Oversight bill dies, sparking conflict

PeopleSoft conversion, other tech projects would have been affected

By Rory Sa

The conflict between California State University officials and the California Faculty Association over the Common Management System (CMS) has reached a new impasse with the withdrawal of a critical oversight bill, created as a response to the CMS.

Assembly Bill AB 491, which would require increased scrutiny over CSU information technology purchases, was shelved last week after its fate was tied to senate bill SB 971, a bill requiring faculty members who work outside the university system to disclose their work to their academic deans each year.

The mutual linking of the two bills require both bills to be passed in order for either of them to go into effect. The entwining of both bills was initiated by state senator John Burton (D-San Francisco). A representative from Burton’s office was quoted in the Chronicle of Higher Education as saying that Burton halted the bill at the CSU’s request.

The author and primary sponsor of the bill, Assemblyman Manny Diaz (D-San Jose), accused the CSU system of playing politics at the cost of students’ education.

“ In a time when student fees are increasing and student services continue to be drastically reduced, I am appalled to see the CSU manipulate the legislative process rather than engage a sound policy that will protect students and the University,” Diaz said in a press release.

AB 491 would require a state-appointed auditor to oversee future information-technology purchasers by the CSU system valued at more than $3 million. Purchases of more than $20 million would have to be reviewed by the governor and examined as part of the annual budget process.

The state assembly approved AB 491 in June. The state senate expanded the bill to include purchases by the University of California, and was passed in September. SB 971 was put on hold in September at the request of assembly member Rudy Bermudez (D-Orange County).

The bills may be brought back for debate in January, when the legislature begins its second year of meeting.

California’s legislative session has ended for the year, but proponents of the bill say that the bills will be brought back in January for next year’s session.

CMS refers to the PeopleSoft software, which is responsible for financial management, human resources and student administration. CMS required all 23 campuses in the CSU system to switch their administrative software to PeopleSoft over an 11-year period.

Fresno State was one of 11 campuses to initiate the PeopleSoft conversion in 1999. In Fall 2003 PeopleSoft came under increased fire from students, staff and faculty members as students waited outside the Financial Aid office and administrative assistants struggled to adapt to the new software.

The campus’ two major unions, CFA and California State Employees Association (CSEA), have been sharp critics of CMS, and played a key role in initiating an audit of CMS.

Diaz and State Senator Richard Alarcon have been two of the most vocal critics of CMS, playing a key role in initiating the audit and urging the CSU administration to put a hold on future spending for the project.

In a 179-page analysis of the project, the state auditor concluded that CMS was excessively expensive and poorly managed. The report also alleged that there were several instances of potential conflicts of interest, such as CSU’s Vice Chancellor for Information Technology, David Ernst, receiving compensation from PeopleSoft at the same time he was participating in the initial CMS procurement process.

The CSU has put $16 million on hold for CMS this year. Despite the budget crisis in the state, Colleen Bently-Adler, CSU’s director of pulic affairs, said that CMS implementation would be finished by June 2007.

Representatives from Assembly member Diaz and State Senator Burton were unavailable for comment at press time.