Cheyne is past Vice Chair of the CSU Senate, has served on the system’s Budget Advisory Committee and has been a member of the Trustees Honorary Degrees Subcommittee.
“Bernadette knows the system well from her substantial service as a member of the statewide Senate, and she is an excellent choice for the Faculty Trustee of the CSU,” said Humboldt State President Rollin Richmond. “She will bring a perspective to her fellow Trustees that has been missing for some time.”
Accepting the appointment, Cheyne noted that the position had been vacant for more than two years. “So I believe a critical part of my responsibilities will include networking with my colleagues throughout the system to offer the Board the perspectives of those of us who work with students on a daily basis,” she said. “Ultimately, I intend to focus all of my knowledge and abilities toward being fully informed on all Board issues, and working with the members of the Board and other relevant constituencies to maintain the power and integrity of our educational mission during these very challenging times.”
Cheyne has been a member of the Humboldt State faculty for more than 20 years. She has served in multiple roles on the Arcata campus, as former Interim Associate Dean of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences and former Chair of the Department of Theater, Film, and Dance.
Cheyne also is a long-time member of the HSU Academic Senate, where she has served since 1995. A former chair of that body, she has been a member of its Executive Committee since 1995, and was a member of the 2008 Academic Prioritization Committee.
“I am honored and deeply grateful for the opportunity to serve the people of California and my academic colleagues as a member of the CSU Board of Trustees,” said Cheyne, who has accumulated more than 40 years of experience in theater, as actor and director as well as professor. “I wish to thank HSU President Rollin Richmond and Provost Bob Snyder for their support of my candidacy, as well as many of my Statewide Senate colleagues, former Faculty Trustees, and current and past students who offered recommendations on my behalf.”