2024 Fall Term Greetings from the PSU Board of Trustees

Dear PSU Community,

Welcome to the Fall term! This term, we will have a new strategic plan outlining the direction of PSU for 2030, a fall class of 4,800 new students, the opening of the new Vernier Science Center, and three new student trustees on the Board of Trustees.

This year also represents a time of opportunities and challenges for the entire campus community. We must move forward on a path of financial sustainability. We will be addressing an $18 million Education and General Fund deficit this year, as the continued use of reserve spending is not sustainable for the long-term success of PSU.

We are committed to ensuring the long-term success of PSU, its students, faculty, and staff. As a Board, we are all stewards of PSU; we take our role to support the university’s mission seriously. We expect to be faced with difficult decisions as we navigate a path toward a more sustainable future, but we approach these challenges with optimism and a shared dedication to PSU’s ability to serve the community for years to come.

Over the coming academic year, we will be working to create resources for onboarding our new trustees and finding methods for ongoing education for all trustees. These resources may also be valuable to the campus community. We are launching our “Flipped Orientation Module” with  the first module providing an Introduction to the PSU budget (video and resource library). If you have any questions or comments please feel free to share them.

As I mentioned, we have three new trustees who joined the board in July, and I would like to introduce them to the campus ahead of our first meeting of the year on Sept. 27.

Introduction to Three New Student Trustees

Jasmine Beach
Nonvoting Undergraduate Student Position

Jasmine Beach is a senior at Portland State University Honors College, pursuing a major in Environmental Science Management with a minor in Law and Legal Studies. Her academic excellence is complemented by a rich background in design, event production, and a deep-rooted commitment to community advocacy.

As a two-year Writer’s Fellow in the Honors College, Jasmine honed her ability to elevate diverse perspectives through thoughtful communication. Her role on the PSU Tuition Review Advisory Committee further solidified her dedication to addressing student concerns and ensuring that marginalized voices are central to institutional decision-making. Now, as a member of the PSU Board of Trustees, Jasmine is passionately committed to facilitating transformative change and ensuring that university leadership remains accountable to its promises of diversity, equity, and inclusion, fostering an environment where all students can thrive.

Beach - BOT
AJ BOT

AJ Romero-Gemmell
Undergraduate Student Position

AJ Romero-Gemmell is a dual major student studying Business Administration Management & Leadership and Public Health Services Administration, as well as a dual minor in Spanish and Legal Studies. As a student in the workforce, he hopes

 to bring the perspective of working students who have to constantly balance their professional lives against their academic aspirations. With this perspective, he intends to help the board implement policies that fundamentally redefine the student experience to help Portland State meet students where they are.

    

Angelika Vinevtseva
Graduate Student Position

Angelika Vinevtseva is a graduate student from Russia and a proud PSU ’23 alum with a degree in Political Science. She is currently pursuing her MBA. As a new trustee, Angelika aims to connect the voices of students, faculty, and administration while fostering a future of trust and collaboration at Portland State. Her favorite quote is, ‘Keep your eyes on the stars, but your feet on the ground,’ by Theodore Roosevelt.

 

Angelika - BOT

As always, the Board webpage has various resources that you may find helpful, including the yearly calendar, meeting notices, meeting recordings, and other information. Feel free to utilize the Feedback form, where you can share meeting feedback, general comments, or recommendations on characteristics or candidates we should consider when we have a trustee vacancy.

Benjamin Berry
Board of Trustees Chair


If you want to invite the Board of Trustees to a campus event, email trustees@pdx.edu

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