Sacramento State would become the second California State University campus ?” and third campus in the nation ?” to have a deaf studies major beginning fall 2007 if the CSU Board of Trustees and chancellor’s office approves the university’s plan.

There has been talk of a deaf studies major proposal for many years, but it was only recently that American Sign Language Professor Donald A. Grushkin decided it was the right time to introduce the idea.

“I decided to go slow and show the university that there is a demand for a major by developing the minor which we now have,” Grushkin said.

According to Grushkin, the deaf studies minor program has grown quickly in the past three years, exemplifying the demand for a major program.

In 2003, California passed legislation that required American Sign Language interpreters to possess a bachelor’s degree by 2011 in order to “maintain their interpreting certification,” Grushkin said.

“I have-already heard from some of these (interpreters) that they would be interested in the deaf studies major, since it would be directly related to their profession rather than some other, arbitrarily chosen, degree,” Grushkin said.

Grushkin said the major would require 39-42 or more units. Classes would include five levels of sign language, deaf history and education, media, culture and many other courses related to deaf people, he said.

“If this program were already approved, I would probably be applying for it,” said Jennifer Cole, senior child development major.

“A lot of people do not really know that American Sign Language is the language of a culture ?” the deaf culture,” Cole said. “Having a deaf studies degree program would say to people that the deaf community is worth studying ?” and it is.”

The only CSU in the system with a deaf studies major, Cal State Northridge, established its program in 1983, said Jolayne Service, dean of Academic Program Planning for the CSU. Since then, Northridge has attracted the most deaf and hard-of-hearing students to its program in the nation ?” over 200 ?” and contributes data to the National Center on Deafness, according to the Northridge Web site.

“A deaf studies major would get more people from the deaf community to come to Sac State,” said Daniel Gormley, a recreation and leisure studies junior.

Approval of the deaf studies major at Sac State could take at least two years, Grushkin said. Sac State will submit a preliminary plan for the deaf studies major in March ?” when most academic program requests are reviewed by the trustees, Service said.

If the trustees approve Sac State’s plan, an implementation proposal will be drawn up by the university and will be turned in to the chancellor’s office. Service said the CSU Academic Program Planning Office will show the proposal to experts in the field, and may choose to submit it to the California Postsecondary Education Commission for further review. Following the review, the chancellor’s office will make necessary recommendations to the Sac State.

Budgetary setbacks, no qualified faculty and lack of facility space may contribute to a rejection from the trustees in March. However, if the deaf studies major passes the review, it will be on the track to implementation, Service said. The only question at that point is how long the process will take.

“It can be a very short process or an extended one,” Service said. Implementation time can range from many years to less than two semesters she said.

“Once the program-is approved, students could begin the subsequent semester,” Grushkin said. “That is, if the program were theoretically approved in-fall 2006, we would begin scheduling a slate of offerings for fall 2007.”

The biggest concern of the deaf studies department is whether the chancellor’s office will approve the program, Grushkin said. Because the major is not in the “master plan” of the CSU system, it may get caught up in the chancellor’s office.

Another obstacle might be money, Grushkin said. “California and the CSU system don’t have as much as they used to-hopefully, things start looking better in the next year or two.”

Possible career paths for deaf studies majors include American Sign Language interpreters, instructors and counselors, government specialists, audiologists, speech pathologists and service personnel, according to the Northridge Web site.

Gormley said he was hopeful for the possibility of the deaf studies major program.

“We’re separated, deaf people and hearing people. It’s like two societies. It’d be nice to have less segregation,” Gormley said.

Lauren King can be reached at [email protected]