History of the Chicano/a Studies Department
The 1960's were years of intense struggle for the Chicana/o community. The farmworkers were beginning to organize their union, the war in Viet Nam was escalating, students were becoming increasingly disillusioned and dissatisfied with their schools and with their teachers, and social, educational, political, and religious institutions were not responding to their plight. Chicanas/os were dropping out of schools in alarming rates, and very few were prepared well enough to go on to higher education if they survived the K-12 experience. Students walked out of East Los Angeles Schools in 1967 demanding a more relevant curriculum and teachers who would be sensitive to their needs and adequately prepared to teach them. During those times colleges and universities were not recruiting minorities. CSUN in 1967 had a student population of over twenty thousand with less than fifty of these students from the Chicana/o community. In 1968 African American and Chicana/o students demanded that the university recruit more minority faculty, establish programs that would meet the needs of these students, and provide the necessary support services so that they would succeed and graduate.
They took over the Administration Building, took hostages, were arrested, and presented a series of demands to the President of the university.
Subsequently, Chicano/a Studies and Pan African Studies Departments were established. The Educational Opportunities (EOP) Program and a variety of support programs were initiated.
In the Summer of 1969 about 100 Chicana/o students and about 100 African American Students were welcomed to a program similar to today's Summer Bridge Program in preparation for their first regular semester which was to be in Fall 1969. These students were enrolled in a writing class and in a culture course. Both courses gave the students credits that would be applied to the BA requirements. The intent was to help prepare the students to enter CSUN in the Fall of 1996 and begin a program of undergraduate studies.
Chicano Studies began with this first group of students in the Fall of 1996. The department developed a curriculum of forty courses. Today that number has increased to 60 courses with an average of 70-80 sections offered each semester. In the Fall of 1969 we began with six full time faculty. This number has increased to 23 full-time and 30-40 part time faculty. In 1969 we began with a department FTE of about 150. Today, Spring 2001 we average over 800 FTE per semester. In 1969 we offered courses toward the BA. Today the department offers a major, a minor, a credential program, and a Masters in Chicano Studies.
1998-1999: 30th Anniversary
The 1998-1999 Academic Year was the thirtieth anniversary of the establishment of the Chicana/o Studies Department at California State University Northridge. The Chicana/o-Latino/a Community at CSUN celebrated with a series of academic, cultural, artistic, and performing arts events throughout the year.The Future of Chicano Studies
As we enter the 21st the Department of Chicano/a Studies will continue to play an important role in education, in teaching our students, in preparing teachers for our schools and leaders for our communities. Demographic studies indicate that the Chicano/a/Latino/a population will continue to increase dramatically. An education will be essential to all in our community if they are to participate fully in our society.