Presidential Communications - 2015

President Robert S. Nelsen’s messages to students, faculty, and staff.

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Sac State will now have full use of Folsom Hall

Dec. 23, 2015 - I am pleased to announce that Sacramento State has received permission from the CSU Chancellor’s Office to use all of the space in Folsom Hall for academic and classroom purposes. Previously, California Northstate University leased the third floor of the building, but that lease has ended, and Sac State will now have full use of the building. This is an exciting day for our students and faculty.

We can and will be stronger because of our Hornet Family

Dec. 7, 2015 - Our hearts go out to the families in San Bernardino who have lost loved ones and to all those who were injured. Together as a Hornet family, we mourn for those individuals affected by this tragedy and the many tragedies that continue to occur here in the United States and throughout the world.

There is no doubt that it is extremely difficult to process the many acts of senseless violence that have been occurring in our world. We often feel grief-stricken, confused, and even angry when confronted with media images and reportage of such terrible violence, pain, and loss. Now more than ever, we must come together to support one another.

As we approach finals week, news of these international and domestic tragedies confronts us when our campus community is already experiencing the stress that comes with nearing the end of a semester. Emotions are heightened, and many people are stretched thin. I ask that we all take time to consider how we give voice to our emotional responses – let us commit to being gentle, kind, inclusive, and patient with one another. We are all Hornets, and together we can and will be stronger yet because of the diversity of our Hornet family.

If you or anyone you know is struggling to make sense of these recent tragedies, remember that help is available. Counseling is available for students at The WELL (916-278-6461), and drop-in urgent care is available. Faculty and staff may access the Employee Assistance Program, which offers 24/7 assistance by calling (800) 367-7474. If you are unsure what to do for a student, the Red Folder on the desktop of University computers is a good resource for faculty and staff. Everyone may always contact the Office of Student Affairs (916-278-6060) for support and guidance.

Wishing everyone the best on finals and a peaceful holiday season.

This achievement is monumental for our campus

Nov. 19, 2015 - I am proud to announce that Sacramento State has received approval to begin construction on our state-of-the-art Science II building. We are thankful that the California State University Board of Trustees approved this momentous project at its meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 18.

This achievement is monumental for our campus, providing classrooms and laboratory space for programs and departments that are in desperate need. The addition of Science II will enable us to relocate many of our current laboratories on campus. The space formerly used by those labs will be converted into much-needed classroom space for our students.

Construction will begin in spring 2017, and the building will be located in what is currently a parking lot next to the Hornet Bookstore. What an exciting day for our students and faculty.

The University is taking steps to further embrace our diversity

Nov. 12, 2015 - As a follow-up to my Oct. 5 email to campus, I am pleased to announce that, after thoughtful discussion at the latest meeting of the President's Cabinet, the Cabinet approved additional funding for the Multi-Cultural, Women's Resource, and PRIDE Centers, at $10,000 each. Along with this well-deserved increase in financial support, we approved the hiring of two coordinators, so that each center will now have its own full-time leader. I am very impressed with the efforts at the centers, and I am convinced that this added support will increase the valuable programming that these centers provide, as well as strengthen our student body as we strive to become a national model for inclusive dialogue.

Furthermore, with the Cabinet's approval, I have asked Human Resources to draft a job description for an ombudsperson for the University. Before making a final decision on the precise duties of the ombudsperson, we will need to have a larger conversation with the Faculty Senate, University Staff Assembly, Associated Students Inc., Diversity Task Force, and others about the role of this position and the functions this individual would manage (as well as those functions this person would not manage).

I hope that you agree with me that the University is taking steps in the right direction to further embrace our diversity and to make the University an even better place to work and to study. Some changes may take more time and energy to implement than others, but, working together, we can make a difference and can build an even stronger Hornet family. I look forward to seeing you around campus.

I am pleased to share the 2015-16 general operating fund budget

Oct. 8, 2015 - As announced during my Fall Address, I am pleased to share the details of the 2015-16 General Operating Fund Budget. In the coming weeks, we also will be announcing a budget forum that I encourage you to attend. I would particularly like to express my appreciation for the work of the University Budget Advisory Committee (UBAC) and the Office of Budget Planning and Administration in preparing this year's budget.

