UCC Concerns Regarding the CHAD Proposal
Responses Prepared by Sharon Hamill and Maureen Fitzpatrick
March 21, 2011
1. When looking at the chart of the courses for the proposed new major it appeared to
several UCC members as if the CHAD is more like an option in Psychology program.
Connected to this UCC had several questions:
a) Should the program not have some introductory CHAD classes, like CHAD100,
which introduces the topic, the professional outlook, and ethical questions? This
would emphasize the fact that the CHAD program is a stand alone program. Some
members of UCC had the opinion that the courses PSYC100 and PSYC210 serve
this purpose. This appears likely given the course descriptions, but then a cross
listing of these courses might make sense. It was remarked that PSYC330/348 are
further courses which might be cross listed with CHAD330/348 to emphasize the
separate character of the new program. David Barsky mentioned that Child
Development programs develop out of different areas (like Education or Liberal
Studies) which influence the curriculum. He mentioned that a similar situation is
between Communication and Mass Media at our university.
Psyc 210 and Psyc 215 serve this function of “introduction to the major.” The
current developmental psychology courses (Psyc 330: Developmental Psychology
Infancy through Childhood and Psyc 348: Developmental Psychology
Adolescence) will stay listed as Psychology given that the Psychology major uses
these courses, as well. These developmental psychology courses will also be a
part of the CHAD major, however, not all of the developmental psychology
courses will be (Psyc 356 Adult Development and Aging will not be a part of
CHAD). Only courses that are developed solely for the CHAD major will be
given that prefix. This will help to minimize confusion for psychology majors
(who will not be allowed to use certain CHAD courses to meet the requirements
of that major).
b)
UCC would like to understand how many more classes a student needs to take
in order to get a double major, Psychology and CHAD.
A 2nd major must go 24 units beyond the 1st major. Assuming that a student
looks for the greatest area of overlap between the Psyc and CHAD majors, a
CHAD major would have to take 5 additional specific courses to satisfy the
requirements of a psychology major (including a lab course), plus 3 more
psychology elective courses for a total of 24 units. All of these are at the upper
division. A Psychology major would have to take an additional 6 courses in
CHAD (2 at the LD, 4 at the UD including one lab course) to satisfy the
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requirements of the CHAD major, and 2 more elective CHAD courses for a total
of 24 units.
It is also important to note that we will be changing the requirements for the
Psychology minor when the CHAD major is launched. CHAD majors with
Psychology minors will not be allowed to use the Developmental Psychology lab
(Psyc 395) or the Observation Lab (CHAD 496) to meet the laboratory
requirement. Additionally, students will not be allowed to use CHAD courses to
meet the elective requirement of the PSYC minor.
c)
A UCC member mentioned that the preschool certification programs promise to
be a successful field of study for our students. This together with many arguments
from the P-Form makes a strong argument for CHAD program at Cal State San
Marcos. It also makes clear why there should be a separated degree, not just an
option inside the Psychology program. This might be a point where some more
explanation should be added to the P-Form, not only the distinction from our
current HD program, but also the separation from our current Psychology
program.
Although PSYC and CHAD have shared goals (e.g., critical thinking, use of
scientific method), most of the courses in the curriculum will not overlap. There
will be PSYC courses that we would not expect CHAD majors to take as well as
CHAD courses we would not expect PSYC major to take. Within the proposed
clusters, there are currently PSYC options; however, these may decrease as
more CHAD options are available through the increase in CHAD faculty
members who will develop additional CHAD courses to fit each cluster. Thus the
proposed CHAD major will become more distinct from the PSYC major over
the first few years after inception.
2. In the P-Form the interdisciplinary nature of the program is mentioned. But no courses
beside CHAD and PSYC courses appear in the proposal. In San Diego State we saw that
the program proposes special Biology or Sociology courses to satisfy the GE
requirements, can this be done here too? Maybe some more guidance can be given to
students. But it was not clear how far this would improve the proposed curriculum. UCC
would like to ask about ways of showing the interdisciplinary character.
