School of Behavioral Sciences at CBU transitions into a college

Riverside, Calif. (June 29, 2017)—The School of Behavioral Sciences at California Baptist University will officially transition into the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences on July 1.

“This transition to a college follows significant growth in enrollment, faculty and degree offerings within the school and more appropriately aligns the offerings in this area with regional and national trends,” said Dr. Charles Sands, CBU provost and vice president.   

The college has seen enrollment grow to nearly 900 students in the various programs this past fall. With the growth, CBU will be adding two new programs this fall—a Master of Social Work and a Master of Science in Industrial and Organizational Psychology. The College of Behavioral and Social Sciences will have five majors, five minors and five graduate programs. Additionally, in the fall of 2018, the college is set to introduce a Master of Science in Sport and Performance Psychology  along with a Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology—the first doctoral program in the behavioral and social sciences at CBU.

Dr. Jacqueline Gustafson, dean of the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences, said the transition is an opportunity to build on a solid foundation.  

“I see this as building on a legacy of excellence that was started more than 35 years ago,” Gustafson said. “Our alumni continue to be well represented in our communities and beyond.”

In the past decade, the School of Behavioral Sciences has seen its number of graduates significantly increase year-by-year accumulating to nearly seven-thousand students. 

Phil Breitencuher (00’), psychology alumnus and director at the non-profit group Children and Family Futures, said the culture at CBU helped prepare him for his future career pursuits.

"I enjoyed the high expectations and small class atmosphere which prepared me for graduate school.  After graduating from CBU, I was immediately able to apply the knowledge I gained to the field of social work,” said Breitenbucher, who also serves as the program director for the U.S. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention and Family Recovery Initiative. 

“In my professional interactions with CBU alumni, I see them as being passionate and mission-driven individuals,” Breitenbucher added.     

Gustafson said the additional programs, including at the doctoral level, will help CBU influence behavioral and social science discussions not only on a regional level but a national level as well.

“Our programs are positioned to offer high commitment to academics with an emphasis on culture and justice issues this attracts bright and gifted instructors who want to be a part of our mission,” Gustafson said. “We are about bringing individuals back into relationships… in our communities, this means helping the underserved and sometimes the most vulnerable people.”