CSU Chair Herb Carter Fails Senate Reconfirmation

Herb Carter, the chairman of the CSU's Board of Trustees, has apparently lost his job. In a hearing held in Sacramento, Carter's reconfirmation bid failed after he couldn't gather two additional and necessary votes by Republicans in the State Senate.

"Today the Senate sent a clear message to the students, parents and taxpayers that we deserve better from higher education than skyrocketing tuition, poor planning and little oversight,'' said Sen. Joel Anderson (R-San Diego).

While Carter's re-confirmation had been pushed by Gov. Jerry Brown, it appears that Carter's decision to raise student fees 12%, while at the same time agreeing to pay the incoming president at San Diego State a $400,000 salary ($100,000 more than the previous president) did not resonate well with the legislature.

State Senator Leland Yee (D-San Francisco) said that Carter was ""part of the mess going on at the CSU, where top executives have been getting $300,000, $400,000."

Chancellor Charles Reed defended Carter. In a published statement, Reed said "It is extremely disappointing that his nomination to the Board of Trustees would be subject to political circumstances. To deny the confirmation of a person that has done so much of behalf of the CSU is incomprehensible."

Chico's Bob Linscheid, the current vice-chair for the Board of Trustees, will become the new chair.

Some media hits:

LA Times

Chico Enterprise Record

TheRepublic.Com