CSUN Chief Rejects Campus Emergency

Cal State Northridge President James W. Cleary has rejected a proposal by faculty members to declare a campus emergency to minimize instructor layoffs and class reductions expected in the school’s 1992-93 budget.

In a statement issued Friday, Cleary said he rejected the proposal by the Faculty Senate because he did not want to restrict the school’s new president, who is expected to be named this week.

“It is not my desire, nor in the best interests of this university to tie the hands of my successor by adopting the Senate’s recommendation, “ said Cleary, who is retiring.

The Senate made the proposal Thursday after learning that the school faces a budget cut of 8% to 8.5% in addition to a 3.5% cut revealed in a faculty memo last month. The faculty proposal would have put all spending under the control of a special panel.

Earlier last week, Cleary suggested that faculty and staff help alleviate the school’s budget woes by voluntarily reducing work hours or taking “full, partial or periodic leaves of absence without pay.”