Campus official is guilty of bribery

An administrative assistant at Cal State Fullerton was convicted Tuesday of taking bribes from foreign students to admit them to the school.

Cathleen Louise Smith, 54, of Placentia was sentenced to 90 days in jail and three years’ probation and ordered to pay restitution to the state.

From Jan. 1, 2006, to June 1, 2007, Smith -- who worked for the university for more than 20 years -- accepted bribes ranging from $700 to $2,000 from four Kuwaiti students. Smith changed coding on their applications so they would be fast-tracked through the admissions process.

Three students were admitted and later expelled after a routine internal investigation into the university’s application process discovered problems. The fourth student has not yet been admitted.

When Smith was arrested, police said, they found methamphetamines in her pocket. As part of her sentence, she agreed to undergo drug and psychological counseling.