1996_11 Insight November 1996

              Are you putting up with this?
You're not alone.
■ See IN FOCUS, PAGE 3
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9Pm   Fresno State's top
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California State University, Fresno M W NOVEMBER 6,1996 H' Ifl
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Administration's spending
practices stir controversy
■ Committee report
alleges that
university funds were
used inappropriately
by J.M. Ward
Staff Writer
The brass doors thai lead to
thc office of President John
Welty have become symbols to
many Fresno Stale faculty and
staff of an administration thai
they say cares more about
maintaining its perks and
privileges than running ihe
university.
In an era of budget cuts and
lay-offs, the university spent
$6,700 polishing three sets of
brass doors in the Thomas
Administration building.
Earlier this month, the Ad Hoc
Administrative Accountability
Committee (AHAAC) was
prepared to release its preliminary report to the Academic
Senate.
But after heated debate in the
Academic Senate and pressure
from Welty. thc preliminary
report's submission to the full
senate was tabled.
Rebate money questioned
The report details several areas
where AHAAC alleges Welty
and his administration cither
improperly used university funds
or supplied unfair benefits to
administrators, including the
improper use and accounting of
PG&E rebate money and underreporting the cost of remodeling
the Thomas Administration
building.
The AHAAC contends that
more than $1 million in PG&E
rebate money, generated from an
energy conversation program.
Intight photo* by Ryan McKee
The university recently spent $6,700 polishing three sets of brass doors, including those
pictured, that lead to the President's office in the Thomas Administration building
was improperly deposited into
Foundation accounts. The
Foundation is a private entity and
not ruled by the state education
code.
About $16,000 of the PG&E
rebate money was used to pay
hotel and bar bills at staff retreats.
AHAAC stated. Another $3,000
of rebate money was donated to
Ihe Peace Garden's Caesar
Chavez memorial statue fund.
Members ofthe AHAAC
characterize the accounting and
use of PG&E money as "reprehensible and quite probably
illegal."
In a memo responding to
AHAAC's charges. Vice President
for Administration Ben Quillan.
who handles PG&E rebate money.
« SPENDING, page 7
An administrative accountability committee alleged that
the cost of remodeling the Thomas Administration building
was under-reported by $85,000
Big bills for administrators' cellular phones
I Cellular phone bills
have totaled more
than $800 a month
by Jevon Swanson
Staff Writer
The use of cellular phones by
university administrators has
come under scrutiny recently as
one of several areas faculty have
demanded be disclosed and
explained by university officials.
A committee appointed by the
CSU Chancellor's office was
charged with gathering information about university spending
and policies between late 1994
and early 1996.
The questions, ranging from
spending on travel to hiring
:s. were posed by a special
e of the Academic Senate,
a faculty legislative group.
The senate's Ad I loc Administra
live Accountability Committee
(AHAAC) estimated the average
monthly com for regular "land line"
telephone use in each academic
department ol" 12-20 full-time
faculty and staff was about $2(X).
But during the 1994-95 year,
campus cellular phone bills totaled
nearly $10,240 for 13 phones — an
a\erage of about $787.69 per
month.
The following year, the charges
were $21.922 for 25 phones — an
average of about $876.88 per
month.
In a Sept. 23 draft of its report.
AHAAC said: "There are no
administrative controls for usage or
reimbursement for personal calls
made on cellular phones."
AHAAC also recommended the
Academic Senate develop a policy
thai holds administrators accountable for such charges
In
n Oct. 7 n
oThor
Ehrlich. chair ofthe fact-gathering
commission. President John Welly
wrote that "employees have been
directed to reimburse the University
for all personal usage of the cellular
phones." He added:  "When
personal calls are necessary the
costs of such calls are the responsibility ofthe individual lo whom the
phone is assigned and reimbursement is required."
The university reports thai $1,125
was reimbursed for personal calls
made in 1994-95 and $2,381 for
1995-96.
Judy Sakaki. dean of student
services, accrued $2,303.36 in
cellular charges for 370 calls during
a five month period between late
August 1995 and late January 1996.
according to phone records.
The amount also includes
$206.17 for initial start-up fees,
including the purchase ofthe actual
phone, accessories and sales tax.
Sakaki \s monthly charges were
among the highest of administrators
with cellular phones.
Phone records show 95 calls at a
total cost of $ 139.75 were placed to
her residence in Havward. Calif.
I lowever. no record of numbers
called on a $365.36 Oct. 9. 1995.
bill were available.
No reimbursements from Sakaki
were reported by the university.
