Board Approves Raises for Cal State University Officials

The California State University Board of Trustees, citing a desire to attract and retain quality administrators, approved salary increases last week for its top executives and university presidents.

The board raised the annual salary of Cal State Chancellor Barry Munitz, who has just completed five years at the helm of the 23-campus institution, from $190,008 to $197,232. The 3.8% raise was backdated to July 1 of this year.

By contrast, University of California President Richard C. Atkinson, who runs a nine-campus system, is paid $243,500 a year.

“CSU continues to have substantial difficulty recruiting and retaining campus presidents and vice chancellors at the level of quality and experience our board has grown to expect and demand,” said a staff report written in support of the pay hikes. The report urged trustees to “close existing gaps” between Cal State’s salaries and those of competitors.

The trustees approved a 5% raise for Munitz’s second-in-command, Executive Vice Chancellor Molly C. Broad, bumping her salary from $155,124 to $162,888. And Senior Vice Chancellor for Business and Finance Richard P. West got a 6% increase, from $141,000 to $149,460.

All but three of the 23 campus presidents also received raises--those omitted were administrators who were recently appointed. The increases, which averaged 3.8%, made Warren J. Baker, who heads Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, the best-paid president at $161,352 a year.

In the Los Angeles area, Blenda J. Wilson, the president of Cal State Northridge, will make $154,536, up from $145,788. Cal State Long Beach President Robert C. Maxson’s salary rose from $145,560 to $151,680. Cal State Los Angeles President James M. Rosser got a bump from $143,244 to $147,828.

Robert C. Detweiler, the president of Cal State Dominguez Hills, jumped from $130,452 to $135,672. And Bob H. Suzuki, the president of Cal Poly Pomona, rose from $128,364 to $134,784.

In Orange County, Milton A. Gordon, the president of Cal State Fullerton, got a raise from $131,940 to $138,540. And at Cal State San Bernardino, President Anthony H. Evans’ salary rose from $131,472 to $136,476.