Message from the Dean
Samuel J. Rosenberg, PhD.
The 21st century has ushered a myriad of challenges ranging from economic collapse of local and national economies to political turmoil throughout the global landscape. These challenges include the interaction of natural forces and human activity. Research has shown that climate change, natural disasters, energy needs, political instability and warfare are inextricably connected to the way societies organize their social, economic and political institutions. Social wellbeing can be conceptualized as the result of the study and implementation of research in social organization. The Social Sciences provide individuals the conceptual ability and the tools to create social conditions that promote civic engagement, equality and prosperity. The School of Social Science and Human Services provides students with the fundamentals for the understanding of social organization. Students who graduate from the School are equipped with the necessary tool kit to continue their professional development in the private and the public sector. Their ability to reason, think critically and execute well developed plans prepares them well for the challenges of the 21st century.
The School of Social Science and Human Services (SSHS) enrolls over 1600 students in its degree and certification programs. It is one of the largest schools on campus. We have eight professionals, over thirty part-time instructors, and 61 full time faculty who serve 7 majors, 8 minors, a Masters Degree in Educational Technology, a Masters Degree in Sustainability Studies and the Teacher Education Program.
Our distinguished faculty have published over twenty books and numerous journal articles. SSHS faculty have made academic presentations and conducted research all over the world. Dean Rosenberg's path breaking book: "Community Mental Health: Challenges for the 21st Century" will be available in its second edition in the fall 2011. Behzad Yaghmaian, Sociology, wrote Embracing the Infidel which has established him as a major voice in world dialogue on the Middle East. The paperback edition has been published in Iran and Italy. I would also note that the book was compared to the Grapes of Wrath by the giant, Kirkus Reviews. Professor Yaghmaian has been referred to and quoted in the New York Times, USA Today, interviewed on Nation Public Radio and a national radio station in the United Kingdom. Dr. Yaghmaian recently presented a Public Lecture at the University of London, and his Op-Eds have appeared in the Herald Tribune as well as USA Today. Professor Jillian Weiss, Law and Society, has been recognized as a national expert on issues of diversity and workplace discrimination and has been a consultant at the White House, Harvard University and international corporations.
Our faculty also serve the larger community in a variety of different ways.
- Mitch Kahn, Social Work, has been a force in state landlord-tenant issues for over twenty-five years.
- Faculty in Psychology, Social Work, Law and Society and Social Science have launched an annual conference serving professionals in the State of New Jersey concerning issues of child development. The 2011 conference, "Stop Bullying", has received tremendous community support and has provided valuable resources for teachers, social workers, psychologists and child welfare workers.
- The Masters of Sustainability Studies' conference "Spill Effects: Teaching about BP in the Gulf, New Jersey and Beyond" was joined by international scientists, economists, environmentalists and actual participants in the events in the Gulf of Mexico. Local politicians, students and students benefited from an intellectually and civically challenging discussion as to the future of environmental changes at the local, national and international level.
Our students have won national awards, have achieved employment in the private and public sector and they have been accepted to the areas' best graduate programs.
- Social Work students applying for graduate school achieve advanced standing an unbelievable 86 percent of the time.
- Two of our current tenure track faculty actually graduated from the SSHS Psychology program.
- The chair of the College's Board of Trustees, Mr. A. J. Sabath is a graduate of our Social Work Program.
Program, faculty, and student evidence clearly demonstrates that the School is alive and well in service of the College mission.
- The Psychology major is one of the two largest majors on campus, and Law and Society is among the fastest growing majors on campus.
- The Social Work Program has undergone its second reaccredidation cycle with the Council of Social Work Education, a national accreditation agency. The evaluation characterized the Social Work program as outstanding and the reviewers stated that the Self Study prepared by the Social Work faculty was "the best one they have seen in thirty five years".
- The Teacher Education Certification Program recently received a clean audit report from the Teacher Education Accreditation Council, also a national accreditation agency. A clean audit report is the highest evaluation possible from the TEAC audit team, which visited campus November 15-17, 2006.
In all the areas of evaluation - teaching, scholarship, and community service - the School of Social Science and Human Services is furthering the mission of the College.
