CSUB approves creation of ethnic studies department

Program will now be housed within School of Social Sciences and Education

By California State University, Bakersfield

December 14^th, 2021

Earlier this month, the California State University, Bakersfield Academic Senate unanimously approved a proposal allowing the formation of an ethnic studies department on campus. The department will be housed within the School of Social Sciences and Education.

“The creation of a Department of Ethnic Studies is a significant milestone,” said Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Academic Programs Dr. Debra Jackson. “Although CSUB has offered minors in the areas of Afro-American, Mexican-American, Asian and Latin-American studies since the university first opened in 1970, this is the first time the campus has provided a designated institutional structure to support the academic study of these four historically racialized groups in the U.S. This new department will not only support faculty and student research in the field — it will also provide an anchor for CSUB to become an anti-racist institution.”

CSUB has been actively working toward establishing an ethnic studies department over the past few years. In 2014, Chancellor Timothy White formed a statewide CSU Task Force on the Advancement of Ethnic Studies. While serving as president of CSUB, Dr. Horace Mitchell chaired the task force, which released its recommendation in 2016 calling for an expansion of ethnic studies in the CSU system.

That document led to the hiring of Dr. Jorge Moraga and Dr. Tracey Salisbury as assistant professors in 2017. Dr. Moraga specializes in Latinx/Chicanx studies while Dr. Salisbury specializes in Black studies. They, along with the ethnic studies program, have been housed within the interdisciplinary studies department.

Dr. Salisbury said CSUB allowing ethnic studies to be its own department will serve as an example for other CSU campuses to follow.

“We’ll be hopefully making a big splash,” she said. “This is a golden opportunity to show students that we’re an inclusive campus and will be a gem to kind of attract students to our institution. This is great news for students, faculty and staff. It’s been a long time coming.”

Giving students a voice

CSUB student Krystal Mae Raynes has advocating for the formation of an ethnic studies department on campus. In November, she spoke in favor of it during an Academic Senate meeting discussing the matter.

“Ethnic studies really affects me, who I am as a Filipino woman. It hits home for me because it’s the history of me and my people,” she said. “I knew that I spoke for a lot of people that feel the same exact way that I do.”

Raynes said ethnic studies is important because it gives students a voice and that having its own department will help CSUB better serve its students.

“Having this support for our ethnic studies faculty will help give the impression to incoming students that this is a welcoming environment, that we honor all histories here at CSUB,” she said.

As Raynes plans to graduate in the spring, she won’t be able to personally take advantage of the new department but is glad that future students will be able to benefit from it.

“People who look like me coming after me will have the opportunity to see themselves represented in more classes and have a better educational experience at CSUB,” she said. “I’m excited to see where CSUB will take it.”

Dr. Moraga said the establishment of an ethnic studies department will provide a great foundation to inspire more students to become leaders who will work together to create a better future for Kern County residents.

“Ethnic studies is about ensuring our students can engage in an anti-racist, feminist and liberatory curriculum that empowers them to ask the tough questions…so they can become the very best version of themselves and in turn become agents of change for their communities and our world,” he said. “The Department of Ethnic Studies at CSUB will provide a home for faculty, students and community members dedicated to examining our nation’s past to better understand our present and our responsibilities to this land, each other and future generations to come.”

Laying the foundation

As ethnic studies at CSUB currently exists as a concentration within the interdisciplinary studies department, that concentration will now be moved into its own department. This will allow Dr. Moraga and Dr. Salisbury to focus solely on teaching ethnic studies rather than having to also teach unrelated courses that are part of interdisciplinary studies.

“It’s an exciting opportunity for us to be a department. It’s so much more of a solid foundation,” Dr. Salisbury said. “This gives us a chance to be active members of own department, to decide our future, to decide what the curriculum is. We get a seat at the table as a department in terms of representation.”

The decision to form a department comes after the state implemented Assembly Bill 1460, which requires students take a three-unit ethnic studies course, starting with 2024-25 graduates. All CSU campuses were required to offer an introduction to ethnic studies course starting this academic year.

The CSU Board of Trustees approved the adoption of an ethnic studies Area F general education requirement last year.

Dr. Salisbury said the course has been a success this fall and that the sections available for spring have quickly filled up, even though only freshmen this year are required to take the course.

“There’s clearly a lot of interest from students beyond those just trying to meet the requirement,” she said. “Our students want to learn about themselves. They want to learn about where they came from.”

With the formation of an ethnic studies department, CSUB will be able to hire more staff and bulk up course offerings to meet demand. Some of the courses that are being created focus on pop culture, politics and activism as well as Afrofuturism.

“I’m a firm believer that this can be a highlighting department if we let it grow and let it be what it can be,” Dr. Salisbury said.

Now that the goal of getting an ethnic studies department approved has been achieved, Dr. Salisbury said the next step is to establish a bachelor’s degree program. That may take all of next school year to prepare for, however.

“There’s a lot of checks and balances that need to be done,” she said. “We’re going to make sure we have one of the best programs in the state. That’s our ambition.”

In the meantime, Dr. Salisbury expects the new department will be up and running for the start of the new academic year in 2022.

“I think we’re going to lay our basic foundation pretty quickly. The framework of the department is coming together," she said. "I’m enjoying the victory for the moment and just basking in the enjoyment. There’ll be plenty of time to roll our sleeves up in January. Right now, it’s all roses.”