Corey Dives In

by Joe Gutierrez

Fall 2004

One of the issues Corey Jackson plans to look into is increasing financial aid grants to students. It’s a plan sure to win support among any of the 409,000 California State University students once they hear, of course, that Jackson was appointed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to the California State University Board of Trustees.

A junior and a political science major at Cal State San Bernardino, the 22-year-old is only the second CSUSB student in school history appointed to the CSU board. He’s serving a two-year term as a trustee and is one of two student representatives on the 24-member body. Even though he doesn’t have full voting rights in the first year of his term, he plans an active two years, a pace he’s accustomed to as an activist from Rialto.

“I don’t plan to sit on the bench and just watch. I want to work on issues that affect students at Cal State San Bernardino and other CSU campuses,” Jackson said. “I plan to meet with people at CSUSB and the chancellor’s office on what issues are important to them. I plan to work with the other trustees and the governor’s office.”

The Board of Trustees sets policy and provides guidance for the 23-campus system, its students and 44,000 faculty members. The CSU system is the largest single-administration provider of higher education in the world. Any increases in financial aid by the board could reduce the overall amount of student loans and lower the staggering amount of debt newly graduated students accumulate from those loans.

CSUSB President Albert Karnig praised Jackson as a young man determined to make a difference in dealing with issues that affect CSU students, faculty and staff. “Corey Jackson is a special young man,” Karnig said. “In fact, despite being only 22, he already has an established and well-respected track record in dealing with K-12 and higher education issues. Corey is thoughtful, extremely personable, very intelligent and committed to educational excellence.”

The trustees also appoint the chancellor and vice chancellors for the system as well as campus presidents. Jackson, who as the student representative will have full voting rights in the second year of his term, was one of eight individuals appointed by the governor. Unlike the other appointees, Jackson does not need legislative confirmation because he is a student representative. CSUSB’s first student CSU trustee was Kevin Gallagher, who served from 1978-80.

“Each of these highly qualified individuals shares my commitment to higher education and will work passionately to ensure the continuing success of the California State University system,” said Gov. Schwarzenegger of Jackson and his other new appointees.

At CSUSB, Jackson has served as a member of the Student Union Board of Directors and as legislative coordinator for the California State University, San Bernardino Lobby Corp. He also serves as the chairman of the Housing Redevelopment and Beautification Commission in the city of Rialto. He has participated in a number of community activities and groups. He has been the state president of the California State NAACP Youth and College Division, founder of the Future Professional Leaders Organization and student board member of the Rialto Unified School District Board of Education. .

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