Permanent Baseline Budget

The State of California's 2015-16 budget provides the entire California State University system with additional permanent baseline funding of $225 million. There is an expectation that much of the funding will be used to increase California resident student enrollment. For Sacramento State, our targeted enrollment growth is 2 percent (460 FTES). Our total state appropriation and student fee revenue sources for 2015-16 combine to create an overall $286,592,137 budget. This budget includes $2.6 million in funding for the 2 percent enrollment growth and $968,000 for student success and completion initiatives.

In order to achieve a balanced budget, our projected uses of funds (i.e., projected expenditures) for 2015-16 purposefully match our projected sources of funds – the aforementioned $286,592,137. As I said in my Fall Address, there is no margin for error.

After reviewing UBAC's recommendations, in addition to approving divisional allocations of $2,917,559, I also have approved adopting UBAC's proposed two-tiered (1.9 percent and 1.5 percent) divisional increases. Hence, Academic Affairs and Student Affairs will receive 1.9 percent increases to their budgets. It is important to note that Academic Affairs also will receive $1.36 million in permanent baseline funding for instruction (e.g., hiring faculty) associated with enrollment growth. The remaining divisions will receive 1.5 percent augmentations. I added supplemental funding to two divisions (Athletics and University Advancement) for new, needed personnel. To help meet NCAA reporting requirements, Athletics is receiving funding for two Business Office positions, and to protect the safety of our student athletes, we also are adding a trainer to Athletics' budget. We are gearing up for the University's first Comprehensive Campaign, so gift officers have been added to Advancement's budget to ramp up the campaign and to supplement the colleges' fundraising efforts. Another $1.56 million has been allocated to help address our Student Success and Completion Initiatives.

Given the CSU Graduation Initiative 2025 goals for the University and given our priority to increase our retention rates and graduation rates, and to decrease our students' time to degree, we will be hiring someone to evaluate, oversee, coordinate, and improve our student success initiatives. For me personally, it is important that we measure and demonstrate success at every step of the way. It is also important that we work strategically and that we effectively and efficiently use these funds to ensure the success of our faculty and students.

As for the All University Expenses (AUE), I agree with UBAC's recommendations. In addition to normal cost increases, the Neulion Ticketing System cost was moved back into the AUE category. This system serves a variety of University entities (e.g., Athletics, Theatre Arts, Music, etc.), and the expenses can be erratic from year to year.

A summary of the University's final budget for the 2015-16 General Operating Fund is available on our website.

One-Time Budgets

The two areas where I have made changes to UBAC's recommendations are for the Short-Term Strategic (one-time) Funds and One-Time Project Funds. For the Short-Term Strategic Funds, I have decided to fund the new positions in University Advancement and Athletics mentioned above via permanent baseline funds; hence, those costs were removed from the list. I also added $100,000 in one-time funding for operating costs associated with the Comprehensive Campaign – we will not be able to raise money without appropriately investing in the campaign. A summary of the Short-Term Strategic (one-time) Funds is available on our website.

With regard to the One-Time Project Funds, of the $31,601,833 in requests, I have approved $16,554,700 in total projects. Funded projects are identified on our website. Upon reviewing the initial recommendations and after discussing those recommendations in Cabinet and with key leaders, we believed that it was important to focus on projects critical to the University's mission and to funding some very serious deferred maintenance items such as hazardous waste abatement and water exposure problems. We also added items that directly affect the safety of our faculty, staff, and students, such as work on trip hazards and fire walls. We were able to reduce the funding for some items such as elevator replacements and repairs by finding funding in existing divisional budgets, and I did not fund the renovation and furnishing of a downtown School of Public Policy because space for the school has not yet been found. Finally, because we already are funding enrollment growth with the additional baseline funding of $1.3 million as described above and because, in principle, enrollment growth should not be funded by one-time funding, I reduced the request from Academic Affairs from $4,389,632.95 to $1,000,000. This $1,000,000 is to be used to hire instructors to fill sections of needed courses, especially so-called bottleneck courses.