CHAD is, by definition, an interdisciplinary major. Students will become
knowledgeable about the physical (e.g., genetics, brain structure and functions,
impact of disease), cognitive (e.g., brain development related to changes in
cognition), social (e.g., impact of family, peers and culture on development) and
emotional (e.g., functions of emotions, emotional regulation) development of
children and adolescents. Additionally, larger ecological factors (e.g., social
policy, prejudice, poverty) will be a part of the curriculum. Whereas it is
possible that some courses outside of PSYC/CHAD may be suggested as General
Education courses, they will not be included as part of the major itself. To do so
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would create a multidisciplinary approach to the study of children and
adolescents: that is, sequential consideration of factors related to development
from different disciplines. The CHAD major has, at its core, the development of
the individual from an interdisciplinary perspective. That is, the impact of
biological, social, economic, political and historical forces on individual
development are considered in a syngeristic rather than sequential model; in this
approach, methods and ideas from various disciplines are combined and used to
create ideas that are different from those using a multidisciplinary, sequential
approach. Bronnfenbrenner’s ecological model (depicted below) is a useful
framework for this approach.
Whereas exposure to different disciplines is critical for understanding individual
development, the exposure students get through the Lower Division General
Education program will be sufficient multidisciplinary preparation for this
major. The CHAD curriculum will take students beyond the foundational
disciplinary exposure they’ve received through GE and use this information for
the specific goal of understanding how various factors interact to alter the
developmental trajectory of the individual. This interdisciplinary viewpoint is
fundamentally different from the multidisciplinary approaches already available
in the Liberal Studies, Human Development, or Social Sciences majors.
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3. This kind of guidance might also be helpful for the choice of the courses within the
clusters. Here it was noted that in every cluster students can choose from Psychology
courses. Does the department have a plan to strengthen the role of the CHAD classes over
time?
Most definitely yes. Given the budget scenario that has existed in the past few
years, we refrained from developing too many new courses (as is, we developed
11 new courses). We assume that as we grow and hire more developmental
faculty, courses will emerge that reflect that expertise of those faculty.
4. Delores Lindsey informed UCC that CHAD450 is a course which Psychology might
consider to cross list with the College of Education.
Drs. Fitzpatrick and Hamill met with Dr. Jacque Thousand from the College of
Education to discuss the issue of CHAD 450 and how it might fit with a course
they currently offer in Education as part of the Special Education option. We
determined that EDUC and CHAD approach the subject matter very differently.
CHAD comes from the perspective of how special needs and family factors
impact the child’s/adolecent’s development. Alternately, the EDUC courses
focus on teaching special education students and include such activities as role
playing Student Study Teams (SSTs). Whereas these kinds of activities and
subject matter are absolutely relevant for the special education teacher, the
focus is inappropriate for CHAD majors. Moreover, the CHAD course could be
taught to sections of 40 students; Dr. Thousand informed us that their courses
must stay at ~ 20 students, a condition that makes cross-listing impossible as
they do not want their students taking this course in a large lecture format.
Questions about the P-Form
5. On page 4 the originators talk about “the scientific method”, UCC would like to ask the
originators about their definition of this method, so persons who are not familiar with
Psychology understand the meaning of this term.
The CHAD major requires that students study the science of behavior from a
developmental perspective. The scientific method in this discipline entails the use of
both quantitative and qualitative methods, inductive and deductive reasoning, and
hypothesis testing. The curriculum will emphasize how we pose questions about
development, and the methods we may use to answer those questions. Additionally,
it requires that students read and understand empirical research, collect and
analyze data, and interpret findings with an understanding of the biases inherent in
research. Sample student learning outcomes include:

Understand the basic methodological issues in the study of human
development including:
o research designs (case studies, experimental, correlational)
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

o measurement issues (reliability and validity)
o ethics
Understand developmental research designs (longitudinal, crosssectional, and sequential).
Understand the scientific method (inductive and deductive) and the
role of theories in research.
6. On page 3 in item “Comprehensive, high quality education” the sentence “This includes
observation..” does not seem to fit the expression “latest scientific development”, one
option would be to emphasize that this refers to “breadth and depth” or add the sentence
to the next item.
Comprehensive, high quality education:
1. Provide breadth and depth in the study of children and adolescents,
emphasizing the latest scientific knowledge about development. This
knowledge base will come from reading the empirical literature, as well as
exploring information gleaned from direct observation, assessment, and field
experiences in settings that serve children or adolescents.
7. On page 3 and on page 8 the originators address the Child Care Permit. Although the PForm states that the program will not provide all courses for this permit it might be of
interest for the students to know how much course work is missing. Furthermore it would
be good to know how far this will influence the ability of our university to attract students
which otherwise will go to San Diego State University.
