The Business of Getting an Education

Bernadette Cheyne, a member of California State University’s (CSU) Board of Trustees, replied to several questions asked by students and faculty during an open forum held on campus.

The Board of Trustees is responsible for the management, administration and control of state colleges. Cheyne is the only trustee representing CSU faculty while being a professor of theater, film and dance at Humboldt State University.

Cheyne said it’s her job to find issues from the ground level and then communicate them to her constituents. Cheyne said she wants to travel to every campus in order to understand the unique culture each has to offer.

“I appreciated her earnest but it seemed she was relatively on message, she was dismissive to a certain degree by fulfilling her responsibility [to the board],” Ezar LeBank said, an assistant professor in the theater department. “It’s frustrating that they’re interested in hearing, but not in changing.”

The forum raised questions about program eliminations and consolidations to which Cheyne said the board is discussing those topics. Regionalizing certain programs that do not attract high enrollment is a possibility.

“There is an increased cost and a decreased quality,” Cheyne said.

Most trustees work within the business world and few work within universities. Fiscal constraints are a reason board members are not able to visit campuses Cheyne said.  

“There were a lot of unanswered questions for a lot of people,” Jocelyn Sanchez said, a freshman theater major said she is unhappy with the cuts her department is experiencing.

Some students hunger for an education.