California State University Chancellor Timothy White created a task force in January after campuses across the CSU asked him to address the faculty and funding cuts in ethnic studies departments.

The task force includes six ethnic studies professors, four CSU presidents, the ASI president of Chico State and the chair of the CSSA Board. Together they are investigating the financial needs of ethnic studies departments of campuses like CSU Long Beach and San Diego State.

Chair of Statewide Senate Academic Affairs Christine Miller said the ethnic studies department on a CSU campus was reorganized in a way that devalued the department. Miller said this prompted White to delay department reduction and seek the best course of action.

Sacramento State Cooper-Woodsen College Enhancement Program Director Boatamo Mosupyoe was among the people asked to join the task force designed to see if resources were adequate or needed repair.

“Ethnic programs in universities are being attacked”, Mosupyoe said.

Mosupyoe said ethnic studies was created in the late 1960s, in a time when racism was prominent and the curriculum was not accepting of minorities,but instead, teaching mostly from an Euro-American perspective.

Now ethnic studies has many different names like Chicano, Latino, African or Asian Studies. Mosupyoe said the ethnic studies was created to give opportunities to all race and ethnicities.

When cuts in all departments were made five years ago, professors said resources for ethnic studies were reduced at a greater rate than other programs, said CSU Director of Public Affairs Mike Uhlenkamp.

“Some of the campuses feel that ethnic studies have taken too much of a reduction,” Uhlenkamp said. “The task force is examining that to see if that is the exact case. We’re hoping that’s not the case.”

Mosupyoe and Miller were part of the task force because more than one campus is being affected.

Uhlenkamp said ethnic studies is being affected because there is not enough money to maintain the programs.

“They tried to lump in ethnic studies in with other programs,” Uhlenkamp said. “ Some campuses, because of a lack of funding which decreases enrollment, are trying to put those programs together under an umbrella.”

The resolution that created the task force and its goal to promote the growth of ethnic studies was read on Jan. 23 and 24. Miller plans to have resolution changes on March 20 and 21, with a final report for White by the end of May.

Even though an immediate issue is not happening at Sac State, Mosupyoe said university’s ethnic studies department still requires more faculty and staff.

“The chancellor has asked us to provide an overview of ethnic studies programs in the CSU in the national context,” Mosupyoe said. “After we do that, he wants us to identify the trends in the campus programs within the past eight to 10 years.”

White is asking for a recommendation of what to do after the task force’s overview of the programs that is reflective of the CSU’s mission by the end of May.

“This means we have to increase majors, minors, concentrations, staffing, administration, infrastructure, costs, sustainability and advancement of ethnic studies, “ Mosupyoe said.