HSU ends deal with University Center
While HSU says move is opportunity for reimagining, former board member calls it a loss for the community
A f ter a months- long power struggle, Humboldt State University has ended its 50-year agreement with the University Center. The move by HSU President Tom Jackson Jr. outsourced dining services and broke up UC programs in an effort to “reimagine services to students.”
As stated in a letter from Jackson to the UC board of directors, the UC failed to properly address “six serious breaches” that were outlined in a letter to the board in September and noted the recent breaches “do not appear to be isolated incidents of mismanagement within the UC.” Although Jackson admitted two of the breaches were addressed in a satisfactory way, “the CSU no longer has confidence in the UC’S performance of these critical campus functions at a time when our students need them most,” Jackson wrote.
“The CSU has carefully weighed the options available to it and considered the longstanding relationship between the UC, HSU, and the CSU,” the letter states. “HSU has entrusted the UC to provide critical functions to the HSU community and its students, including dining, recreation and wellness services, and performing arts. The CSU regrets its conclusion that the requisite trust necessary between campus and auxiliary has been irreparably broken through the UC’S breaches of the Operating Agreement, failure to cure, and failure to perform.”
Though HSU has oversight authority over the nonprofit UC, it functions as a separate auxiliary organization similar to the 80-plus auxiliaries across the California State University system which provide essential student services. The UC oversees student dining services, Centerarts, Center Activities and other programs.
What’s next?
The university will take over UC operations beginning Jan. 8, 2021. HSU has entered a short-term agreement for dining services with Chartwells Higher Education through June 2022.
“Chartwells is committed to working with University Center employees and local vendors, sustainable business practices, and evolving the dining program in alignment with CSU’S and HSU’S vision for the highest quality of services to HSU students,” said HSU spokesperson Grant M. Scott-goforth in an email on Wednesday, noting that the university has the option to extend the agreement with Chartwells.
“It’s important to note that the cost of student dining plans won’t change this year or next year,” Scott-goforth said. “Chartwells will enhance menu and technology and overall delivery of services and will provide an executive chef. HSU anticipates reduced costs because of the technological and business efficiencies Chartwells can provide.”
A previous effort to outsource dining services in July was not long-lasting: Aladdin Food Services began working closely with UC dining operations without a contract in July and after a month, ceased operations and left. The move was criticized by the UC board in a September letter.
Other functions of the UC will transition to HSU under the oversight of the Division of Enrollment Management and the Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreational Sports Department.
According to the university, the HSU Bookstore will not see any change or operation in services “and will continue to be managed in partnership with Follett with oversight from the Division of Enrollment Management.”
Centerarts and oversight of the University-owned student union building will be moved to Enrollment Management. Priorities will include expanding campus programming and events, enhancing the quality and responsiveness of student services, and continuing to offer engaging community programming. Intercollegiate Athletics & Recreational Sports will take on oversight of Center Activities, the Student Recreation Center, Humboldt Bay Aquatics Center and the Recreational and Wellness Center.
As previously reported by the Times-standard, the university issued a 90-day notice of termination to the UC board at the end of September. The notice detailed a $300,000 line of credit given to the Northern Humboldt Recreation and Park District (which operates the Arcata Community Pool) by the UC as well as several other smaller wire transfers.
The pool used half of its line of credit, and owes the UC $75,000. The notice cited several CSU bylaws that stated, “Organizations are … operated solely for the benefit of the campus;” and auxiliaries agree “to receive and apply exclusively the funds and properties coming into its possession toward furthering (its contracted functions) for the benefit of CSU and the campus.”
Scott- Goforth noted additional details of the notice are available in Jackson’s letter and said, “the UC did not provide the university with required statements and two members of the UC Board refused to participate in the President’s review of the UC programs.”
Reaction to the shift
Scott- Goforth sees the shift as an opportunity for the university to “reimagine these programs.”
“Priorities will include expanding campus programming and events, enhancing the quality and responsiveness of student services, and continuing to offer engaging community programming,” he said.
Others are frustrated by the move by HSU.
“I’m sad,” said Gregg Foster, executive director of the Redwood Region Economic Development Commission and former UC board member. Foster was appointed to the liaison position in 2013 by former HSU President Rollin Richmond and reappointed twice more by President Lisa Rossbacher. Foster resigned from the board after the unexpected firing of UC executive director Dave Nakamura in July.