BILL ANALYSIS Ó
ACR 71
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Date of Hearing: August 14, 2013
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION
Das Williams, Chair
ACR 71 (Weber) - As Amended: August 5, 2013
SUBJECT : Africana studies programs.
SUMMARY : Endorses the invaluable work of California's Africana
studies programs and their faculty, staff, and students;
recognizes the leadership provided by the beneficiaries of those
programs; and supports the continuation of Africana studies
programs in California's institutions of higher education.
Specifically, this resolution :
1)Makes numerous declarations and findings, including the
following:
a) The academic discipline of Africana studies encompasses
research, scholarship, and programs that analyze and
reflect the experiences and contributions of African
natives and African Americans;
b) Formal Africana studies programs and departments at
California's universities resulted from student-led
movements dating back to the 1960s whereby the movements
included demonstrations and student protests, where
students, faculty, and community members demanded
university courses relevant to them and their communities;
c) Since the 1960s, Africana and Black studies have been
the academic and intellectual extension of the Civil Rights
Movement;
d) The formalization of Africana studies increased
awareness of the need for faculty, students, and staff from
diverse communities in California's universities and the
study of the roles, contributions, and achievements of
African natives and African Americans provides for a rich
and in-depth perspective for understanding California and
United States history;
e) Africana and related studies incorporate the influence
of African natives and African Americans on the California
education system and on America's diverse racial and ethnic
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groups;
f) Africana studies and related academic disciplines
promote a view of ethnic groups as significant contributors
to the history and diversity of California and the United
States history;
g) Africana studies has been the model and inspiration for
other ethnic, gender, and social education programs
throughout the United States;
h) The continuation and expansion of Africana studies
within our state's educational system would encourage
students to analyze and synthesize information with a
global perspective; and,
i) Support for postsecondary Africana studies departments,
programs, and related projects, including financial
support, will allow for the continued guidance and teaching
of a new generation of students who will enrich and
contribute to California policy, education, and government.
2)Recognizes that Dr. Nathan Hare, known as the father of Black
studies programs in the United States, was the department
chair of the nation's first African American studies academic
program in 1968 at San Francisco State University and
subsequently faculty members including, but not limited to,
Carrol Wayman, Vernon Oaks, Norman Chamber, Shirley W. Thomas,
Shirley N. Weber, and Harold K. Brown developed the first
Black studies program at San Diego State University in 1972.
3)Recognizes that in addition to offering the first African
American studies program in the United States, the California
State University (CSU) has nine programs statewide as well as
seven ethnic and gender studies programs leading to
undergraduate and graduate degrees.
4)Recognizes that over 400 CSU students chose to major in
African American studies for fall 2012 and another 200 in
gender or ethnic studies.
5)Recognizes that the University of California (UC) campuses at
Berkeley, Davis, Riverside, Irvine, Los Angeles, and Santa
Barbara offer undergraduate degrees in one of African American
studies, Black studies, or Afro-American studies.
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6)Recognizes that Africana studies is comprised of several
disciplines, including art history, humanities, political
science, behavioral science, and history and that Africana
studies, known in some departments as Black, Pan-African, or
Afro-American studies, encompass the origin, history, culture,
experiences, heritage, achievements, and contributions of
African natives and African Americans.
7)Recognizes that Africana studies is a respected academic field
that has fostered the development of professional
organizations, institutionalized departments, research
journals, award-winning publications, and other related
programs across the United States.
8)Requests the Legislature to do the following: a) Formally
endorse the invaluable work of California's Africana studies
departments, programs, and related projects and their faculty,
staff, and students; b) Recognize that the leadership provided
by the beneficiaries of these programs have contributed
greatly to the academic rigor, prominence, and distinguishing
qualities of California's colleges and universities and the
vitality of other public and private institutions, including
California state government; and, c) Support the continuation
of Africana studies departments, programs, and related
projects in California's institutions of higher education.
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown. This resolution is keyed non-fiscal
by the Legislative Counsel.
COMMENTS : Background . Earlier this year F. King Alexander,
former president of CSU, Long Beach (CSULB) informed the
Legislature that CSULB, due to declining enrollment in their
Africana Studies department and overall budgetary constraints on
its College of Liberal Arts and other colleges, would aim to
preserve the academic area of Africana studies by designating it
as an academic program. This decision caused concern for many
legislators; they followed up with meetings with the CSU Office
of the Chancellor asking for the system to reconsider its
position and to review and re-evaluate the significance and
importance of ethnic studies on all campuses.
In June of this year, Timothy White, Chancellor of the CSU,
informed the Legislature that the decision to consolidate the
Africana Studies department into an academic program at CSULB
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would be put on hold until a new president is in place at CSULB
and able to work closely with faculty and gain an understanding
of the complexity of the issues involved. The goal is to make a
determination on the status of Africana Studies by fall 2015.
Segments . According to the UC Office of the President, UC
campuses offer several majors and minors in the field of African
and African American Studies. In March of this year, the
faculty of the interdepartmental program major in Afro-American
Studies at the Los Angeles campus submitted a formal proposal
for the campus to create the Department of African American
Studies.
According to the CSU Office of the Chancellor, as of fall 2012,
nine CSU campuses have African American Studies programs. The
number of majors range from 7 to 40 across campuses.
Additionally, seven CSU campuses have African American Studies
embedded within a broader program. Among the 201 declared
African Studies majors, three-fourths (or 153) of the students
are African Americans. However, from fall 2003 to fall of 2012
undergraduate enrollment of lower division African American
Studies has declined by 3 percent. In 2001-02 the CSU
conferred 122 Bachelor of Arts degrees in African American
Studies, but in 2011-12 only 70 Bachelor of Arts degrees in
African American Studies were conferred.
According to the California Community College Chancellor's
Office, most campuses offer at least one African American
Studies related course. Additionally, many of the offered
courses count towards degree transfer.
Need for the resolution . The author states, "This resolution is
important because it highlights the role and significance that
Africana Studies has played historically and continues to play
in the progressive transformation of the academy and in the
enrichment and expansion of this department, especially in light
of this recent situation at CSULB."
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
None on file.
Opposition
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None on file.
Analysis Prepared by : Jeanice Warden / HIGHER ED. / (916)
319-3960