Martin Luther King Jr. once said that a budget is a moral document. I concur. We are allocating more than $1,000,000 in this year's budget for equity raises, and, obviously, we are being aggressive with enhancing safety, and even more so with supporting student success and completion initiatives. In the fall, we will be reinstituting an annual budget presentation during which we will roll out the budget in more detail. At the end of the fiscal year, we also will be instituting an annual financial review, where we will discuss how the actual budget was spent.

We have important work to do as we increase freshman and transfer graduation rates, decrease the time to degree, provide the classes that our students need, and close the achievement gaps. I look forward to working with all of you.

Neither Professor Wiseman nor Ms. Johnson violated University policy

Oct. 5, 2015 - I have spoken with many faculty, staff, students, and community members about the Sept. 4, 2015, classroom exchange between Professor Maury Wiseman and Ms. Chiitaanibah Johnson. I also have read various descriptions and analyses of the incident. Using the Sacramento State guidelines set forth in "Academic Freedom and Responsibility," "Statement on Faculty Responsibilities and Professional Ethics," "Policy on Faculty Responsibilities and Professional Ethics," "Faculty Responsibilities to Students in the Instructional Environment," "Dealing with Incidents of Disruptive Student Behavior in the Classroom," and "Student Conduct Code," I have concluded that neither Professor Wiseman nor Ms. Johnson violated any University policy. We are, therefore, closing the inquiry into the incident.

While people may agree or disagree with the decision, we can all agree that change must happen. We cannot and should not stop the conversations that the incident has provoked. To the contrary, we as a university must learn from this incident and the discussions surrounding it. My most sincere hope is that our university can become a national model of inclusive dialogue regarding issues such as genocide and its lasting effects. I am very impressed that the History Department is reaching out to Native American tribal leaders, and I was equally impressed by the panel discussion last Thursday regarding "Native Americans/American Indians: Myths and Misconceptions." The questions raised by the panelists and members of the audience were thoughtful, direct, and honest. I was particularly pleased to hear that Ethnic Studies is planning to offer a minor in Genocide and Holocaust Studies.

I understand the importance of academic freedom, but I also know that no one at the University wants any of our students to feel that they have not been heard. Thoughtful dialogue and sometimes-heated debate are at the heart of any university, but so is compassion. The discussions surrounding this incident provide us with the opportunity to improve what happens in our classrooms and in the lives of our Native American students – indeed, in the lives of all our students. We not only must be more inclusive and compassionate, but we also must be true to education's universal charge to expand knowledge and understanding. In that spirit, we must seize this opportunity to encourage respectful discussion of controversial topics in the classroom, even if these discussions may interrupt a planned lecture. We also must continue to have regularly scheduled forums similar to last Thursday's panel and the International Conference on Genocide (scheduled for November 2016) in order to increase public awareness and understanding.

We all know how critically important our faculty are to achieving our institution's mission to "transform lives by preparing students for leadership, service, and success," and we depend upon the faculty to provide an excellent education to our students. As I have said in many venues, I am very impressed with our faculty and their dedication to our students. Not only are our faculty delivering critical information and encouraging dialogue inside the classroom, they also are offering guidance, advice, and personal instruction outside the classroom, often going beyond the call of duty. We must support our faculty and provide them with the tools and help to be successful inside and outside the classroom.

I am directing Academic Affairs to ensure that new faculty orientations include culturally sensitive instruction about the makeup of our student body. Additionally, I am asking that we initiate an orientation program for all part-time faculty that is culturally relevant, that details the traditions and resources available at Sacramento State, and that introduces the part-time faculty to our diverse student body. Both orientations should focus on effective classroom management that creates a respectful learning environment and encourages constructive discussion of important issues relevant to the classroom material and the students' lives. The instruction also will focus on how to engage students and encourage discussion and questions from students. And I am asking that the materials generated as a part of these enhanced orientations be made available to all faculty members.

