NORTHRIDGE : Legislature OKs Teaching by Retirees

The State Assembly and Senate voted Thursday to approve a bill allowing Cal State University professors to teach classes for free this year without losing their early retirement benefits.

The bill--sponsored by Assemblyman Richard Katz (D-Sylmar)--was sent to Gov. Pete Wilson, who is expected to sign it, a Katz aide said. The legislation applies to instructors who are taking advantage of an early retirement incentive that was approved by the Legislature this summer.

The bill was inspired by about 15 Cal State Northridge professors who are taking the early retirement but said they are interested in teaching during the fall semester without pay.

The bill passed the Assembly on a 69-1 vote, said Katz spokesman Russell Bell.

Tenured professors are being offered four years of work credit if they retire by October under the incentive plan. The financially strapped state will save money because CSU campuses will replace retiring professors with lower-paid, entry-level instructors.

Under the original retirement incentive plan, CSU teachers were prohibited from teaching fall and spring semester courses--even for free--if they wanted to earn the four-year bonus.

“We ought to gratefully accept their services instead of putting bureaucratic roadblocks in the way,” Katz said.