Sacramento State faculty staged a sit-in Friday protesting what they claim is excessive office space set aside for outgoing University President Donald Gerth.

The California Faculty Association called the Executive Joint Union Meeting to show that their shared office space in Brighton Hall is inferior for their needs. The office is 162 square feet.The office that Gerth will receive in the Library upon retirement is 240 square feet.

CFA Staff Representative Jane Kerlinger said that the office used for all the faculty is too small to be functional.

“Our office space is so small that we have had to constantly search for other locations to meet each other, or to meet with other individuals,” said Sac State CFA President, Jim Chopyak.

“If CFA needs space for a meeting, they can request space according to the collective bargaining agreement, but office space is a different issue,” said David Wagner, Dean of Faculty and Student Affairs.

The office has one telephone line, one computer, three desks, a copy machine and a bookcase confined in the space.

“We’re not saying that President Gerth does not deserve an office when he retires, but look at what’s appropriate,” said Chopyak.Gerth got the office in the library a while ago and will go back to it upon retirement said Chopyak.

“It is not inconsistent for a University to set space aside for a retiring president who is staying active,” said Wagner.

The CFA points to article 6.23 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement between them and the Board of Trustees of the California State University, which states that CFA will be provided appropriate office space on each campus, which shall, upon their request, be shared with other bargaining representatives. Rental charges for the duration of this agreement will be one dollar per year for each office provided.”

“This is not a new issue for CFA to present the University,” said Wagner.

“CFA on this campus has about 700 members. However, we are legally obligated to represent all faculty (about 1,400 on this campus),” said Chopyak.

The CFA is affiliated with the American Association of University Professors, National Education Association, California Teachers Association, California State Employees Association and Service Employees International Union. CFA represents nearly 3,000 people.

CFA asked for more space three years ago. The university repeatedly turned down those requests citing anticipated faculty hiring and classroom space needs.

In the CFA’s most recent request for space, they suggested Alpine 102, a 140 sq. foot room that a former Government professor occupied before retiring at the end of the spring semester.The request was officially turned down because every space available had been occupied.

“This is an obvious disrespect the university has for the unions and the workers here,” said Barbara Petersen, Northern Vice President of Academic Professionals of California.