Additionally, I am directing Student Affairs to enrich the discussion of student conduct and decorum in the classroom during student orientation sessions and in the various training sessions in which students participate. The goal of this discussion will be to increase students' abilities to engage in classroom discussions and hear not only the words of their professors but of their peers as well. I will be working with Student Affairs and my Cabinet to provide more funding for programming for the Multi-Cultural, Women's Resource, and PRIDE centers, and for hiring coordinators for all three centers.

Finally, I am asking Academic Affairs and Student Affairs to work with the Faculty Senate, Associated Students Inc., and the University Staff Assembly to constitute a committee to develop a Hornet Honor Code – an agreed-upon set of principles and guidelines that will encourage honesty, integrity, and mutual respect amongst students, faculty, staff, and administration. As part of their discussions, I also am asking the committee to make a recommendation for or against hiring a Student Ombudsperson, i.e., a student advocate, charged with ensuring the protection of students' rights and with helping to resolve student complaints.

Sacramento State has the seventh most diverse student body west of the Mississippi River. In diversity there is strength, I believe. We must build on that strength. As California's Capital University, we can show the nation how an excellent education can be provided in an inclusive, nurturing, respectful environment by understanding and learning from all cultures. Let's move forward and, hand in hand, make our great university even greater.

I encourage all to join in this difficult but important conversation

Sept. 29, 2015 - In my previous messages to you about creating a productive, nurturing, and academically stimulating campus environment, I announced an upcoming series of panel discussions and dialogues to continue a positive campus conversation. As a result of the meetings of last Friday – and with feedback from the Native American/American Indian community, students, faculty, and staff – the first panel and dialogue session will be focusing on the myths and misconceptions that impact Native Americans/American Indians on a daily basis.

The panel will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 1, in the University Union's Orchard Suite. The session will open with Native Americans/American Indians offering their personal testimony, to be followed by facilitated dialogue.

I encourage all of our students, faculty, and staff to attend and participate in this difficult but important conversation.

Please join me in welcoming Dr. Cely Smart to Sacramento State

Sept. 28, 2015 - I am pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Cely Smart as Special Assistant to the Office of the President, effective today.

Before joining Sacramento State, Cely served as the Assistant Registrar over Official Publications in the Office of the Registrar at The University of Texas at Austin. She supervised a department of four who reviewed, edited, and published all curriculum changes to five university catalogs and degrees as well as an inventory of more than 10,000 courses. She managed the yearly assessment plan for the office and worked as part of the management team in the Registrar’s Office to design curriculum and curriculum-based policies.

After graduating from Texas Tech University with her B.S. in Human Development and Family Studies, and her M.Ed. in Elementary Education in 2007, Cely moved to Corpus Christi to pursue a doctorate at Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi.

While pursuing her degree, she worked in the Mary and Jeff Bell Library and eventually joined the Provost’s Office in 2009 as Assistant to the Provost. In 2010, she graduated with a Doctorate in Educational Leadership – Higher Education.

As Assistant to the Provost, then Director of Academic Policy and Administration, she managed the revision of university policies and rules, curriculum changes for the university catalogs, faculty credentialing, and undergraduate program evaluation. She also worked with the campus accreditation team to complete the reaffirmation report for university accreditation.

Please join me in welcoming Dr. Cely Smart to Sacramento State.

We will be holding events to address the concerns I have outlined

Sept. 23, 2015 - We are quickly approaching Native American Day this Friday, Sept. 25. I am out of town and unable to be with you because my father has passed away. But I wanted to let everyone know that I received feedback last week from the President's Committee to Build Campus Unity, along with representatives of our Native American students, faculty, staff, and ASI, that the proposed campus-wide Friday discussion panels might detract from the Native American Day Celebration at the State Capitol taking place on the same day.

There was strong sentiment that we should reconsider the timing of the panels while retaining the goals of having continuous conversations about inclusion, academic freedom, respect, tolerance, and the value of and means for difficult discussions on campus and in society.

I have taken the feedback to heart, and therefore, we are changing our plans. Instead of the panels, we will be holding a breakfast celebration and blessing in honor of Native American Day in a concerted effort to show solidarity and support for our community partners who already had planned to attend the State Capitol celebration. The morning send-off will be held from 9 to 10 a.m. in the University Union Ballroom. Ms. Connie Reitmann-Solas, executive director of the Inter-Tribal Council of California, Inc., will serve as a guest speaker.

