by Chris Broderick
May 25th 2016
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More than 30 students spoke with the Portland State University Board of Trustees on Wednesday in a special two-hour meeting to try to open a more constructive dialogue on issues such as health insurance, campus safety and tuition.
The board invited students to meet after protests disrupted and shut down the last two meetings. The session opened with trustees sharing personal stories and detailing their interest in PSU and education in general. Board Chair Peter Nickerson explained that the board is appointed by the governor to provide general direction and not to micromanage administration and faculty leaders who share responsibility for operations such as curriculum, hiring and recruitment.
A series of student panels discussed health insurance, campus safety, tuition, diversity and governance. A future meeting will be scheduled to continue the discussion and take up curriculum, academic programs and student life.
The student panel on health insurance disagreed whether coverage should be required as it is now. Nikki Dennis said the cost of premiums is too high for those who don’t have their own health insurance, while Dechen Dolkar said “access really does matter” for students who are able to get care on campus at the Center for Student Health and Counseling.
Three students on the safety panel spoke out against the board’s decision in 2014 to add sworn, armed officers to the Campus Public Safety Office. “We are not comfortable with campus (security) being armed,” said Desiree DuBoise.
Trustee Tom Imeson said the board made the decision after lengthy study, public comment, student input and a series of meetings and forums. It came down to a decision to develop a more inclusive and responsive safety strategy that enables PSU to hire, train and oversee a campus security force, rather than depend on Portland or state police who are not part of the university community.
Students on the tuition panel acknowledged that PSU’s tuition is far less expensive than University of Oregon and Oregon State but said a growing number of PSU students are experiencing tough personal circumstances and need more help. Trustees Maude Hines and Rick Miller agreed that an affordable PSU education is the central mission of the university and the board is focused on finding new ways to keep tuition low and offer more need-based scholarships.