At that rate of closure, it will take over 100 years for the CSU faculty to achieve salary equity with faculty in peer institutions. Both the new Governor of California and the new Chancellor of the CSU have emphasized accountability in education. They want to push the institution towards new levels of performance and excellence. CSU faculty agree with objectives of improving effectiveness and efficiency. But the approach by Chancellor Reed is unlikely to succeed.
Accountability is a two-way street.
To be competitive in the marketplace for quality faculty, the CSU must have a competitive salary structure. The Chancellor has taken only timid steps towards excellence. During the next big wave of faculty retirements, simultaneous with the next tidal wave of student enrollment growth, the CSU, like the Titantic, will find itself unprepared for sudden disaster. With an insufficient number of qualified professors to meet the new demands, the CSU will flounder from its own false economies. Many other issues, particularly the implementation of a fair merit pay system and continued participation of faculty in institutional governance, separate the California Faculty Association and the CSU administration.