I encourage students, faculty, and staff to attend the breakfast, especially those students, faculty, and staff who will be traveling to the State Capitol celebration, which begins at 10 a.m.

For those unable to attend the festivities at the Capitol, we invite you to be part of a dialogue that will be facilitated in a Breaking of the Bread Ceremony at the Multicultural Center from 11:15 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.

In the coming weeks, we will be holding a series of forums, conferences, town halls, and events on our campus, addressing the concerns I have outlined in my previous messages to campus. We also are establishing a webpage to include all upcoming campus activities involving these efforts.

The first panel and dialogue is set for 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 1 in the University Union's Orchard Suite. Another important event – a campus Healing and Renewal Ceremony, beginning with a Sunrise Gathering to which we are inviting the elders of the Native American/American Indian community – will be held Oct. 12. Further details will follow.

I encourage all of our students, faculty, and staff to partake in all these activities that I hope will help facilitate difficult but constructive conversations about controversial subjects without violating academic freedom or the welfare of our students.

Thank you for your support for strengthening our University by utilizing recent events as teachable moments.

I regret that, because of my father's passing, I will not be there on Friday. I will be speaking at my father's services. He was a great man, an inspiration, a true cowboy at heart. I am at peace knowing that he is no longer suffering.

We want to ensure our campus is a productive, nurturing environment

Sept. 15, 2015 - Our priority at Sacramento State must be our students. As many of you know or may have read, we had a confrontation between a student and a faculty member in one of our history classes at the start of the semester. The incident has prompted thoughtful dialogue and sometimes heated debate on the campus and in social media.

Dialogue and debate are at the heart of any university, but the welfare of Ms. Chiitaanibah Johnson and of all of our students is quintessential to Sacramento State's mission to "transform lives by preparing students for leadership, service, and success." We must work together to ensure that our students succeed and that we have a campus where all individuals – staff, faculty, and students – feel at home. We must truly be a Hornet family. I, like everyone at the University, want to ensure that Ms. Johnson is able not only to move beyond this incident but also to thrive personally and academically.

Even though we are still in the midst of evaluating what happened in the classroom, I am writing today to give you an update.

Upon learning of the confrontation, we contacted Ms. Johnson. I met with her and her family. I also met with the professor involved and with his representatives. The Provost is currently conducting the investigation of the incident. As I indicated in my earlier message to the campus: Our university must be a place of mutual respect, with processes in place to ensure that the rights of students and faculty are protected, and that respect must reach into our classrooms.

Because this investigation is also an ongoing personnel matter and because of FERPA, I cannot discuss details of the findings at this point in time. But I can say we are following the guidelines in the following policies: "Academic Freedom and Responsibility," "Statement on Faculty Responsibilities and Professional Ethics," "Policy on Faculty Responsibilities and Professional Ethics," "Faculty Responsibilities to Students in the Instructional Environment," "Dealing with Incidents of Disruptive Student Behavior in the Classroom," and "Student Conduct Code."

Please allow me to reiterate that, in spite of statements made during the confrontation, Ms. Johnson was never expelled or disenrolled from the history course.

I want to assure all members of the Sacramento State community that we hear and respect Ms. Johnson's concerns – and the concerns of many throughout the country. We are also very cognizant that we must respect and uphold the principles of academic freedom that are the foundation of higher education in the United States. As such, we have an opportunity – indeed, a responsibility – to continue the conversation in an even broader, campus-wide arena.

To that end, we intend to devote our upcoming Native American Day celebration (Friday, September 25) to a focus on positive dialogue and raised awareness. We are planning three panel discussions: one on genocide; another on the day-to-day lives of Native Americans in California and the harmful myths that daily affect Native Americans; and finally a panel on how, in academia and on our campus, we can have difficult but constructive conversations about controversial subjects without violating academic freedom or the welfare of our students.

The conversation cannot end with these panels. We are also planning to have what some have called a "teach-in" on "Columbus Day." And we hope to extend an invitation to members of the Native American community to join us in all these conversations. We cannot afford to let this learning moment pass us by.

