The Lumberjack



Students Serving The Cal Poly Humboldt Campus and Community Since 1929

Tag: University Center

  • A University Center hidden on campus

    A University Center hidden on campus

    by Matthew Taylor

    The University Center (UC) is a husk of what it used to be since its contract was terminated by Cal Poly Humboldt’s administration back in December of 2020. Before then it was an auxiliary organization to the university in charge of many student events and activities. Many members had been left hurt, with most refusing to speak on the record due to a fear of legal or social reprimand by the university. A majority of the UC’s responsibilities have been transferred to the Student Activity Center. In its current state, the UC exists to provide pensions to its retirees and use reserve funds for various student programs. There are some members, however, who see its end as a bittersweet conclusion.

    “In my position, I see both sides,” said Wendy Sotomayor, UC Executive Director and Student Activity Center Director, the bittersweet sadness in her voice apparent throughout the interview. “I’m excited but I’m also sad. The UC was very valuable and did a lot of good for the students here. In the end, though, I think the students are getting a better package.”

    She expressed, along with many of her colleagues, that she still saw the letter of termination as the administrations ‘means to an end’, but also saw the validity in the problems stated within it. In some ways, the UC’s own response to the administration may have further solidified its decision to end the contract.

    “Our response didn’t really include any [tangible] changes to the actual administration’s complaints,” Sotomayor said.

    Much of the mistakes made by the UC at the time, referenced in the letter of termination, were based simply on miscommunication and misunderstanding. Certain allegations, such as that of fraud, were later confirmed to be completely unfounded. Still, legitimate mistakes existed and deserved to be fixed. The financial risk of loaning the Arcata Community Pool $300,000 was huge in hindsight of the COVID-19 pandemic, and due to its distant relationship to the university didn’t qualify well under “its mission”. Steps were made to fix these problems before termination, but in the eyes of the university’s administration that wasn’t enough.

    “We couldn’t fix it after the fact,” Sotomayor said.

    The introduction of lawyers to the mix didn’t make the situation any better in her eyes either. Instead of coming to the table it became only lawyers talking to lawyers. In the end, lawyers on each side may have convinced them that each was totally in the right.

    “[Many UC members] wholeheartedly believed they did nothing wrong,” Sotomayor said, expressing that at the time even she felt similarly.

    Since the termination, the administration has given most of UC’s previous tasks to the Student Activity Center. The program controls Center Arts, General Operations as well as a new program called Conference and Event Services (CES). Center Activities is now under Athletics and is located at the Student Recreation Center (SRC).

    “So much personal feelings got involved,” Sotomayor said. “And [I’m] not sure we could have gotten [to where the SAC currently is ourselves].”

  • UC Board working to address termination

    UC Board working to address termination

    The University Center continues to work toward resolving President’s termination notice

    Following the notice of termination issued by President Tom Jackson, the University Center group has been working on an official response.

    The letter, emailed out to Humboldt State University on Sept. 24 by Jackson, outlined a series of violations that the HSU administration believes the UC group committed. These include the opening of lines of credit for the North Humboldt Recreation and Park District, which runs the Arcata Community Pool, and apparent failure to comply with the President’s review of UC programs earlier in the year.

    The notice gave 90 days for the UC group to address and correct the allegations made against them, placing an end date on Dec. 23. If the UC fails to produce acceptable remedies or isn’t granted an extension, the UC’s contract with HSU will be officially terminated.

    The UC Board of Directors have repeatedly stated that the allegations were unfounded but would actively look for resolutions. With over a month left, the UC Board has started to draft a response.

    “The response letter is still in draft format as the Board does a final review and still has the opportunity to make changes,” Interim Executive Director Wendy Sotomayor said in an email. “Once the letter is final and issued to the President, it will be a public document that we can provide. We hope to have it released early next week.”

    During the Oct. 22 UC Board meeting, Vice President Enrollment Management Jason Meriwether listened to the concerns of board members, but provided little feedback into whether or not the proposed ideas would resolve the notice.

