By As part of the California State University system’s Academic Master Plan, California State University, Long Beach recently passed a new degree program to be implemented over the next decade.
CSULB’s newly added program will be one of 29 throughout the 14 participating CSU campuses. The Academic Master Plan — a comprehensive list to guide CSU programs, faculty and facility development — will also suspend 39 programs from different universities.
CSULB has seven programs that will be suspended: the Bachelor of the Arts in engineering systems, Master of the Arts in applied sociology and the Master of the Arts in global logistics, among others.
“Through a lot of vetting processes, speaking to practitioners in the community, those programs are not necessarily where California is headed,” Stephanie Thara, a public affairs communications specialist at the CSU Chancellor’s office, said.
Students in these programs will be able to finish their degrees, but no new enrollments will be allowed.
Not all seven programs will be fully suspended. Some will be transitioned into a new program.
For example, the Master of Science in global logistics degree will transition into the Master of Science in supply chain management. This specific transition of the program is due to the city of Long Beach having one of the biggest ports in the country and workforce demands.
“It would make sense for CSULB to offer programs that can meet the workforce demands of one of the world’s most active supply chain environments,” Michael Uhlenkamp, the executive director of media and digital news at CSULB, said.
Thara said that the new degrees are designed to help students join the workforce.
“We’re doing our mission and doing everything we can to push out these graduates who will be successful in the emerging workforce,” Thara said.
Newly added programs represent each university’s long-term academic plan. The planning takes into consideration student needs, workforce demands and resource availabilities.
Thara said most of the new programs that will be offered are in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math.
“We’re trying to provide skilled graduates to meet [the fields’] needs,” Thara said.
CSULB will be adding a master of science in hospitality management.
Uhlenkamp said that this new program is an area where they are seeing growth.
“We’re going to be training members of the workforce who are going to go out into the Long Beach community and earn the jobs that are going to be critical for our future workforce,” Uhlenkamp said.
Thara said that funding for the CSU system is crucial as new programs will be implemented.
According to the CSU website, Governor Jerry Brown proposed $119 million in additional ongoing funding for 2015-2016. This is $97 million less than the CSU Board of Trustees’ budget request.
Thara said that faculty and students are coming together to lobby the legislature during their Impact Days the CSU system sets aside each semster for faculty and students to lobby or voice concerns.
“We advocate to the legislator in the state capitol,” Thara said. “Students go, faculty go and our presidents go.”
The next CSU Legislative Advocacy Day is on Tuesday. CSU leaders and stakeholders will speak to legislators about the CSU and the importance of funding amongst other necessities.
Uhlenkamp said that giving students opportunities would make them greater forces in their respected field.
“I think it’s going to allow us to train more students to have a greater impact in the community,” Uhlenkamp said.
