Cal State Long Beach Associated Students Inc. Executive Director Richard Haller earns $121,932 a year, making him one of the top five highest paid executive directors throughout the CSU system.
As an executive director who oversees six ASI employees at CSULB, Haller is responsible for overseeing Associated Students Inc. and University Student Union operations. Only eight executive directors out of the 23 campuses oversee a student government and a building similar to the USU.
Each CSU has a different method for determining the salary of their executive director. It is usually based upon an individual’s years of experience, years in the position, level of expertise, education, skills, as well as the size of the ASI he or she manages, according to Haller.
The fourth highest paid executive director is Cheryl Vargas at San Jose State. She said her responsibilities are similar to those of a chief operating officer, or CEO, of a non-profit organization. She said the YMCA in the Bay Area, a non-profit with a similar size budget to San Jose State’s ASI, pays about 7 percent more than her current salary.
According to Haller, CSULB’s ASI conducts periodic salary studies about every three years to see how managers’ salaries compare with those paid by other nonprofit organizations, the ASI organizations in the CSU and by other college unions.
CSULB’s ASI Human Resources department is responsible for recommending adjustments to the salaries. The recommendations are then sent to the Board of Control and then the Senate for review and approval.
In addition to the studies, management salaries are eligible for cost-of-living adjustments and merit-based pay increases. The last time either was implemented at CSULB was July 2007, according to Haller.
The Consolidated Salary Scale for CSULB’s ASI for the 2010-11 fiscal year put the salary of an executive director into a minimum-maximum salary range of $78,480 to $151,716.
Sources of income, other than student fees, cover more than 76 percent of the cost of full-time salaries and benefits for CSULB’s ASI, according to Haller. These other sources of income include: contributions, grants and contracts, user fees and recovered expenses, sales, leases and rentals, and income from investments.
Haller said he believes the process of determining ASI salaries is fair. He said that paying ASI employees comparable to what the state pays is necessary to ensure ASI does not lose its employees to the state.
General Manager of ASI at Cal State Northridge David Crandall makes $98,000. Crandall’s responsibilities include day-to day operations within ASI and offering guidance to elected student leaders. He said that, in comparison to other non-profits, he is paid “handsomely.”
“As our policy states, ASI seeks to be neither the highest nor the lowest paying employers within a labor market area,” Haller said. “The goal is to pay rates that will facilitate the recruitment and retention of a productive management workforce.”
Universities that have confirmed
CSULB-Richard Haller-$121, 932
Chico-David Buckley-129, 816
Sacramento-CHECK Pat Worley-92, 769
Northridge-David Crandall-General Manager-98, 240
Bakersfield- Taren Mulhause-55,000
Stanislaus-Byron Kamp-96,312
San Jose-Cheryl Vargas-124, 478
Humboldt-Joan Tyson-general manager and advisor-75, 294
San Bernardino-Patrick Areffi-65, 508
Dominguez Hills-Guy Witherspoon-75,432
East Bay-Robert Lara (Associate Exec Dir)-85,000
San Marcos-Lura Poggi-118,151
Pomona-Cora Culia-119, 512
Channel Islands- Genevieve Evans Taylor-90,000
Maritime-DOESN’T HAVE ASI APPOINTMED EXEC DIR
Monteray Bay-Advisor, Ajamu Lamumba-48,000
Sonoma-Erik Dickson-68, 491
Fresno-Tara Powers-Mead- ASI Director of University Affairs-43,000
Not Confirmed
Fullerton-Fred Sanchez- 119, 129(as of 2008)
San Fran-Peter Koo-109, 759 (as of 2009)
San Diego-Dan Cornthwaite-142, 502 (as of 2009)
LA-Intef Weser-74,861(as of 2009)
SLO-Richard Johnson-178,494(as of 2009