In the current proposal, Psyc 210 and Psyc 215 are two of the courses that meet
requirements for the Child Care Permit. These represent the two basic courses that
those working in the child care field must complete, even if they do not have a
Permit. We are teaching only these two courses because they are mandatory when
working in this field. To gain a Child Care Permit, additional courses would have to
be taken at one of the community colleges. It is not our intention to teach all courses
required for the Permit (e.g., Early Childhood Curriculum, Principles and Practices
in Early Childhood Education)—our community college colleagues do an excellent
job in that area. Most students who want to specialize in Early Childhood Education
(ECE) will be transfer students from the community colleges who will already have
completed their Permit courses. Our goal is to move the students beyond ECE
courses and expose them to the broader field of child and adolescent development.
Those wishing to focus on ECE will gain additional experience and exposure
through the Practicum in ECE if that is their area of special study. Based on our
discussions with our local community college colleagues and students wanting a B.A.
in Child and Adolescent Development, we do not think this will affect students’
decision to attend SDSU rather than CSUSM.
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8. PSYC343 should be moved from page 7 (courses to be added) to page 6, (courses
currently available).
Change made
9. On page 6, cluster E, it should be indicated that either PSYC498C or PSYC449C should
be taken, or if students can “mix” these two classes.
Students take any one course from the cluster which implies either PSYC 498C OR
PSYC 499D. Instructions were added to make this clearer (that they take one
course from each cluster)
10. Pages 7, item 1.h. should be empty.
Change was made.
11. Starting on page 11 the P-Form contains remarks on Liberal Studies, Psychology,
Sociology, and Human Development. UCC understands why the originators include a
section on the Human Development department given the connection between HD and
CHAD, but UCC was wondering why the definitions for Sociology and Psychology are
given, but only a career outlook for Liberal Studies Majors.
The following description of Liberal Studies was added to the form: “Liberal
Studies at Cal State San Marcos emphasizes the value of broad intellectual
development combined with practical training. Liberal Studies majors explore
interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary connections and appreciate the combination
of different academic fields. The goal of Liberal Studies is to produce graduates who
are well-rounded intellectually and competent in a broad range of analytical skills”
(CSUSM Liberal Studies Homepage).
12. In 2. we discussed already the interdisciplinarity of the proposed program. When we read
the section about the Human Development program UCC was wondering if there is not
also a chance to incorporate courses from HD into the CHAD program.
Half of the curriculum from HD comes from PSYC so there aren’t too many courses
in HD that are offered by that program itself. The Child Services concentration is
the most appropriate place to look for courses that might be relevant. HD does have
a developmental theories course, however it draws from theories outside of
developmental psychology (e.g., Anthropology, Biology). Alternately, the Theories of
Developmental Psychology course will focus on the myriad of theories reflecting a
psychological viewpoint on development. Other constraints make it difficult to
cross-list HD courses: HD does not have the faculty support to offer Field
Experiences to CHAD majors and PSYC already offers an upper division lab in
development. HD’s capstone course, Perspectives in Human Development, is not
relevant for CHAD majors who will have their own capstone experience in CHAD
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491: Children, Adolescents and Social Policy. This course emphasizes how social
policy impacts the development of children/adolescents. The HD course emphasizes
human services and how the student will fit into those settings.
13. In item 2.d, page 15, the P-Form asks or a formal survey and evidence of student interest.
Section 2.d. contains information about the interest from transfer students from nearby
community colleges, but it was not clear if a formal survey was conducted within our
own student population. Do the originators consider transfer students as the main
addressee of the new major?
The information regarding student interest stems from the focus groups that were
done in the community a number of years ago and the tremendous interest from our
community college partners. Those transfer students who have worked to obtain
the Child Care Permit at the community colleges will be interested in taking CHAD
to continue their studies. Currently, they are opting to go to SDSU to continue those
studies. Whereas there will certainly be a number of transfers who will be
interested in the major, native students will be, as well. However, native students
who are interested in the Child Care Permit will need to take those courses from the
community college.
14. On the bottom of page 15 the originators mention an initiative which would have been a
good argument for the introduction of the CHAD program. But then there is no follow up
to this argument, is there a plan for another initiative?
In June 2006, the Preschool for All Initiative was on our California ballot. Passage
of that Proposition (82) would have required ALL preschool teachers to have a BA
degree in Child Development or a related field by 2012. Although the voters did not
pass this initiative, our California legislature is actively pursuing Preschool for All
and the educational requirements for preschool teachers. Therefore, it is expected
that the demand for people with a BA in Child Development will increase greatly.
