Academic Programs

On August 17, 2020, Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 1460 into law. This historic legislation marks California as the first state to require that a four-year public higher education system offer Ethnic Studies as a graduation requirement. In December, 2020, this legislation led to the revision of CSU General Breadth Requirements to to include the addition of Area F: Ethnic Studies.

The Ethnic Studies requirement will provide all CSU undergraduates with coursework that engages interdisciplinary study of race, ethnicity, and indigeneity that focuses on the lives of people of color from their own perspectives. It offers a comprehensive understanding of the unique experiences of Native American and Indigenous Peoples, Asian Americans, Black Americans and Latinx/Chicanx Americans in the United States, as well as an intersectional analysis among communities. We celebrate this important legislation with you! 

AB 1460 also recognizes the critical, centralized role the CSU Ethnic Studies Council continues to play in the implementation of the Ethnic Studies requirement. Important advocacy and organizing work to establish the law included members of HSU’s Ethnic Studies Council. This academic year the HSU Ethnic Studies Council, the GEAR Committee, Office of Academic Affairs, Office of the Registrar, and the Integrated Curriculum Committee have been working in close collaboration to ensure meaningful implementation of the Ethnic Studies (ES) requirement at Humboldt State. 

To support all departments in implementing the Ethnic Studies Area F requirement into their programs, please:

1. Review the HSU Ethnic Studies GE F implementation document to understand which courses are approved, how these changes impact the GEAR program, and the timeline. 

2. Revise program MAPs to integrate Area F. Learn more about MAP Updates 21-22 HERE and find helpful MAP resources via the Office of the Registrar here.