A possible state audit of California State University hiring and compensation practices may shed light on the debate over executive compensation.

Assemblyman Anthony Portantino, chairman of the California Legislature’s Higher Education Committee, and two other assembly members requested a full state audit of the CSU system’s hiring and compensation practices in a letter dated Feb. 9.

“It concerns me that legitimate questions were raised in the media about certain practices both on executive compensation and how the CSU system makes its decisions,” Portantino said. “Certainly, it’s good to raise the questions, but I want to have the answers.”

Portantino and the other authors of the request letter specified that the audit examined compensation programs for CSU executives, post-employment compensation, disclosure of special assignments, hiring practices and employment lawsuit settlements over the past five years.

In addition, they also call for total accounting of money taken in by the CSU system and its distribution by campus and academic department.

However, staff members at the Joint Legislative Audit Committee – the body responsible for making recommendations on whether or not an audit should be pursued – said starting the audit may take a while, since the committee is still waiting for its senatorial members.

“Our Senate members have not yet been selected, so we don’t have a full committee yet,” JLAC principal consultant Missy Johnson said. “There can be no hearing because we don’t have a full committee.”

Committee Secretary Katarina Maly said they don’t know when they can expect to have a full committee, but should they choose to pursue an audit, it should take about six months.

Portantino hopes the committee will decide to audit, believing it will illuminate all muddled information for those involved.

“I just think it’s time for us to shine some sunlight on these issues and get to the heart of the matter and make our CSU system what it should be – one of the finest education systems in the country,” Portontino said.

CSU spokesman Paul Browning said the CSU would benefit from the audit as well.

“It’ll give (the CSU) the opportunity to establish and document all the facts as far as executive compensation,” he said.

Browning said he believes CSU executives are presently under-compensated compared to university administrators around the country and hopes that the audit will show that.

“Their salaries are lower than the national average. Their pay is relatively low,” Browning said.

Browning also said the CSU is willing and equipped with the resources to provide all the information that may be requested.

“We’re completely open, of course. We’ll cooperate fully with their requests.”

Marilen Bugarin can be reached at [email protected]