Published 2009-02-04T00:00:00Z”/>

Sean Longoria

The university’s top administrators won’t be seeing raises this year or next year.

In an e-mail to all California State University employees, Chancellor Charles Reed announced a pay freeze Jan. 9 for administrators at the vice president level and above. The freeze will apply to vice presidents, presidents, vice chancellors and to Reed himself.This is one of many measures the CSU system is employing to aid California’s financial woes, Reed said.

The freeze will be in effect through the 2009-2010 academic year. President Paul Zingg said in an e-mail that the freeze could extend beyond this period, but no decision has been made.

Zingg does not mind that he will not be receiving a raise, he said.

“I have no problem with it whatsoever,” Zingg said. “I think it’s an appropriate step for the chancellor to take.”

Since becoming president in 2004, Zingg has received raises that have totaled about 18 percent, he said.

Sandra Flake, provost and vice president of academic affairs, thinks the freeze is justified, considering the state’s current economic situation.

“We are attempting to do whatever we can to face a serious problem facing the state of California and its resources,” Flake said. “It makes sense that we would not see a pay increase to face these challenges.”

Flake has been with the university for two years and in that time has only seen one pay increase, which was about 6 percent, she said. Though she will not be seeing a pay increase, Flake does not harbor any resentment toward the CSU administration during the freeze.

“I feel very fortunate to be a part of this system,” she said.

Some students also think the freeze is a good idea to help pull California out of the financial crisis.

Kris Stucker, a 22-year-old exercise and physiology major, thinks the freeze will help the university avoid cuts.

“It’s different than saying a bunch of teachers are getting cut,” he said.

Stucker thinks the freeze isn’t as bad as a salary cut.

The freeze is just one of many cuts the CSU is facing, Zingg said. The university has cut the 2008-2009 budget by 5 percent.

“We anticipate additional reductions in 2009-2010,” Zingg said. “But it is too early to say how deep they will be.”

Sean Longoria can be reached at<a href= “mailto:[email protected]”>[email protected]</a>