Fresno State students on Tuesday lobbied for a fee rollback and cuts to executive compensation during a two-hour meeting with President John Welty.
Up to 250 students gathered in the university's Peace Garden for a debate-style session between students and Welty. Student organizers presented a list of demands they said came from both faculty and students.
Many complaints focused on the fallout of state-driven budget cuts that have forced furloughs, eliminated classes and jobs and prompted other reductions.
In part, organizers asked for more say in the budget, an endorsement of state legislation to help fund higher education, pay cuts for Welty and other top administrators and a return to 2000 student fee levels.
Welty said he welcomes budget suggestions and would consider supporting the legislation -- a tax on oil and natural gas extraction -- if it were modified. But he expressed concern that the bill wouldn't create a stable source of money.
Fresno State President John Welty gets ready to answer questions about rising student fees during a meeting in front of the Madden Library on the university's campus Tuesday.
Welty also said he wouldn't ask for an additional pay cut or ask California State University Chancellor Charles Reed to take one. Welty's annual salary is $299,000, but he and other employees already are absorbing a 10% pay cut through furloughs.
And, Welty noted, he and his wife have pledged $100,000 over five years to the university.
Welty said cutting student fees to 2000 levels -- about one-third of what they are today -- would cost the campus $52.6 million and only force more severe cuts.
During an informal question-and-answer session, one student asked whether he could study at Welty's house since the library is closed on Saturday. Welty agreed; he lives in a home donated to the university for use by its president.
After the forum, Welty said he was pleased by the dialogue and hoped everyone could work together to improve the CSU funding picture. But some students said they were disappointed.
Student Blair Nishkian, 25, of Madera Ranchos, said she wasn't surprised by Welty's answers, even though "I wanted to be surprised."
Student Matt Ford, 21, of Tulare, said he didn't feel like Welty listened: "I feel like [his answers] were programmed."
Others supported Welty. Student Daniel Andresen, 18, of Fresno, publicly thanked the president for his efforts and said many problems are beyond Welty's control.
Tuesday's forum was the latest in a series of political actions on campus. Welty scheduled the meeting in the wake of an Oct. 21 protest where about 400 students rallied and marched to protest higher fees, class cuts and other reductions.
This year, the 23-campus CSU made major cuts because of a $560 million budget shortfall. Trustees twice raised undergraduate fees for 2009-10 -- 10% in May and another 20% in July.
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