CSULB  Recreation & Leisure Studies 

COAPRT Self Study

2018 COAPRT Self Study

Welcome to the 2018-2019 California State University Long Beach Department of Recreation & Leisure Studies self study for the Council on Accreditation for Parks, Recreation, Tourism and Related Programs (COAPRT). Each required section of the self-study is available via the menu tab at the top of this page. The section below includes an overview of the department as well as acknowledgements for the self-study report. 

California State University, Long Beach

The university opened in 1949, enrolling 160 students taught by 13 full time faculty, as Los-Angeles-Orange County State College.  California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) has grown to serve 33,000 students, with nearly 2,000 faculty and 1,600 professional staff.  The university is comprised of eight colleges, 63 academic departments, 24 centers, four institutes, and four clinics.  The university's mission describes CSULB as “a diverse, student-centered, globally-engaged public university committed to providing highly-valued undergraduate and graduate educational opportunities through superior teaching, research, creative activity and service for the people of California and the world.”  

As an urban university in Southern California, CSULB enrolls a diverse student body.  University demographic data reports that the ethnic composition of all students is 29.2% Latino/Hispanic, 27.8% White, 22.3% Asian/Pacific Islander, 4.5% Black/African American,  0.8% American Indian, 10.1% Other/Unknown ethnicity, and 5.3% visa, non-U.S. citizens. The university is among the top 10 in the nation in both the number of master’s degrees and the number of bachelor’s degrees awarded to Hispanics, and has been recognized as 10th in the nation in conferring bachelor’s degrees to minority students.  The university has also been recognized with several national awards, including: 

Acknowledgements

This Self-Study Report was developed and prepared with input from faculty, staff, alumni, and students of the Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies. This Self-Study Report is the second report CSULB’s Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies has prepared based upon the 2013 Accreditation Standards for the Council on Accreditation of Park, Recreation, and Tourism Related Professionals (COAPRT).  The process provided an opportunity for all members of the Department to thoroughly assess their efforts in providing quality professional education to California State University Long Beach students.

Full-time Department Faculty are:  

Seyha Chea, M.A. (Dept. Coordinator)

Curt Davidson, Ph.D.

Keith Fulthorp, Ed.D.

Chungsup Lee, Ph.D., CTRS

Nancy Matthews, M.A.

Laurel Richmond, Ph.D.

Terry Robertson, Ph.D. (Department Chair)

Heewon Yang, Ph.D., CTRS






College of Health and Human Services

The College of Health and Human Services offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in a wide range of disciplines, including: Communicative Disorders, Criminal Justice, Family and Consumer Sciences, Health Care Administration, Health Science, Kinesiology, the School of Nursing, Physical Therapy, the Graduate Center for Public Policy & Administration, Recreation & Leisure Studies, and the School of Social Work. Information about degrees awarded and enrollment are available via these links: 

Fall 2018 FTES by Student Level and College  

Additional information about the college can be found via this link: College of Health and Human Services


Significant Events since 2013 Report:

This report is a formal component of an ongoing review of programs and services that the Department completes yearly to ensure compliance with the Council on Accreditation for Parks, Recreation, Tourism, and Related Professions standards and with the guidelines set forth in program review by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). 

The purpose of this 2018/2019 Self-study and visit is for reaccreditation of the general baccalaureate and the Therapeutic Recreation curricula. The report is not an exhaustive accounting of the Department’s program and does not include specific information regarding the certificate programs in Therapeutic Recreation (post-baccalaureate) or Wilderness Studies; and does not include specific information regarding the minors in Recreation, minor in  Event Planning and Management or the graduate program.

This report summarizes present conditions and focuses on changes in program, resources, or services since the 2013 self-study.  During that period, changes in the state and national economic situation have been the impetus for several changes that impact the Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies.  In 2010, the California State University (CSU) Chancellor’s Office launched an initiative to increase graduation rates of CSU students. The initiative became known as the Highly Valued Degree Initiative at CSULB.  This initiative identified several strategic goals and changes, including curriculum planning, advising, and faculty development.  A Bachelor of Arts degree requires a minimum of 120 units (a Bachelor of Science ranges from 120 – 140 units), comprised of major units and General Education units.  The Timely Graduation for Undergraduate Students policy allows students who have earned 90 units to change or add degree objectives only if they submit an advising plan demonstrating that all degree objectives can be completed within of 120% of the unit requirement for their degree objective.  In fall 2012, the university mandated a cap to major unit requirements, limiting the units required to fulfill major requirements to 57 of the 120 units required to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree (and 72 units to earn a Bachelor of Science degree).  With rare exceptions based on profession specific mandates, all degree programs were required to meet this mandate by fall 2014. Additional information about CSULB’s enrollment and budget planning is available via this link:  CSULB Enrollment and Budget Planning


Administrative personnel changes since the last report:


Department Personnel changes

Since the last accreditation report, there have been a substantial amount of changes in full time personnel within the department. These changes are the result of a wave of retirements, and faculty departures to other positions.