Going forward, we want to make certain that our campus is a productive, nurturing, and academically stimulating environment for our students. As I have said many times, we have important work to do. I have sincere faith in and respect for our faculty. Together, we will create the leaders of tomorrow.

We believe in academic freedom, civility and rigorous research

Sept. 7, 2015 - A university, our university, must be a place of mutual respect, a place that allows for frank discussion in the classroom. Sometimes, discussions can become difficult and even heated, but we must always strive to understand and respect each other. Upon being notified of an alleged incident of intolerance in one of our history courses last week, we have taken immediate action to investigate the situation.

You may have read or heard about this matter. We released the following statement to media outlets:

Sacramento State was very concerned upon learning about this incident and the allegations surrounding it. The University would like to make it clear that our student, Chiitaanibah Johnson, was not expelled or disenrolled from this history course. Under University policy, a professor cannot unilaterally disenroll a student from a class.

President Robert S. Nelsen is looking into what was alleged to have happened. "I take this matter very seriously. I intend to talk to Chiitaanibah Johnson as we work to gather all the information necessary to resolve this situation positively."

I write to you today to let you know that I have reached out to Ms. Johnson and that the original article has been updated.

We at the University believe in academic freedom, and we also believe in civility and rigorous academic research. Our standards must be high, and we must follow the processes that we have put in place to ensure that the rights of students and faculty are protected. Most of all, we must remain true to our mission: “As California’s capital university, we transform lives by preparing students for leadership, service, and success.”

We have important work to do. I ask for your patience and understanding.

Please enjoy the rest of the Labor Day weekend, and let’s come back energized to teach and learn together.

Hero Anthony Sadler embodies Sacramento State's mission

Aug. 28, 2015 - I am proud to announce that Sacramento State has established the Anthony Sadler Community Scholarship in response to community requests to support his continued studies at the University.

Anthony, a kinesiology major who begins his senior year next week, made international news Aug. 21 when he and two childhood friends, Oregon National Guardsman Alek Skarlatos and U.S. Air Force Airman Spencer Stone, thwarted an alleged terrorist attack on a train between Amsterdam and Paris.

Members of the Sacramento community approached us about supporting Anthony’s education. They are in awe of his selflessness and want to recognize his bravery.

Because the funds will go directly to Anthony, contributions to the scholarship are not considered philanthropic gifts to the University and are therefore not tax-deductible, in accordance with IRS regulations. The funds may be applied toward tuition, books, and other expenses.

Anthony embodies Sacramento State’s mission to prepare students for leadership, success, and service. Those are qualities that he, along with his friends, exhibited on that train. Their courageous acts potentially saved hundreds of lives.

Supporters of the Anthony Sadler Community Scholarship may contribute online on our website. Contributions also may be made by check, payable to The University Foundation at Sacramento State, and mailed to: The University Foundation at Sacramento State, c/o University Development, attn: Tracy Newman, 6000 J St., M/S 6030, Sacramento, CA 95819. Please include “Anthony Sadler Community Scholarship” in the memo line.

For additional questions about supporting the fund, please contact Tracy Newman, associate vice president of University Development, at (916) 278-6989.

We can provide the affected staff a permanent raise averaging $1,800

Aug. 6, 2015 - In the spirit of absolute transparency, I need to be honest – in the excitement and rush to have an equity plan within my first 30 days, when calculating the cost of the equity raises for staff with inverted salaries, we made a huge mistake and vastly underestimated the cost of the proposed plan. The real cost of raising eligible staff to their respective targeted 25th, 50th, and 75th quartiles is approximately $1,850,000. Under the constraints of this year's budget, we cannot possibly afford that amount. We would have to cut services drastically.

I apologize for the error. I am very sorry that the increases outlined in the original plan cannot be fully funded this year. We must live within our means, and we need to dedicate our resources to helping our students get a great education in the most appropriate time possible.

