The University’s Atallah College of Educational Studies is changing its integrated educational studies (IES) major to community education studies (CES) major this semester, which has made it difficult for some students to get classes, with a lack of availability. 

The change was made with the purpose of giving students a more broad variety of subjects, instead of exclusively traditional education classes. 

According to Jillian Wood, Ph.D., who is the associate dean for academic affairs and the director of undergraduate education programs, the purpose of the change is to split the IES majors into two majors: CES and liberal studies. 

“IES previously had two emphasis areas within the major: schools (or) community. We essentially moved those two emphasis areas into two separate majors,” Wood said. “All students currently in the IES major have the option to change to one of these majors, depending on how many classes they have left. Current IES majors who are second years or above, can stay as an IES major.”

Wood went on to share the details of the transition from the primary IES major, and its offshooting into two separate teaching majors. 

“Overall the two major additions have been smooth,” Wood explained. “The Registrar’s office has assisted a lot with the transition, and we are ensuring classes for all three majors are on the schedule for our incoming and current students.” 

Despite the assurances from Wood, students found it difficult to get into the necessary classes needed for their major. 

“I don’t really know much about (the change) besides that it is super annoying to get classes since now there’s only two or three grade levels that are IES students,” said Kenzie Reynolds, a sophomore IES major. “There’s less classes because they're not adding more students to fill the classes needed, so there’s one section offered for each class.” 

The changes to the major were sudden for students who received an email at the end of last school year discussing the changes that would be coming in the fall. 

“They emailed us last year saying we’re taking away the IES major,” Reynolds explained. “They sent that email and everyone was freaking out because they worded it badly, so they deleted the email, and then resent a different, less stressful email.”

This change to the IES also influenced some students to change their major all together instead of continuing on the new CES route. 

Jenna Miles, a sophomore liberal studies major and dance minor, entered Chapman as an IES major, but due to the changes to her major, found it more effective to change her trajectory. 

“My advisors told me that liberal studies was more focused on teaching, while CES is more focused on community education,” Miles shared. “Liberal studies is more convenient because you don’t have to take tests that IES majors have to and there’s so many more things we can be educated on.”

“They didn’t give me much information on what the changes would be,” said Miles, who also shared the same concerns over the confusion the change of major has caused, as well as the lack of details on the new CES major.

As students make the most of the status of this major change, they look to make the most of their new or limited classes.