ISSM: More than Just a Major

Destinie Schroff, Staff Reporter

destinie_schroff@csumb.edu

Feb.28, 2008

Students not satisfied with traditional

Human Communication or Math majors, or

are overwhelmed by too many interesting

majors, Integrated Study Special Major

(ISSM) could be the right choice.

If ISSM seems intriguing, the first step would

be to talk to Professor Barbara Mossberg.

Mossberg claims many students arrive in

her office and are concerned by their many

interests and desires of study. Many students’

“dream majors” are possible when aspects

of different areas of study are combined,

which is the idea behind ISSM. It allows

the entire CSU Monterey Bay (CSUMB)

catalog to be a canvas, leaving nothing

off-limits. When speaking with Mossberg,

students are asked not what major they

want, but how they want to contribute to

society and what role they want to play in

the world. “What knowledge, experience,

skills and abilities do you need to do

this?” asked Professor Mossberg. ISSM

encourages students to combine all of their

interests and goals in conjunction with

the campus’ departments and programs to

create the perfect major.

When starting the process of declaring

ISSM their major, students must first fill

out a variety of forms asking about specific

interests and must examine relevant Major

Learning Requirements (MLO) to make

sure ISSM would be a good choice. Then,

it is necessary to present a case for the

created major to the ISSM director and at

least two other faculty members from other

departments for approval. Once authorized,

the student enrolls in an ISSM pro-seminar

class and begins to build the Individualized

Learning Plan (ILP) which includes a

Statement of Purpose, an autobiography

and an Ethics Statement. There is also

a mandatory bibliography detailing the

molded major. Traditional coursework, a

Capstone and portfolio are still required,

as well as an interdisciplinary leadership

course and a theory and practice course.

Junior Leslie Provont has fused Japanese,

Business and photography to create

“Asian International Business and Digital

Photography.” Provont said “[I] wanted to

focus on the Japanese language and culture

but did not want to double major.”

Junior Megan Williams created

“Narrative Craft,” allowing her to write

across the discipline, from stories to

screenplays. Williams writes for change

and says, “We can all be more than we are

told to be.”

Drastically different and unique majors

make it easy to assume students may feel

isolated. In reality, it is the opposite. Being

in similar situations, students are able to

bond together via the same driven attitude

and desire to change.

Mossberg said, “[my] goal is to have

students explore and develop all their

interests, to make their learning plan

incorporate these interests in a coherent

way, and to respect all the dimensions

so that their major is a way for them to

be whole.”