CSUN President Proposes a Staff for Fund Raising : Education: To replace money lost in state cuts, Blenda Wilson may add up to nine administrators to seek donations from alumni and others.

Cal State Northridge President Blenda J. Wilson is floating a plan to bolster fund raising to help the university out of the most severe budget crunch in its 35-year history.

The plan, which a university spokeswoman stressed is still preliminary, would call for the addition of up to nine administrators to the university’s development department to help increase alumni donations and improve other outside fund raising.

During the past two weeks, Wilson has presented the plan to the Faculty Senate, the Dean’s Council and a citizens advisory group. She plans to present the idea to the Associated Student Senate during a retreat next month.

“It’s a preliminary discussion with the constituency of the university for feedback on improving university relations and the need for providing a strong base for support for the long term,” said university spokeswoman Kaine Thompson.

Thompson said the university has traditionally put little emphasis on generating funding through alumni and grants and relied primarily on state funding. But the Legislature’s decision this year to cut 8.8% in state support to the 20-campus California State University system has forced the president to look elsewhere for funding, she said.

The cuts have prompted the cancellation of more than 800 CSUN classes from the fall semester.

Wilson, who replaced retiring President James W. Cleary this fall, had a reputation at her former post as chancellor of the University of Michigan at Dearborn for introducing modern budget and planning methods. Donations during her tenure increased from $840,277 in 1988 to $2.2 million last year.

She also had a reputation for building consensus before making major policy changes--a reputation she seems to be maintaining at CSUN.

“She’s talking to everyone for feedback,” Thompson said.

The university development department currently has an acting director, an assistant, a secretary, a director of alumni relations and several student assistants.

Under the tentative plan, the additional staff in the development department would help put together a list of alumni the staff could call upon for donations. The development staff would also concentrate on improving the university’s image through public relations efforts in hopes of attracting donations from outside public sources such as foundations.

Faculty President Louise Lewis, a professor of art history, said she supports Wilson’s plan in general but would like to know how the additional staff would be paid for or if the staff would be reallocated from other positions.

“I think she’s right on target,” she said. “Until people know who we are and what we do, people will not be interested in supporting the university.”

Jane Bayes, a professor of political science who attended a Faculty Senate meeting Thursday and heard Wilson’s idea, said she too wonders where the staff would come from but agrees that the university needs to try to boost funding from outside sources such as alumni donations.

Bayes said she would be willing to work with Wilson on the plan.

Associated Students Vice President James Benson said he also attended the Faculty Senate meeting and heard Wilson’s idea. He said the group seemed adamantly against the proposal at first but eventually warmed to the idea. “People started to see the light.”

He does not have an opinion yet, but Benson said: “In the long term, it seems like a good idea.”