    “Some of the answers, and I apologize if I sound like a broken record, but it really is similar to my earlier answer,” Meriwether said during the meeting. “I think the board has to review the letter, review the attachments and investigate how it got here then make a determination about what the cure would be.”

    Steven Martin, Ph.D., one of the faculty representatives on the UC board has stated that the board’s response will be made public after the administration has a had a chance to review it.

    “I think once the response has been approved by the Board and given to the President, it will be public,” said Martin in an email. “But until then, I don’t think we’re in a position to share it, because it could still change between now and then, and the President should get it from us before the public sees it (even though he didn’t afford the Board the same respect when he released the termination notice to the media at the same time the Board got it).”

  • UC Board issued notice of termination

    UC Board issued notice of termination

    University Center Board Members address Humboldt State University President’s notice of termination

    The Oct. 8 University Center board meeting discussed a Sept. 24 email from Humboldt State President Tom Jackson issuing a 90-day notice of termination.

    The notice requires the board to fix problems like a $300,000 line of credit to the North Humboldt Recreation and Park District and refusing to participate in the President’s review of the UC programs.

    The NHRPD runs the Arcata Community Pool. According to Faculty Representative Mark Rizzardi, Ph.D., Humboldt State University has worked with the group since 1993.

    The UC group disputed these claims.

    Wendy Sotomayor, interim executive director, called the notice disheartening and unexpected. Sotomayor noted that the board is actively engaging in discussions on how to respond.

    Additionally, the group reached out to their legal counsel for advice and expects to have a draft of an initial response in the coming weeks.

    “It’s hard to imagine what would happen if the UC were to actually close,” Sotomayor said.

    Faculty Representative Steve Martin, Ph.D., pursued the idea. Martin responded directly during the board call addressing future concerns.

    “What would happen if we were to close permanently?” Martin said.

    Martin posed that the closure of the UC allows HSU to hire private organizations and groups for services without the need for approval from a board.

    Earlier this year HSU worked with Aladdin, a food catering company that provides meal services to universities across the country like Fairmount University and Purdue University Fort Wayne. The administration did not go forward with any contract or agreement with the Aladdin group.

    Further complicating the matter is the projected loss of 2.2 million dollars in the UC budget.

    Due to COVID-19 restrictions and regulations, operations that fall under the control of the UC Board have been temporarily closed or operating in a limited capacity. These include the campus information desk, The Jolly Giant, College Creek Marketplace and the campus bookstore.

    With reduced foot traffic due to shelter-in-place guidelines combined with the decrease of students on campus, dining services has taken an exceptionally hard toll. Even while operating at reduced capacity.

    Sotomayor estimated that there are 675 meal plans active on campus, a drastic decrease from previous years.

    “We would need 1200 meal plans to break even,” Sotomayor said during the Zoom call. “At 675 we are not even close.”

    While the future seemed unclear, Rizzardi noted that the next course of action needed to be made soon.

    “In order to cancel it within the 90 days, we would have to start now, and that’s not something we want to do,” Rizzardi said. “Get ready to drop things so that way if he says no we can act fast.”

    The board members noted that they had not been given any further clarification from the administration on how to tackle, refute or respond to the notice.

    During the meeting, members made a movement to formally ask for a representative from the President’s office to be present during the next session on Oct. 22.

    “It takes two to tango,” Martin said. “We need to some response from them, otherwise they can just ignore us for 90 days and then say it’s terminated.”

    The last day for the board to fix changes is Dec. 23. If unable to provide solutions, the UC board will be terminated on Dec. 24.

  • HSU cancelling contract for University Center

    HSU cancelling contract for University Center

    Disagreements between the UC Board and HSU administration reaches a new point of contention

    Humboldt State University served a notice of termination to their contract with the University Center group, citing a series of breaches between the two organizations.

    In the campus wide email, President Tom Jackson states that the UC, which provides student facing services like the dining services and the Humboldt Bay Aquatic Center, has 90 days to correct the six breaches. With the notice sent on Sept. 24, the UC has until Dec. 24 to make the corrections.

