamin Mullin

Staff Writer

s a registered nurse with 20 years of experience, Katie Boerner has seen many people injured in bicycle collisions. And she’s had a few close calls herself when reckless motorists nearly sideswiped her while driving down Chico’s streets. But this semester, after two college cyclists died in bicycle collisions, Boerner realized that someone needed to act. “I just said, ‘enough is enough. We’ve got to do something,’” she said. Boerner, an avid competitive cyclist, started thinking about how she could make Chico safer. Shortly after, an idea popped into her head. “I thought, ‘wouldn’t it be nice if somebody gave lights to people?’” she asked. After talking with members of a local cycling club and officers at the Chico Police Department, Boerner developed her idea into “Light Up Chico,” a campaign dedicated to giving bike lights to cyclists who need them. Under the new program, which is slated to begin Jan. 1, Chico police officers will give lights to cyclists they pull over for lack of proper lighting. The lights will be given in lieu of fix-it tickets, which can cost between $100 and $150 if left unpaid, said Lt. George Laver of the Chico Police Department. The idea came after Kristina Chesterman, a Chico State nursing student, was killed after being hit by a motorist Sept. 22. Janee Nickerson, a Butte College student, was killed less than two months later after being hit by a driver at the intersection of East First and Oleander avenues. Boerner has also nearly been hit by drivers while cycling. She was almost struck by a fifthwheel trailer while with a friend in the middle of the day. “I can’t think that he didn’t see us,” Boerner said. “It was a nice day. The sun wasn’t in his

Nicholas Carr can be reached at newseditor@theorion.com or

@nikecarr on Twitter

eyes.” She also had a close call on Centerville Road when she was nearly hit by a motorist going the opposite direction. Although the Chico Police Department doesn’t give out a large number of citations, it is participating in the program to reduce the number of cyclists who get injured while biking at night, Laver said. Each participating officer will have a supply of lights in their car. The department won’t have to pay for the lights, however. The Chico Velo Cycling Club, a local nonprofit dedicated to cycling, is trying to raise funds to purchase the lights, which cost between $10 and $20, said Janine Rood, executive director of the club. The club plans to take the money it raises from fundraisers and purchase the lights from downtown bike shops, Rood said. The members will give $250 lump sums to the shops and ask them to donate as many lights as they can. The program doesn’t currently have any donations, but members of the club have already given away between 70 and 80 lights at bike safety events since the beginning of the semester, Rood said. The light giveaway is only the first step to making Chico safer for motorists, pedestrians and cyclists, Boerner said. In addition to making sure cyclists are visible at night, Boerner plans to start an education campaign to teach people the rules of the road. She also wants to raise awareness about notorious hot spots for vehicle and cyclist collisions, such as the Esplanade. If the program prevents one cyclist from getting injured, it will have been worth it, Boerner said. “I will never know the people that we save, and that’s just fine with me,” she said. Benjamin Mullin can be reached at

newseditor@theorion.com or @theorion_news on Twitter

MORE ON

The Chico Velo Cycling Club For more information on the club, visit chicovelo.org

The Orion ∤ PHOTO ILLUSTRATION by liz coffee and Kasey Judge

New deans hired for college of business, communications ridge where she has been serving as the interim dean of the school of business and economics. Hennessey said she feels positive about the unique educational potential at the university, according to an email she wrote to The Orion. She is interested in the highly effective faculty and student engagement at Chico State, “I chose to come to Chico because of the quality reputation of the business programs and the warmth and apparent dedication of the faculty, staff and students,” Hennessey wrote. Since 1994, Hennessey served as chair of the marketing department at Northridge, then associate dean and interim dean, she wrote.

Bill Hall Nathan Lehmann

The Orion

Chico State’s administration is adding two newly hired deans to its ranks and a search committee is being formed to hire a third. The College of Business and the College of Communication and Education, will both welcome new deans next month according to Provost Belle Wei.

College of Business

Judith Hennessey will begin her position as dean of the College of Business on Jan. 6, 2014. Hennessey comes from Cal State North-

Out of a large pool of applicants, Hennessey was the most qualified for the position, Wei said. A dean search committee was organized and did extensive research on each applicant. The committee found that Hennessey had a very strong track record. She has extensive experience working to foster the well-being and success among students and staff, Wei said. “I feel energized by the possibilities and excited by this opportunity to educate for the future,” Hennessey wrote.

College of Communication and Education

Angela Trethewey will join Chico State as dean of the College of Communication

and Education on Jan. 17, 2014. Trethewey did her undergraduate and graduate work at Chico State, then went on to complete her doctorate at Purdue University. She has spent the last 17 years working at Arizona State University, where she is director of the Hugh Downs School of Human Communication, according to the provost’s office. She was not searching for a new job but could not resist applying when she saw the dean position was vacant, Trethewey said. “About four years ago, we were chatting with one of my good friends, and I said ‘you know, my dream job would be to be the dean at Chico, of the college of which I am an alum,’” Trethewey said. “I didn’t really think

» please see DEAN | A4

JUDITH HENNESEY

ANGELA TRETHEWAY

Position: Dean, College of Business

Position: Dean, College of Communication and Education

Starts: Jan.6, 2014

Starts: Jan. 17, 2014.

Previous position: Interim dean of the school of business and economics at California State University, Northridge.

Previous position: Director, Hugh Downs School of Human Communication, Arizona State University.

Interesting fact: Since 1994, she has served as the marketing department chair, before serving as an associate dean and interim dean at CSU Northridge

INDEX

Interesting fact: Tretheway is a communications alumna from Chico State.

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