As we envision the 21st century, technology is bringing the people of the world increasingly closer to each other. More than ever in human history this century will force us to tackle issues of cultural and experiential diversity, as well as the ecological interdependence that these developments bring. This will require ever greater sensitivity to and understanding of the varieties of human sensibility and experience, within as well as outside our own culture. Students affiliated with the School of Social Sciences and Human Services will be exposed to insightful analyses of prevailing societal patterns which impede cultural reconciliation and insight, such as divisions based on race, gender, disability, social class, national origin and differing cultural backgrounds. They will learn to critically read and incisively evaluate the great number of social science facts and information provided by the major media, through courses in social issues and scientific methodology as well as through practical experiences that foster social, psychological, statistical and ecological literacy.
The School of Social Science and Human Services (SSHS) offers a rich and varied curriculum with well-prepared courses and plenty of opportunities for fieldwork and experiential learning. Our educational philosophy is based on the following set of core values about education and life.
To understand the complex worlds of people, at the level of individuals, small groups or whole societies or civilizations, it is imperative to have a sound historical grounding. History informs us how things came to be and, by implication, what constraints we face in trying to effect social change. Among the requirements for a Social Science and Human Services degree are introductory and upper level courses designed to mold historically and socially informed graduates.
Social awareness and insight is enhanced, and manifested, in our willingness to give back to our respective communities, as students, as educators, as human beings. Positive societal transformation occurs to the extent that an informed citizenry cares, and gets actively involved. The School of Social Science and Human Services tries to foster such convictions through, among other things, liberal fieldwork, co-op, service-learning and volunteer opportunities as well as first-rate classroom preparation.
Learning does not merely take place in the classroom. At least as important as listening to professors lecturing, are the direct "life experiences" each one of us has in our respective communities, provided these are accompanied by proper guidance and reflection. Again, this is the object of guided fieldwork, service-learning, co-op and independent study experiences, all of which are essential elements in the overall education offered in our school. Our students frequently take advantage of direct learning opportunities offered through the Cahill Center, the major source for Experiential Learning and Career Opportunities at Ramapo.
As we envision the new millennium technology is bringing the peoples of the world increasingly closer to each other, informationally as well as geographically. More than ever in human history the next century will force us to tackle issues of cultural and experiential diversity, as well as the ecological interdependency that these developments bring. This will require ever greater sensitivity to and understanding of the varieties of human sensibility and experience, within as well as outside our own culture. Students affiliated with the School of Social Sciences and Human Services are exposed to insightful analyses of prevailing societal patterns which impede cultural reconciliation and insight, such as divisions based on race, gender, disability, social class, national origin and differing cultural backgrounds. They learn to critically read and incisively evaluate the daily barrage of social science facts and fictions provided by the major media, through courses in social issues and scientific methodology as well as through practical experiences that foster social, statistical and ecological literacy.
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The twelve credit program of Core courses, required of all students who graduate from the School of Social Science and Human Services, reflect the above goals.
| Required Core Courses: | Credits: |
|---|---|
| Social Issues | 4 |
| History of Social Thought | 4 |
| Sustainability | 4 |
| Total | 12 |
Consistent with the school's mission and its expression in the core, students affiliated with the School of Social Science and Human Services are offered a rich panoply of choices among majors, minors and concentrations which reflect the diversity of human endeavor. Leading to the Bachelor of Arts degree there are majors in Psychology, Sociology, Law and Society, Economics, Political Science and Environmental Studies. In consultation with a sponsoring faculty member a student can design a personalized "Contract Major" in Social Science, with a Concentration defined by a course of study fitted to the student's specific needs. This option provides opportunities to serve long established concentrations with low current enrollments in Social Science (e.g. Community Mental Health or Business and Public Policy) or to be responsive to new intellectual trends in scholarship long before the ideas have reached the maturity and exposure to be offered as majors or minors (e.g. Cultural Studies, Africana Studies, Gender Studies). Reflecting the emphasis on practice, the School offers a rigorous major in Social Work (for the BSW degree), as well as a rapidly growing Certification program in Teacher Education for students who want to become Secondary or Elementary school teachers. Minors are offered in Women's Studies, African-American Studies, Latin-American Studies and Gerontology, as well as in most of the majors listed above.
School of Social Science and Human Services Contact Information:
Office: G-138
Hours: Mon. - Fri., 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Phone: (201) 684-7625 or (201) 684-7624
Fax: (201) 684-7257
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