    President Jackson stated in the email that the decision came after discussions with CSU Chancellor Timothy White, the university plans to take over some responsibilities “…ensuring students still have employment opportunities and that services supporting students are continued…” while the board attempts to make corrections.

    “The UC professional staff and student employees who work hard for our campus, community, and students each day are outstanding, and resolution of issues at the executive and fiduciary level should not disrupt them as they continue to serve and support HSU students,” Jackson said in the email.

    No word was given on what would happen to services run by the UC if the termination were to be finalized.

    Members of the UC Board were not told ahead of time of the termination and learned of the notice the same time the campus and media were told. 

    In a statement made by UC Faculty Representatives Steve Martin, Ph.D, Mark Rizzardi, Ph.D, and Armeda Reitzel, Ph.D, the board expressed their disapproval with the move.

    “Unfortunately, we find ourselves in an environment where authority seems to outweigh collaboration,” the statement said. “A memo was sent to the UC, at the same time as to the media and the public, of a termination of contract notice. We can’t help but wonder if there were ulterior reasons to motivate such a disproportionate response.”

    Of the six breaches that the notice brings forward, three of them included the business relationship between the North Humboldt Recreation and Park District, focusing in particular on the Arcata Community Pool.

    According to the notice, the UC Board opened a $300,000 line of credit for the NHRPD in Aug. of this year, as well as transferring $100,000 and $50,ooo to them in Feb. and July respectively. These actions, according to the president’s statement, violate Executive Order 1059 which states that  “Campus auxiliary organizations are . . . operated solely for the benefit of the campus.”

    In a separate email, Martin said “Everything the University Center did with respect to the line of credit we extended to the Arcata Community Pool was done above-board, in public, and even the University Controller recommended it and voted in favor of it, as did administrator Dean of Students Dr. Eboni Turnbow.

    “For the President to pull the termination trigger on our operating agreement is akin to using a nuclear bomb to respond to a mosquito bite,” Martin said.

    Dean Turnbow was also not one of the administrative team members mentioned in the notice of termination, which included Vice President for Administration & Finance Sherie Gordon and Vice President for Enrollment Management Jason Meriwether.

    Gracie Oliva, a student employee of the HBAC, expressed her concerns during a September interview about administration’s decisions, calling it a slap in the face to the entire student body.

    “I want students to know that if Center Activities or HBAC are affected, it would be a detrimental change,” Olivia said. “The Recreation Administration program is held up by these programs. Without them, I feel like it would crumble.”

  • Legal doubts over HBAC misuse

    Legal doubts over HBAC misuse

    Students and faculty voice discontent with treatment of Aquatic Center

    The Humboldt Bay Aquatic Center continued to be a pressing topic in University Center Board meeting.

    At the Sept. 10 UC Board meeting, members of the board including Faculty Representatives Steve Martin and Mark Rizzardi showed continued frustration at the decisions made by members of HSU Administration that affected the Aquatic Center.

    According to Martin, moving the Office of Alumni & Engagement and the HSU Foundation into the HBAC office spaces, displacing employees happened without approval of the UC Board.

    An anonymous source close to the situation said, “Of the inside office space, they’ve taken over about 95 percent.” The problem is, according to the source, HSU is now accumulating the spaces outside.

    Acting Interim Executive Director Todd Larsen claimed he visited the center to talk to employees and listen to concerns, but did not speak further on the matter or address any issues brought up by members of the public during the meeting.

    The anonymous source stated that while Larsen did meet with members of the HBAC to discuss the possible solutions and issues occurring, he also sent out an email that stated he wanted full control of the situation.

    “An email went out saying not to talk to the media,” the source said. “That Larsen wanted to control everything we were discussing.”

    Mairead Sardina, operations supervisor at the HBAC, said during the Zoom meeting that the UC Board’s lack of leadership on the issue was discouraging.

    “The Aquatic Center has major changes happening and the Board is yet to address that,” Sardina said. “It is very important that we feel that there is not this apathy or lack of urgency that are everyday affecting our staff members.”

