Camarillo, California (March 23, 2023) - The CSU Board of Trustees this week gave CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) a unanimous green light for a proposal to add 18 new academic programs.

CSUCI President Richard Yao was invited by the Board of Trustees to present the campus’s new Academic Master Plan (AMP) on March 21 in Long Beach. Yao pointed out that the proposal—presented as the University celebrates its 20th anniversary—represents the first significant revision to CSUCI’s AMP in 10 years.

“The degree proposals presented today represent over 15 months of intensive work,” Yao said. “Beginning in December 2021, over 50 faculty members worked in various teams facilitated by our Provost, Dr. Mitch Avila.”

That effort established the foundation for the development of the 2023 AMP submission, which listed 18 proposed undergraduate and graduate programs in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields, media, computer science, psychology, business, Spanish, nursing and health sciences, Black and Africana studies, and Native American & Indigenous Studies. There is also a proposal for CSUCI to offer its own Doctorate of Education (Ed.D) in Educational Leadership.

Avila cautioned that the list of proposed programs signals the University’s intent to offer the degree, but in order to actually be developed a new degree must meet a number of criteria such as student demand, workforce need, and sufficient resources. He offered examples of programs that he anticipated would meet such criteria.

“I think a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Cybersecurity is a good example of workforce demand and funding. Cinema and Emerging Media has a good chance, too, as there is demand for video and film production degrees.”

Avila also thought the master of science degree in counseling proposed through the School of Education would create a pathway for students and professionals to become qualified as a school counselor in the PreK-12 school system.

When considering which degrees to offer, the teams who developed the AMP considered four major criteria. It must: 1) match statewide workforce demands identified by Governor Gavin Newsom in the CSU Compact ; 2) meet regional workforce needs; 3) meet student demand and drive enrollment growth; and 4) reflect CSUCI’s values and mission, “explicitly including diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility,” Yao told the Board.

Many of the graduate program proposals will incorporate a “four-plus-one” strategy in which students in their senior year can take courses that will apply toward both their baccalaureate and master’s degrees. The value of offering courses through a hybrid or remote format will also be considered, Yao said.

After Yao’s presentation, trustees offered congratulations on a well-presented proposal, including Trustee Leslie Gilbert-Lurie, who expressed how impressed she was with CSUCI during a recent visit to the campus during which she had the opportunity to learn about specific programs and how they addressed the needs of the state and regional workforce, the students, and the mission of the University.

“I just can’t help but believe that if we really stick to those criteria and continue to build innovative programs, students will come,” she said.

The proposals now go to the Chancellor’s Office for review, possible revisions, and either final acceptance or rejection.

Below is a summary of proposed new degrees for CSUCI Academic Master Plan:

BS Data Science

BS Cybersecurity

BS Forensic Science

BS Statistics

BA Cinema & Emerging Media

BA Spanish/English Translation and Interpretation

BA Black & Africana Studies

BA Native American & Indigenous Studies

MS Business Analytics

MA Psychology

MA Public Administration

MS Counseling

MS Biology

MS Digital Marketing

MS Health Admin with Cert in Gerontology

MS Public Health

MA English

Ed.D. Educational Leadership