Also in the phone charges were
see PHONES, page 3
Pavilion grand
opening good
for first tenants
■ Store managers say
business is better
than they expected
by Shelley Brown
Staff Writer
Business is booming in the University Siudeni Union's new Pavilion
shopping area.
According to store managers, interest and convenience has turned
into success for the stores since the
opening of the Pavilion in early October.
Managers of The Dean of Comics.
Tower Records and The Golden I
Credit Union said business has been
steady and continues to climb.
Larry Allen, manager for The Dean
of Comics, said. "We have people
from all over come in here. They
aren't just students, people from outside.the school come in too."
Comic regulars
Allen said that interest in the comic
store has been much belter than he
expected.
Jiming Ung is already a "regular"
in the comic store. "I come in here
almost every day." he said. "1 just like
Ung and Allen have now become
good friends since meeting at the
comic book store. "This is a great
place to meet people," Ung said.
Chad Fitzgerald agreed with
Allen's opinion of business in the
Pavilion. Fitzgerald is the manager
for Tower Records.'
Before transferring to the Pavilion.
Fitzgerald worked for more than a
year at the Tower Records store on
Blackstone Avenue.
Fitzgerald also said that business
is doing much better than expected.
He credits the success of the store
to its convenience for students. "It's
easier for them to lay down money
for music when the store is right here
on campus." he said.
Music, he added, is always a popu-
"Everyone likes
"And we can get anything they want.
If we don't have it, wc can get it from
one of the bigger stores."
Specializing for students
Fitzgerald hopes the store will be
expanding in the future. The current
store is about the size of a large bathroom and Fitzgerald is the only one
working there.
"The biggest reason
for the success is
the location.
Students don't have
to leave campus to
do their banking."
"I miss a lot of the w ork that's entailed at the main store." he said, "because there were more issues to deal
with. It gets lonely out here all by
myself."
But Fit/.gerald said it's been a good
learning experience for him. He said
the store is trying to tailor its services
to the students, and that has been a
challenge for him.
Ernie Paz. branch manager for The
Golden I Credit Union, is also
pleased with business.
Thc credit union has a four-member staff and. he said, the stafTis "doing pretty good as far as interacting
with the students."
Better than anticipated
Paz said that business has been
better than he anticipated.
"The biggest reason for the success
is the location.** he said. "Students
don't have to leave campus to do their
banking."
Pa/ said there's no need for expansion ofthe credit union yet. "We have
a big enough facility to accommodate
our needs." he said.
The only problem has been the
length of the lines at the teller window. But Paz added. "That's a prob-
ith."
Intight photo by Svea Petersen
Mirjan Bakker browses through the compact disc collection at
Tower Records in the new Pavilion shopping area in the
University Student Union
Stress, satisfaction when working behind Joyal's windows
Joyal staffer Mariana Ye'pez (left) assists student Andrea Wright
■ Keeping a cool head
necessary for Public
Contact employees
by Mary Tannler
Staff Writer
All students have had to deal with
ihe Public Contact windows at the-
Joyal Administration building, where
the lines are long and the faces often
grim.
Many have wondered why anyone
would want to work behind those
windows. But for Public Contact
employees, working on the frontlines
ofthe university can be rewarding.
Sometimes.
Andrew Wall said he doesn't feel
the stress of the job. The 20-year-old
take iheir j
ones who
said. "There isn't as much pres
on me as there is on the oilier w
Troubled students
Anna Perry sees a different side to
the students who come to her at windows. The 59-year-old supervisor
said her job is very stressful.
"You meet a lot of troubled students," Perry said. "Some are crying
and very upset."
Perry has been working at Joyal for
27 years.
"If I didn't enjoy it. 1 wouldn't be
here." she said.
Cool head needed
Wall said his job is to handle ques-
lions. answer phones and direxsfcsiu-
dents to the correct offices and
departments.
There are nine Public Contact employees in the Joyal Administration
building. Five are regular employees
and four are student assistants.
"We must have employees who
like to work with people." Perry said.
"They need to have a cool head."
Perry added that new employees
are trained on-the-job.
Working the front lines of Joyal
can be \er\ satisfying, employees
sa\. Perry says she gels satisfaction
from helping students understand
w h> there is a problem and w hat can
be done lo fix it.
Wall said his favorite part of working the front lines is the flexible
hours. "They're really nice during finals." Wall said.
Windows offer challenge
Perry said her favorite pan of her
job is educating students on how to
gel through the school system.
She also likes thc challenge of
working behind thc windows.
"There are so many different aspects. This is one of the first places
students come to with questions," she
said. "I don't let them leave without
sending them to thc correct place."
ice."
JL\