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Students are one of the voices on PSU’s campus, and it is a part of the Kansas Board of Regents’ job to listen, in order support students properly.
On Thursday, Nov. 21 students had the opportunity to speak with Jon Rolph, a member of the Kansas Board of Regents (KBOR). The meeting took place from 2:45 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., in room S110, located in the Kansas Technology Center (KTC). The purpose of this meeting was so that Rolph could answer any questions that students have about the board, and also to discuss students’ prevalent issues on campus, and the steps to make changes on campus.
“We (KBOR) help evaluate the presence of the universities,” Rolph said. “We help approve budgets, tuition and policies around higher education.”
Rolph chairs the board in Wichita, KS, and answered questions that students may had about the board, and changes that can be made at PSU.
“We are always trying to look at some issues, and ways to fix them,” Rolph said.
The audience members were mainly students apart of the Student Government Association (SGA). Some of the main points that were discussed was campus unity, and lack of campus funding.
“Campus unity is something that we (PSU) struggle with,” said Seth George, junior in hospitality management. “Anyone that is stationed at the rec or at the tech, they don’t feel a part of the main campus.”
The campus recreation center and the KTC are buildings further away from main campus that hold classes for many majors. One of the main departments that is held at the KTC is the College of Technology.
“As long as we get the ball rolling, we will have a large impact on what campus engagement looks like,” George said.
Another topic that was discussed at the meeting was the lack of student involvement. SGA believes that student activities and campus engagement is focused towards freshman students, which causes a disconnect in upperclassmen.
“I came from a background also about a high value of the student experience,” Rolph said.
Some students expressed their opinion that in order to have engagement from the whole campus, there needs to be a change in cost and accessibility.
“Student life is an important of retention and staying in college” said Erin Kruse, senior in sustainability.
The board consists of nine members in total, which were appointed by the Kansas governor Laura Kelly. The KBOR governs PSU, as well as five other state universities: Emporia State University, Fort Hays State University, Kansas University, Kansas State University, and Wichita State University. They also govern, 19 community colleges, one municipal university, and six technical colleges. The board manages the state’s student financial aid, adult education and other career and technical education programs.
“They truly do care,” George said. “They want to have student input and make sure that they’re meeting student expectations.”
Rolph said he strived to answer as many questions from students that he could. He also wanted to ask for student feedback on things that should change at PSU.
“I think he was very attentive,” Kruse said. “We both asked him questions, and also wanted to hear from us.”
