WELCOME FROM THE CHAIR AND A BRIEF DEPARTMENT HISTORY
Thank you for your interest in the Human Services Department at California State University, Fullerton. Our curriculum emerged from a set of courses taught through the University's Interdisciplinary Center in the early 1970s. Some of these classes emphasized personal growth within interactive groups. Other classes also emphasized experiential learning through fieldwork and internships in community settings.
In the early 1980s, this major was reconstructed as a Program under the direction of a Board, which sought to better coordinate with other University departments and disciplines. Offerings were originally slanted primarily toward a clinical or counseling focus. Today, while the concentration in Mental Health has remained, other tracks have been developed which incorporate Social Work, Community Organization and Planning, Policy Analysis, Administration of Human Service Agencies, and specific areas such as Gerontology, Substance Abuse Prevention & Treatment, Persons with Disabilities, and a track for students preparing for Teacher Education.
While retaining the experiential and introspective dimensions that initially made the major attractive, there has been increased emphasis on social and cultural factors affecting human behavior and community life. There is also greater focus on the structure and functions of human service agencies, and effective service delivery to culturally diverse populations. Many of our courses blend a skill based focus with theoretical foundations and research.
As the curriculum developed, there evolved a permanent faculty drawn from diverse disciplines, supplemented by part-time faculty who are professionally active in the community. It became clear that Human Services had achieved its own unique vision, curriculum, and faculty.
In 1995, it was granted departmental status. Currently the Department has approximately 700+ majors. We have 12 full time professors, 3 full time Lecturers and about 20 part time lecturers who specialize in the above mentioned areas. We have established close working relationships with approximately 180 agencies which provide internship and fieldwork experience and are a major source of undergraduate preparation and networking for the Southern California area. Features of our curriculum have been frequently presented in professional lectures and publications nationwide.
Welcome to California State University, Fullerton, and welcome to the Human Services Department. May your educational experience here be as rewarding for you as it has been for others!
I am so happy you have chosen our major and hope you will stop by and see me sometime in EC 454. I have been a faculty member in the Department for several years and it is my pleasure to serve as Chair of this wonderful department. Let me know if I can support you as you strive to reach your educational and professional goals.
Sincerely,
James Ruby, Ph.D,
Professor & Chair
Department of Human Services
EC 454: (657)278-8385
jruby@fullerton.edu