    Sardina said that while she has been working with Larsen to find a proper balance, there is simply not enough space to allow external programs within the HBAC and maintain the level of safety needed to operate.

    “They have taken all of the space upstairs and the downstairs front lobby office,” Sardina said. “At first I was told that my new office was the maintenance closet, which was just truly OSHA unsafe. I really, truly do not believe that it is not safe for this city to be putting people out on the water without an office that overlooks the water and the dock.”

    Sardinia’s sentiments were reinforced by the anonymous source, who called the HBAC a command center. Working with both the city of Eureka and the state of California to teach proper boating, waterway safety and acting as onsite lifeguards, the HBAC struggles to remain in active command when faced away from the water.

    “This is a command center. We can’t command if we are facing the road,” the source said. “HSU cannot afford to lose one more student.”

    Associate Professor Genevieve Marchand said that she was also surprised about the lack of action but focused on the safety risks posed to students and the community due to the changes.

    Marchand worked with Center Activities and the Aquatic Center to create the the Outdoor Assistantship Program, where students can learn valuable skills like boating safety and making risk management positions.

    “In this case, we are talking about the life of people and the future employment of our students,” Marchand said. “I feel like it has been completely disregarded.”

    According to Rizzardi, the University’s disregard of safety protocol may be in direct violation of the agreement made between the city of Eureka and HSU.

    The agreement created and signed in 2003, stated that the HBAC, then known as the Boating and Instruction Safety Center, would be leased to the university on the agreement that they use to space “…to provide a program of boating and water safety instruction and other educational uses to students, faculty and staff of Humboldt State University and boating and water safety instruction to the general public.”

    Recreational use of the space can only occur when it does not interfere with the ability to teach the needed lessons.

    The lease also stated that HSU could not “…assign, sublease, or otherwise convey ant interest in this Lease…” without the prior consent of the city. In addition, any organization that the city does consent to occupy space within the HBAC must adhere to the same rules as HSU itself.

    “As far as I can tell, we are in total violation of that agreement right now,” said Rizzardi. “I think this seriously needs to be looked into.”

    If the City of Eureka finds that the contract has been violated, they are allowed to take legal action against HSU, including fines and the possibility of voiding agreements.

    The Property Management Division of Eureka was reached for comment, but did not respond in time of writing this article. No members of the Board of Directors or HSU administration stated if the required written notice of changes were given to the city.

  • Tension and Fear Among the Board of Directors

    Tension and Fear Among the Board of Directors

    A tense emergency Board of Directors reveals conflict between faculty and Administration.

    Tempers flared when an emergency Zoom meeting by the University Board of Directors turned into verbal arguments and accusations between several members on the call.

    The Aug. 28 meeting held by the University Center Board of Directors and open to the public originally set forth to tackle various agenda items and approve of new members.

    The two items that took up a majority of the meeting, however, where the firing of the UC’s legal counsel and changes the administration has made that affect facilities managed by the group.

    When the meeting was opened to public comment, student employees of the Humboldt Bay Aquatic Center stated that they were being asked by HSU to leave their offices. Center Activities Manager Bridget Hand confirmed this information, stating that employees were given little notice to clear their offices.

    Vice President of Enrollment Management Jason Meriwether and Acting Executive Director Todd Larson stated that the reason for departure was so that the building could prepare for renovations. Meriwether said that the space may be used for other departments in the meantime.

    Gracie Olivia, a student employee at HBAC, said that the job offered leadership roles and was a vital part of the community.

    “I want the board and everyone attending this meeting to understand the importance of the Center,” said Olivia.

    “Why are wholesale changes being made before the program review? The loss of HBAC as a public facility is a real loss to the community.”

    Financial Officer Gregg Foster

    With no office to operate out of, both Olivia and Hand noted that they would not be able to offer equipment rentals.

    Faculty Representative Steve Martin and Financial Officer Gregg Foster expressed confusion and anger at the circumstances. According to them, the UC board was uninformed of the entire situation.

