The Road is Never Straight - CSUSB Magazine - California State ...

PRESIDENT’S OBSERVATIONS
CHALLENGES TO THE FUTURE
Albert Karnig
by Albert Karnig
The university, and the
county of San Bernardino,
recently celebrated the bravery
and true heroism of the fire
fighters, emergency workers,
law enforcement personnel and
others who fought the vicious
wildfires in our region last fall.
It was an inspiring occasion for
me, standing on the platform at
Coussoulis Arena, looking out
over a sea of hundreds of men
and women in uniform, knowing
that their actions saved
thousands of homes and untold
numbers of lives.
And yet as I spoke with
these heroes, their tone was not self-congratulatory but cautiously
wary: Yes, we were fortunate to be able to protect so
many lives and so much property this time around. But there
are still dangers before us. Tens of thousands of dead trees,
victims of the bark beetle, still stand as tinder in the San
Bernardinos, America’s densest national forest. And the
denuded hillsides were ripe for mud, rock and debris slides
that could pose further danger, they said.
“We know that the greatest threat to our community, our state, and our
very way of life would be our failure to educate the coming generations.”
How prophetic those comments were. Exactly 11 days
later, on Christmas Day, 14 lives were lost in Waterman
Canyon and Devore to slides caused by the heavy rains of
that day. These tragedies have spurred even greater efforts to
clear debris from storm channels, reinforce mountain roads
and change building codes to prevent future fire and flood
damage.
Physical danger is, of course, one of the constants of life
on our planet; it’s one that modern man has largely forgotten
in the 20th and 21st centuries, as civilization, urbanization,
modern medicine and the industrial revolution have
removed or minimized many of the threats that plagued our
forefathers and mothers. The late Bob Hope used to joke
that California is the land of four seasons: rain, wind, fire
and earthquake. Living and working at the foot of the Cajon
Pass, where high winds regularly cross over the intersection
of the infamous San Andreas Fault, the Cal State San
Bernardino community is quite keenly aware of the physical
challenges we face.
But not all of our challenges are physical. The current
budget situation facing California has erected barriers that
block access to higher education. This confounds all our
efforts, here at the university and in the community, to
encourage students and their families to work hard and plan
to attend college. We have worked so hard to increase the
college-going rate; now we don’t want to raise hopes only to
have them dashed by budget reductions. While at the time of
this writing the state budget situation is far from settled, I
think I speak for everyone in the CSU system as well as all of
public higher education in California when I say I hope we
can keep the doors open to as many students as possible.
We know that the greatest threat to our community, our
state, and our very way of life would be our failure to educate
the coming generations. Higher education is, and always
will be, the “way up” for most people. It’s a demonstrable
fact that over a lifetime bachelor’s degree holders earn an
average of $1 million more than their high-school counterparts.
But it’s not simply money. An education opens the mind
to a world of possibilities, to paths that students never
thought could be pursued. A university education draws students
into a world of people who will share values, create
lifelong friendships and partnerships, and bring new personal
satisfactions.
Of course, none of these
great outcomes can occur if students
are denied access. Even
worse—the good outcomes
can’t take place if students
don’t believe in themselves
enough even to consider college.
It truly does take a village—or at least a family—to
believe in the student, to create a culture of expectancy for
college all through the student’s life.
Despite steep budget cuts and mandates—which will
amount to roughly 13 percent over two years—CSUSB will
try to promote access to as many students as possible.
Nonetheless, with significantly less funding, to maintain quality
our enrollment will decline by over 1,000 students next
year.
As we face the physical threats of nature and the implications
of lower budgets, let’s remember the absolutely crucial
role education plays in all our lives. And let’s work together
to bring its benefits to all who will have it.
4
CSUSB
Spring/Summer 2004