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Sheley recently took some time out from his busy schedule to answer a few questions for the Office of Communications and Public Affairs.
What has impressed you most in your first few months at CSU Stanislaus?
The thing that's impressed me the most is the level of commitment the faculty and staff members have to our students. We can debate what it means to serve our students and how to do it better, but that basic commitment isn't something that I question, and I saw that quickly when I started meeting people on campus. The budget situation is intense, and we're in crisis mode throughout the whole CSU system. And here are people who are worried, but even in all of that, they're still committed to giving students a quality education. That's huge.
One other thing that really jumps out at me is the beauty of the campus and the quality of the facilities. I've visited this campus in the past and always thought it was nice looking, but there's a depth to the quality of the facilities here, overall. It is an impressive place, much more so than I realized at first, and I hope I never come to take that for granted.
What is the most important thing you think people should know about the state budget situation as it applies to CSU Stanislaus?
Most people don't understand that the CSU system has already been cut by about $1 billion out of a $2.5 billion budget. Even with tuition increases, we've had to cut into muscle and well into the bone, and we're still coming up short.
If Proposition 30 — the governor's tax initiative — doesn’t pass in November, it will trigger another $250 million cut to the CSU system. If it does pass, it will help stop the bleeding a bit in the short term. But long term, we need to start positioning ourselves in the eyes of both the legislature and the chancellor's office so that when things start to turn back around and resources become available, we are thought of as a campus that should receive them. We can't be an afterthought, and it's up to all of us — from students, faculty and staff to community leaders, business owners and elected officials — to make sure we aren't.
You attended Sacramento State as a student and later returned in an administrative role, and now you're the interim president of a CSU campus. How has your impression of the CSU system changed over the years?
The CSU system has always been about access, meaning access to an affordable education without having to leave the region — and Sacramento State saved my life, basically. But "access" also means access to a university experience with depth and a lifelong relationship with that institution. I missed some of that because I was a commuter student when I was an undergraduate. The CSU campuses are much better now at nurturing and maintaining connection and pride. That's what it means to be part of your university’s community, and CSU Stanislaus students will feel it.
You spent much of your first summer at CSU Stanislaus out in the community, meeting business leaders and elected officials and getting to know the area. What do you believe should be the university's role within the region?
One of our primary roles is preparing the workforce, but in a way that goes beyond simply training students in the skills they need for their chosen profession. When students graduate from CSU Stanislaus and enter the job market, regardless of their field, they do so with a foundation that includes writing, communication, the use of technology, the ability to think critically — they are employees who are ready to work right away, and they have skills that set them apart from their peers. That also means they can adapt to a job market that is constantly evolving, which makes them more hirable and more valuable to their employers.
Beyond that, though, the university has a responsibility to connect with the community and the region in ways that are mutually beneficial. We need to have those discussions and create those partnerships — and we do a really good job of this already — that create work experience and networking opportunities for our students while also serving a need in Turlock or Modesto or Stockton or elsewhere within our region. That's where a university can really begin to make an impact on an area beyond just being one of its largest employers and helping to train its future workers.
Obviously it has been a busy time for you lately, but what are some things you enjoy doing in your time away from campus?
Well, there's not a whole lot of relaxing going on. Most days I get up at 6 in the morning, I pour a cup of coffee, I sit down at the breakfast counter, and I start reading reports. I'm reading up a lot on the history of the campus and its policies and the budget. That's what I need to be doing right now. I wouldn't describe myself as a workaholic in the negative sense, but for now, I am spending more time trying to get up to speed. I'd be hurting the university if I didn't.
I used to do a lot of bike riding, and I need to get back to that. I also played baseball into my mid-50s. I'm a big Giants fan and like to watch them on TV. I still remember when TV first started using the centerfield camera for ballgames. That really saved baseball. It meant you could understand pitching. You could see where the catcher set up, how the ball moved. Now you could really get inside the game.
Baseball and running a university — any parallels?
Yeah. There's a lot of strategy involved, and every pitch counts.