After  a long period of darkness the CSU is preparing to welcome a new Chancellor. Timothy White will take the reins from Charlie Reed in December. Charlie was a common target for lifeinthecsu over the last couple of years. I am shedding no tears at his departure.

It is a common refrain in our household, one that we share with a teenager, that “actions speak louder than words.” When evaluating individuals it is more important to look at what they are doing rather than what they say they are doing.

In his first action before becoming the CSU Chancellor, Professor White made a wise choice: He requested a pay cut.

Yes. You read that correctly: CUT.

Where Chancellor Charlie Reed whined at every opportunity about how the CSU leadership was underpaid, Chancellor White, in a single action, undermined every ill-conceived word and action of his predecessor with regard to Reed’s specious arguments.

Charlie must be losing his mind. All of his “good work” for the CSU goes up in smoke.

Said White in his letter to the Board of Trustees:

I respectfully request a 10% reduction in the state-funded portion of the salary that you offered. I believe this request is what is best for the California State University – its faculty, staff, students, and leadership.

Meet the new boss…not the same as the old boss.

Chancellor White illustrates an understanding of the political and economic context in which the the CSU is operating:

By changing the dialogue on my compensation I hope to send a clear signal to the public-at large, elected officials, the business community, and families of current and future students that public higher  education matters to all of us, and that we each must play a part in the rebuilding effort. Working together we must find ways to innovate, sustain excellence, decrease time to earn degrees, and have degrees that have renewed meaning for tomorrow’s economy and social mobility.

Actions speak louder than words. Chancellor White has spoken louder and in a more principled manner than his predecessor, and he has not even drawn a paycheck yet.