Challenges to the Future

by Albert Karnig

Spring 2004

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.

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.