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Welcome to the Department of Geography, Sociology, History, African American Studies and Anthropology Overview Each program in the department serves the State of Illinois and the south and southeast sides of Chicago through accessible, quality instruction employing pertinent scholarly and technological methods; and through scholarship and practice in the interacting arenas, of environment, economy, and community. The Department has an unusual niche within the University, the Chicago region, and within its constituent disciplines, for being a place to study community issues, especially as they touch on development, planning and environmental concerns. At the same time, the Department is uniquely poised to view these issues in global, environmental, cultural, and economic context. A major focus of CSU's outreach in the area of contributions to the economic development and social welfare of the Chicago area is through the Department's Fredrick Blum Neighborhood Assistance Center (NAC). Working with faculty and staff, the NAC provides students many opportunities to analyze, develop solutions for, and reflect upon a variety of urban problems. The NAC also operates the Calumet Environmental Resource Center (CERC), which is a unique information clearinghouse of environmental and economic development resources for the Calumet region of southeast Chicago and northwest Indiana. A third major department initiative is the CSU Geographic Information Systems (GIS) laboratory, which serves as a major center for GIS instruction in the Chicago area and which plays a strong part in the work of NAC/CERC, as well as in support to other scholarly efforts on campus. Mission The Department of Geography, Sociology, History, African American Studies, and Anthropology (GSHAA) at Chicago State University is a multi-disciplinary academic unit which is committed to providing a rigorous, positive, and transformative educational experience for both undergraduate and graduate students. The department fosters an inclusive, collegial environment which promotes scholarly achievement, research productivity, and service to its diverse student, faculty, and staff population. GSHAA is focused on extending the educational experience outside the walls of the university through teacher training, the promotion of social justice, and community involvement in Chicago and the region. Degrees Offered B.A.: Geography M.A.: History Graduate Certificates Offered Geographic Information Systems Departmental Minors Offered Geography Interdisciplinary Minors Offered Environmental Studies (with Chemistry and Biological Sciences) Facilities The department maintains four key facilities for student use. Geography, Sociology, History, African American Studies and Anthropology Departmental Office: Located in Williams Science Center 321 it houses the Department Chair (Dr. Arthur Redman) and Office Support Staff (Ms. Jetawn Eckles and Student Workstudy). Information for incoming and current majors and other services are offered. CSU Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Laboratory: Equipped with eighteen Internet accessible Windows Vista workstations, ready for GIS and image processing applications, networked to a secure server. Specialized software includes ERDAS IMAGINE for image processing and raster GIS, Multispec for image processing, ArcGIS 10.0 for vector/raster GIS, Corel Draw for computer aided drafting/drawing, and SPSS for social science tabulation and analysis. The lab is also equipped with a large format plotter, color laser printer, two digitizing tablets, and scanner. The department owns a number of Global Positioning Systems receivers for teaching purposes (Trimble and Garmin Geko and eTrex H receivers).. CSU Neighborhood Assistance Center: The Fredrick Blum Neighborhood Assistance Center (NAC) provides technical and research assistance to neighborhood based, community, and economic development organizations. Drawing heavily on the resources and skills of the department, the NAC endeavors to involve faculty and students from across the university. The NAC applies discipline specific skills to the solution of neighborhood problems and acts to increase the level of service to the community by the university. Calumet Environmental Resource Center (CERC): Is a major resource operated by the Department's Neighborhood Assistance Center. CERC maintains a collection of some 2,500 documents, air photos, maps, and community-generated Freedom of Information Act reports pertaining to the environment of the Calumet region. CERC's computer is also available for Internet searches, CERC catalog searches, basic GIS applications, and environmental and geographical games. Department Contact Dr. Arthur Redman, Chair Department Office Department of Geography, Sociology, History, African American Studies and Anthropology |
