During a Feb. 17 Faculty Senate meeting, CSUN President Jolene Koester said Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s budget plan for 2006 honors the compact he made with CSU and UC chancellors, and includes a 3.5 percent “compensation increase” for CSU faculty.

But she said the governor’s budget is preliminary.

“You shouldn’t go home and take your salary and do a 3.5 percent increase and assume that’s your salary next year,” Koester said. “It still needs to be negotiated, but it’s nice.”

The governor’s plan includes a 3.5 percent CSU increase for full-time student growth enrollment, which, for CSUN, would amount to an additional $4.6 million, Koester said.

“It’s a positive budget for us for the first time in quite a few years,” Koester said.

The money will not change any of the university’s plans, Koester said.

“The new money goes to the direct support of the students,” Koester said. “Not to make up for past cuts. (Those) cuts will still happen.”

Under the compact agreed upon by the governor and CSU and UC chancellors, undergraduate student fees in 2006 will go up 8 percent, and graduate student rates will increase 10 percent.