Fresno State President Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval is facing a call to resign from a major union on campus.
The effort to oust Jiménez-Sandoval, however, took a big blow on Monday when another major union backed away from it.
Driving the news: Last Friday, Jiménez-Sandoval said in a campus email that he was made aware of a petition calling for his resignation the day before.
- The petition had logos for the California State University Employees Union (CSUEU) and the California Faculty Association (CFA) on it.
The big picture: While the CFA logo was on the petition, the union backed away from it on Friday.
- The Collegian reported CFA Fresno chapter president Andrew Jones said the union’s issues lie with the California State University chancellor’s office, not with Jiménez-Sandoval.
- Jiménez-Sandoval sent out a campus message on Friday, saying he was surprised by the petition.
- “I am surprised at this message, especially when Fresno State has a balanced budget and all funding is explained to the Academic Senate, Staff Assembly, and ASI on an annual basis,” Jiménez-Sandoval said. “I am actively working to schedule a meeting with union leadership to better understand this situation.”
- Jiménez-Sandoval added that he has talked with many union members who were unaware that the petition would be circulated.
Charging ahead: Despite the CFA’s decision to not support the petition, CSUEU doubled down on its move to take Jiménez-Sandoval out of the university’s top job.
- “We recognize the magnitude of the demand we are making in calling for President Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval to step down,” said CSUEU president Catherine Hutchinson in a statement. “We see the failures in leadership, financial responsibility, and delegation of authority. We need a leader who will listen to students, faculty and staff and then act on those concerns by executing a culture change. Do not dismiss us anymore.”
Go deeper: In the petition, CSUEU goes after Jiménez-Sandoval for his support of Debbie Adishian-Astone, the Vice President for Administration and Chief Financial Officer who is retiring at the end of the year.
- Adishian-Astone has worked at Fresno State for over three decades and ascended to her current position in 2016.
- Her tenure coincided with former university President Joseph Castro, who ended up resigning from his position as CSU Chancellor after it was made public that he mishandled sexual harassment complaints made against former Fresno State Vice President of Student Affairs Frank Lamas.
- The union also went after Adishian-Astone for her part in the construction of the Save Mart Center. Fresno State still owes $35 million on the facility, even though it opened in 2003.
- “While praising her service as ‘unparalleled’ and ‘immeasurable,’ President Jiménez-Sandoval failed to note the outgoing CFO saddles our campus with a financial debt until 2031 at a time of increasing student fees, staff layoffs, and state budget uncertainties,” the petition reads.
- The petition also accuses Jiménez-Sandoval of poor management and stewardship of the university, saying his administration has wasted millions of dollars while Fresno State is cutting instruction funding by 5%.
- “This further erodes the mission of the university and disadvantages our students who are already paying more for less,” the petition reads. “Leading without listening is no longer acceptable.”