By being very strategic and efficient, what we can do within the current budget year is provide the affected staff with a permanent raise on average of $1,800. In other words, we still intend to give annual raises to those staff members identified in the original plan at Steps 1, 2, and 3 in order to begin to address the salary inversion that they are experiencing. Again, in the spirit of transparency, I need to note that some staff members may receive less than $1,800 if the difference between their current salary and the targeted quartile is less than $1,800. Additionally, because this staff equity program is a management-initiated in-range progression, some individuals will receive more than $1,800 so that we can fulfill the requirements of the collective bargaining agreements.

My hope is that over the next two years (2016-2017 and 2017-2018), if our budget remains constant, we will be able to replicate the same program and repeat these incremental increases of up to $1,800 annually for those who still are below their targeted quartiles.

Overall, we need to examine all potential compensation disparities across our campus. With these three years of staff equity raises, we will have solved many salary inversion issues. But there are other deserving staff members whose compensation will not be addressed through this initial program. These staff members, I am told, may also be experiencing the effects of salary compression and salary inversion. During the coming years, we will initiate compensation equity studies. We need to get it right in the long term.

Again, I sincerely apologize for raising expectations that we cannot meet. I hope that you will join with me as part of the Hornet family to move forward and to find the best solutions that we can.

Guidelines and more information regarding this management-initiated in-range progression and those staff members who are part of the salary inversion equity plan will be forthcoming from Human Resources.

I am pleased to announce Sac State's 2015 equity program

Aug. 3, 2015 - I am very pleased to announce Sacramento State's 2015 equity program for staff employees. This program is designed to complement the recent general salary increases received by most staff.

Because I am well aware of how important the contributions of the staff are to meeting the needs of our students and faculty, it was a priority for me to establish a staff equity program within my first 30 days on campus. Without the commitment and hard work of the University's staff, we would never fulfill our mission to "transform lives by preparing students for leadership, service, and success."

While there are not enough resources to resolve fully all staff equity issues at Sacramento State in one fell swoop, the 2015 equity program is intended to address salary inequities that developed over the past few years due to salary inversion. The goal is to address some of the most serious inequities first in a way that makes it relatively easy to implement so that there will be minimal delay. The plan will be effective July 31, 2015.

Plan Provisions *

Employees must have a minimum of five (5) years of service in their current classification and skill level (e.g., Administrative Support Coordinator I, Administrative Support Assistant I, or Custodian) to participate in the equity program. Each classification's salary range has been divided into four equal quartiles from the minimum to the maximum of the salary range. Employees in each classification have been placed into one of the four quartiles based on years of Sacramento State service in the specific classification that they currently hold. Employees with less than five years of service will not receive an equity increase under the program; employees with five to 10 years of service whose salary is currently below the 25th percentile of salaries for that classification will have their salaries adjusted upward to reach the 25th percentile; employees with 11 to 14 years of service whose salary is currently below the 50th percentile of salaries for that classification will have their salaries adjusted upward to reach the 50th percentile; and employees with 15 years or more of service in the classification at Sacramento State will have their salaries adjusted upward to the 75th percentile.

In Step 1 of the plan, employees with 15 years or more of service in the same classification at Sacramento State as of July 31, 2015, will receive a salary increase bringing them to the 75th percentile of the salary range for their classification. Employees with 15 years or more of service in the classification who are already at or exceeding the 75th percentile of the salary range will not receive an increase.

In Step 2 of the plan, employees with 11 to 14 years of service in the classification as of July 31, 2015, will receive a salary increase bringing them to the 50th percentile of the salary range for their classification. Employees with 11 to 14 years of service in the classification who are already at or exceeding the 50th percentile of the salary range will not receive an increase.

In Step 3 of the plan, employees with five to 10 years of service in the classification as of July 31, 2015, will receive a salary increase bringing them to the 25th percentile of the salary range for their classification. Employees with five to 10 years of service in the classification who are already at or exceeding the 25th percentile of the salary range will not receive an increase.

All three Steps will be implemented using management-initiated in-range progression protocols effective July 31. Questions about the program and its implementation should be directed to the Classification and Compensation unit in the Office of Human Resources: Extension 8-6078.

I sincerely appreciate everything you are doing to advance Sacramento State and to make the campus a great place to work.

