Student Measure Seeking Support

The Cal State Northridge student referendum intended to help fund the construction of athletic facilities might not survive without the financial support of on-campus auxiliary organizations.

Robert Hanff, president of the Northridge Associated Student Body, is scheduled to meet Thursday with leaders of the Northridge University Corporation and the University Student Union to discuss their possible financial involvement. The groups are two of five nonprofit, independent organizations affiliated with the university.

A vote on the referendum, part of an effort to help Northridge meet criteria to stay in the Big Sky Conference, was scheduled for October but was postponed until Nov. 9-10 so the measure could be rewritten.

“The precise wording was not correct to make it binding once it passed,” Hanff said. “Technically, the ASB can’t sell bonds. The referendum said we would finance the bonds, but it needs to say that one of the auxiliary organizations needs to finance them.”

Hanff said refusal of the University Corporation or University Student Union to offer support won’t necessarily signal a death blow for the initiative. Hanff said the ASB would approach CSU trustees for their financial support.

If approved, the referendum would require Northridge students to pay an additional $27 in fees in 2000-2001, increasing to $90 in 2002.

The fees would pay the interest on bonds used to finance construction of the facilities. The estimated cost of an 8,000-seat multipurpose stadium, also to be used for soccer, is $10 million. A 3,000-seat baseball stadium is estimated at $3 million. The recreation center is expected to cost about $20 million.

Northridge is under pressure from the Big Sky Conference to build an on-campus stadium for football, a condition of the Matadors’ inclusion in the conference. Doug Fullerton, Big Sky commissioner, said Northridge must show “significant progress” toward construction of the stadium by June.

Although there has been speculation that Northridge is exploring a move to the Big West Conference, Athletic Director Dick Dull said the university is committed to remaining a member of the Big Sky.

“We haven’t left the Big Sky and we haven’t made plans to join the Big West,” said Dull, who added that Northridge has no intention or desire to leave the Big Sky.

Tom McCarron, executive director and president of the University Corporation, said he is “optimistic” the corporation will be able to offer support.

Debra Hammond, executive director of the Student Union, could not be reached for comment.

“We’re agreeable to help as far as having the financial capability is concerned,” McCarron said. “It’s not our primary mission and we have other things to be concerned with. But we would like to help. If it is a priority to the university, then we would work to be supportive.”

The University Corporation is involved in managing a variety of financial endeavors, including university grants, contracts and endowments, campus food service, the campus bookstore, and faculty and staff housing.

The University Student Union has the authority to issue bonds and has been successful in funding non-university programs, including the student union facility. A Student Union spokesperson said the union’s board of directors ultimately will make the decision regarding its involvement.

“What we’re hoping to do on Thursday is gather more information from the ASB,” said Arna Fulcher, associate director for the Student Union. “We know they have a referendum and we have an idea of the kind of money they are trying to raise. But at this point, we can’t really tell what will happen.”

Other auxiliary organizations, including the Cal State Northridge Foundation and the North Campus University Park, have similar missions.

McCarron said the corporation’s board will make a decision regarding its involvement after investment bankers review the corporation’s financial status.

Hanff said enlisting the support of an auxiliary organization would prevent the referendum from being overturned by a future ASB vote.

“The way things were, a [future] student vote could have overturned the initiative,” Hanff said. “That’s why we needed to change the wording.”