Of the 23 CSUs, CSUSM is one of four campuses that does not currently offer a
degree in Child and Adolescent Development, and the demand from our feeder
colleges is very strong and growing.
As of this writing (March 2011), the state legislature continues to discuss the
feasibility of requiring a BA for preschool teachers. Based on the state budget issues
and the ramifications of all the current preschool teachers who do not have a BA, it
is unlikely that this will go into effect in the next few years. However, there are
currently bills in both houses of the state to require that at least the head teacher in
each preschool classroom have a BA in Child Development or a related field. This
alone will increase the statewide demand incredibly.
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15. In the table of regional demand three items (Mental Health Counselor, Social Worker,
Social Service Technician) are mentioned which seem to fit more into the career
opportunities for our Human Development Majors.
It is important to keep in mind that half of the HD curriculum comes from
Psychology. This is the reason for the overlap. Consequently, one would expect that
those students who opt to go into the applied areas of developmental psychology will
choose the same fields as those who have Child Services as a special emphasis in HD
(e.g., Social Service Technician, etc.). However, in addition to these fields, CHAD
majors will be competitive to enter fields that require strong research skills in
addition to experience with children and adolescents (e.g., grant-writers,
educational research, PhD programs in Development, child/adolescent health
research, medicine, family law).
16. On page 17, in the list of career fields several careers are mentioned, like Social Worker,
Secondary School Teacher, where the CHAD degree will provide a preparation, this
should be stated more clearly.
This description was changed so that it now states: The emphasis on breadth/depth
of knowledge and systematic thinking inherent in the scientific approach will
prepare students well for future careers. Students graduating with a degree in
Child and Adolescent Development would find their preparation useful in the
following career fields:











Researchers in Childhood and Adolescence
Mental Health Counselors specializing in work with children and families
(e.g., Marriage and Family Therapists)
Social Workers (including Child Protective Services)
Child Care Aide/Worker
Preschool Teacher
Elementary School Teacher
Secondary School Teacher
Social Service Technician (Human Service Worker)
Educational Psychologist, School Psychologist
Health Professionals specializing in Pediatrics (e.g., Pediatricians, pediatric
dentists, Child Life Specialists)
Lawyers specializing in family law and children’s rights
17. In item 3.a) the information about the faculty members should be updated, for example
Sonia Ruiz does not seem to be at our university anymore, Patricia Worden is now Vice
President of Student Affairs and Gerardo Gonzalez is Dean of Graduate Studies. In how
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far do these changes affect the ability of the psychology department to teach the required
classes for the CHAD program?
Since we first submitted the P-form for CHAD, a number of major changes have
occurred in our department. Sonia Ruiz and Pat Worden are no longer at CSUSM;
Jerry Gonzalez is the Dean of Graduate Studies and Associate Vice President for
Research (although he occasionally teaches for us and continues to supervise
graduate students). Additionally, Keith Trujillo has recently accepted the position
of Director of OBRT (but will occasionally teach for us). We did hire Dr. Kim
Pulvers, a clinical psychologist, a couple of years ago. Currently we are searching
for 1 developmental position both to address the current need for developmentalists
and our recognition that launching this program will require more developmental
faculty. The form has been changed to reflect these personnel changes.
18. In item 3.d) and 4.e) the reports from IITS are missing, have these reports been obtained?
Did you investigate the possibility to purchase some equipment through a Lottery Grant?
Despite our requests for information, IITS did not provide a report. We have not
investigated the possibility of applying for a lottery grant at this point, but once we
move into the new building and assess our needs (based on what IITS was able to
provide), we will consider alternative funding sources.
The current plan (based on a meeting with Chuck Allen on 3-14-11) is to request
that overhead cameras with audio be installed in the two observation rooms
designated for Psychology/CHAD. Additionally, we are requesting a video
camera/tripod (movable) for observations and RTU computers (one in each
observation room) for downloading data.
19. On page 26 in the last sentence of the proposed catalog description the word “we” should
be replaced by “the department” or reformulated in a different way.
Wording was changed: Courses taken at other universities for which we the
Department does not have articulation agreements will not be counted toward the
major at Cal State San Marcos without the written permission of the CHAD
Program Director.
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