Welcome to the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences
Dean's Welcome
Spring 2022
Greetings CSBS,
Welcome to the Spring 2022 semester! We still have high hopes for the semester despite approaching 22 months with much of our instruction occurring online. The high hopes are reflective of who we are as a College.
We hold onto hope not out of a wistful naivete but based on our knowledge of the natural and social sciences and our knowledge of history. Research reveals that neurophysiologically a mindset of hope is healthy. Our thinking impacts our health. History reveals that the ideas of 19th Century abolitionist Theodore Parker, paraphrased by Dr. Martin Luther King who stated, "The arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice," is true. So our hope is not empty, it is an expectation backed by science and history.
It is also backed by my personal experience that there is more positivity and good than there is of negativity and despair. Part of my personal experience is tied to my professional experience at CSUN. I have the honor of working alongside good people. I work alongside those who are dedicated to serving.
Daily I witness the best. I am particular about recognizing the CSBS administrative and program staff whose role responsibilities range from IT to advising, to program management, to finance, to answering phones, to supporting students and faculty, and to fundraising. They are our First Responders. They handle emergencies. They assist. They direct. They plan. They listen. They support. They act.
During this pandemic our administrative and program staff kept us operational. They are the professionals who are the first point of contact to the University and the College. There is a long-standing discussion about who is more important at a university – faculty or students. I submit that without our support staff there is no university. I am thankful for them.
Because of them and because of our faculty I am hopeful about our return to campus in person. I believe that our return to campus is not a return to excellence because that has always been maintained. I believe that our return to campus will be a return to robust relationships and a return to us. I am hopeful that it will be a safe return as we have protocols and supplies in place to keep us safe.
The first three weeks of this semester find us online but Valentine's day marks the return to in-person campus instruction. We remain hopeful about our return because science and history tell us we should be. But more particularly, we remain hopeful because CSBS is filled with the good people who got us to this point and will see us through.
EOP Resilient Scholars Program
SBS Graduate Christina Mota
Earth Month Event Calendar
Monday, April 4, 2022 - 9:00am
Associated Students has collaborated with The Institute for Sustainability, Food Pantry, Health Education Student Organization, and other departments and orgs to create a month full of events and activities in honor of Earth Day (April 22). See the complete schedule of events.
Featured News
Psychology Department Awards and Hooding Ceremony
May 16, 2022
Join us to celebrate students + their families! Watch online!
College of Social and Behavioral Sciences
Sierra Hall, Room 401
18111 Nordhoff Street
Northridge, CA 91330-8256
Mail Drop: 8256
Phone: (818) 677-3317
Fax: (818) 677-3480
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CSBS Students: Upgrade Your Mask!
The Omicron variant is very contagious! All students are encouraged to wear medical grade masks indoors and when in close contact to other students and/or instructors. This is to provide additional protection from COVID-19 infection.
Get more information about masks that will provide the best protection against COVID-19.
CSBS: Locally Engaged, Globally Prepared
The CSBS College motto is "Locally Engaged, Globally Prepared." This is reflected in all we do ranging from faculty to students. We are the home of educators who are committed to decreasing the distance between communities and campus. Our faculty connect to communities through applied research, internships, and clinics and as a result of engagement with faculty-led initiatives, students are prepared to contribute to solving global problems and competing in global markets.
It is truly an honor to represent CSUN and the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences (CSBS). CSUN and CSBS represent the best of higher education. We focus on student engagement, applied research, connecting communities to the campus and the campus to communities. We value people. We include. We have high expectations for achievement.
These are neither empty expectations nor merely those concerned with the academic. The solutions to social problems are found in our college. We turn to history to learn from ancient societies to recent movements to inform our pursuit elevating our society. Faculty are working with students to address justice issues, urban problems, governmental challenges, human development, and sustainability, and we are updating the curriculum to reflect additions to current knowledge. We can actually say that we are writing the books that are updating the educational cannon for the disciplines in CSBS. In Fall 2022 CSUN welcomes it first cohort of students to the Master of Arts in Sustainability program. This new discipline creates a baseline of learning that allows graduates to work across communities and industries.
We are equipping students with the tools for achievement to successfully address social problems. Scholars in the College are preparing the next generation of educators, researchers, and leaders.