    “Why are wholesale changes being made before the program review?” said Foster in the Zoom chat. “The loss of HBAC as a public facility is a real loss to the community.”

    In an email, Martin continued to express his frustration at the situation.

    “I’m concerned that employees of HBAC say that they can’t provide services to students safely and effectively because of the changes that were implemented over the summer, said Martin. “Changes that were implemented without first consulting the University Center Board.”

    Meriwether expressed his surprise with the board, stating that proper written notice was provided to former UC Executive Director Dave Nakamura. Martin said during the call that Nakamura was fired by the administration before being able to properly brief the UC Board.

    Further complicating the matter was the lack of legal representation for the UC Board regarding these actions, as the attorney for the group had been let go by Larson.

    The attorney from Erikson Law Firm, which had represented the UC Board of Directors since 2017, had refused to help draft a proposal with Larson to present to the Board. Larson also said the attorney had also violated a written contract agreed upon by the two, which to Larson “raised some red flags.”

    Foster, Martin and other members of the Board said that this was a decision that should have been run solely by the Board itself.

    Martin said that even if the action was legal, it raised moral and ethical flags about Larson and his actions put the board in a state of unease.

    These actions have created a fear among faculty members outside the board as well, that discouraged faculty members from speaking up.

    “Like everyone else in my position, we fear retaliation from an administration that is overreaching and abusing their power,” said one source close to the situation, who wished to remain anonymous. “If you are receiving PC responses from others, it’s because we are all very worried about what we are witnessing. We have been given specific language to use when speaking with the media and that language only reflects that of the administration’s story.”

    The next UC Board meeting is scheduled for Sept. 10.

  • Convenience costs

    Convenience costs

    By | Curran Daly

    Getting food on campus is convenient for students, yet comes with an additional price. Humboldt State Dining food is more expensive than food bought at Safeway in Arcata and WinCo in Eureka.

    Chris Bautista has been at Humboldt State for three years and eats on-campus for the convenience.

    “Some things are expensive, but some things are not,” said Bautista, while holding a three dollar cupcake. “Eating here is more convenient so I just eat here.”

    Prices
    Graphic by Curran C. Daly

    Humboldt State is far from the cheapest option for food in the area. When compared to Winco and Safeway, Humboldt State is almost always the most expensive option for many quick grab options for food.

    Humboldt’s beloved Yerba Mate teas are $3.39 on campus when paying cash versus $2.22 at Winco and $2.49 at Safeway.

    Director of Dining Services, Ron Rudebock, wants students to know that due to Humboldt’s small size compared to national chains the price we pay for food is higher.

    “Safeway and Winco beat our prices,” said Rudebock. “At Winco, sometimes, we can find things for sale at a cheaper price than we can buy them wholesale.”

    Humboldt might not be able to beat all the prices of other local retailers, but the money spent at HSU stays at HSU. Rudebock also wants students to understand all the places that their money goes after they spend it at an on-campus location.

    “Food sold on campus helps pay for operating costs of the UC Center,” said Rudebock. “Money spent here on campus stays on campus.”

    According to the 2016-2017 Fiscal Budget for the University Center, Dining’s annual intake from food sales of more than 12 million dollars accounts for 74.8 percent of total revenue for the University Center. Despite the large in-take, Dining’s gross profit is only around $700,000 after paying for food cost, employees, and other operating costs.

    While Dining contributes the most amount of money to the University Center’s revenue, it also must pay its many student employees who make up the majority of HSU Dining’s staff.

    “We only have 28 full-time employees between our various locations,” said Rudebock. “Without student employees, we couldn’t operate.”

    The excess money from the Dining’s revenue goes towards keeping prices down across campus for other University Center organizations such as Center Arts, Center Activities, and the Student Rec Center.

    Ameer Abdullah, a transfer Recreation Major, believes that keeping food affordable is key when serving the college community.

    “It’s college it should always be affordable,” said Abdullah. “The food should be better if we are paying so much for it.”