* The UAPD (Unit 1) and CSUEU (Units 2, 5, 7 and 9) collective bargaining agreements require a minimum 3% increase for an In-Range Progression. Therefore, some employees may receive an increase beyond the percentage required to reach the quartile thresholds.

Please join me in welcoming Lisa Cardoza to Sacramento State

July 23, 2015 - I am pleased to announce the appointment of Lisa Cardoza as the Chief of Staff in the President's Office, effective Aug. 3, 2015.

Most recently, Lisa has served concurrently as Associate Vice President for Governmental Relations at the newly established University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, as well as Chief of Staff and Governmental Relations Officer at The University of Texas-Pan American. Lisa had worked at The University of Texas-Pan American (UTPA) since 2004.

After graduating from Stanford University with a B.A. in Economics and an M.A. in Social Sciences of Education, Lisa joined UTPA as Associate Director of a newly established Valley Outreach Center, implementing the Mother Daughter Program, Go Centers, and Pre-College Academic Programs, all in support of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board's Closing the Gaps campaign with efforts to increase the college-going rate in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas.

In 2007, Lisa served as the Assistant to the Vice President for Enrollment and Student Services, and returned to lead the Outreach Department as Director of College Access and Support Programs/Senior TRIO Director in 2009.

In that position, she oversaw three federal TRIO programs (Educational Talent Search, Upward Bound, Upward Bound Math & Science); two federal migrant programs (High School Equivalency Program, College Assistance Migrant Program); an institutional migrant program (Migrant Student Success Office); a state engineering pre-college program (Texas Pre-Freshman Engineering Program); and a college access outreach center (Valley Outreach Center).

In 2010, Lisa joined the UTPA Office of the President as the Chief of Staff. That same year, she was named to the Texas Women in Higher Education Board of Directors. In 2013, she was named as a director of the statewide leadership organization known as the Texas Lyceum, and was subsequently elected to serve on the Annual Nominating Committee.

Please join me in welcoming Lisa Cardoza to Sacramento State.

I look forward to working with each of you to transform lives

July 17, 2015 - The first two weeks at Sacramento State have been a whirlwind for Jody and me, but we both already feel that we are at the right place, at the right time, and at a home and with a family that we are already beginning to love. Sacramento State is truly a magnificent university.

We have been deeply moved by the warm welcome that we have received from the faculty, staff, and students on campus and from the community at large. On July 1, we started the day with 200 first-year students at Orientation. We initiated them into the Hornet Nation, and we posed for dozens of selfies. Those students are precisely why we wanted to be a part of Sacramento State more than any other university. The diversity was amazing, and the energy of those students and of the Orientation leaders was contagious. Hornet pride was everywhere.

I made a promise to the students, and I am making the same promise to you: As I said in the op-ed I wrote for The Sacramento Bee, we are going to dedicate ourselves to shortening their time to degree and to improving our graduation rates. I believe that our students can and will be successful because of the outstanding faculty and staff whom I have met.

Our campus is one of the most caring campuses that I have ever experienced, and we have strong support from our alumni and our many partners in the region, especially from our elected officials. As I have told so many at so many gatherings, Jody and I believe that what is happening here on our campus will determine the future of Sacramento, of California, and (if I may be so bold) of the nation.

I am grateful for the work done by Chancellor Tim White and the California State University Trustees, and for their devotion to our students. Their work as student advocates is paying dividends: Gov. Jerry Brown recently signed a state budget that will bring our system an increase of $217 million for the 2015-16 fiscal year.

Yes, for the first time in many years, California is fully funding the Trustees' budget request; and as a consequence, 12,000 more students will be able to enroll at California State University campuses, and we will have the resources to help guarantee their and our continuing students' success.

I am thrilled that we will have a better budget than we have had in a long time. We will be meeting next week in Long Beach to determine how the money will be allocated among the CSU campuses. No matter what is decided, the future is bright.

It is a privilege, an honor, and a blessing to be allowed to serve as the president of Sacramento State. I look forward to working with each of you to transform the lives of our students and to make California's Capital University and the city itself even greater than they already are.

Stingers Up!