Family & Consumer Sciences

Improving the Quality of Life for Families through Education, Prevention, and Development

The purpose of the undergraduate program in the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences is to provide both a liberal and a specialized education for students who seek to advance their education the the field of agriculture. The program in liberal education in which the interests and well-being of individuals, family members, and consumers are significant. The program includes study of nutrition, food, health, clothing, textiles, management of resources, design, care and guidance of children, human growth and development throughout the life span, interpersonal relationships, and family relationships, with emphasis on breadth of knowledge and its application to the solution of contemporary human problems.

The underlying focus is on an integrative approach to relationships among individuals, families, and communities and the environments in which they function. This program seeks to a) empower individuals, b) strengthen families, and c) enable communities.

Mission of the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences

The mission of the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences is to prepare individuals for leadership roles in professional family and consumer sciences careers, where they can use an integrated approach to relationships to improve the quality of life for individuals, families, and communities through education; prevention; and development and discovery of new knowledge, extend this knowledge to an increasingly global community; and provide service to the community.

Student Learning Outcomes: The graduates will:

Have specialized knowledge and skills in the concentration/major areas to address work roles in their professional careers in education, government, industry and society;
Have the capability to write research reports including identifying implications of research;
Analyze and interpret data for implication in work and personal life;
Use critical thinking skills to utilize diverse approaches for determining alternative solutions for issues;
Communicate information to diverse groups at all levels of expertise;
Recognize, respect, and value individual and societal diversity;
Reflect on one's own practices, articulate a philosophy and rationale for decisions, and continually self-assess as a basis for program planning and modification and continuing professional development;
Establish and maintain positive, collaborative relationships with colleagues, other professionals, and families and work effectively as a member of a professional team;
Practices ethical professional practice;
Demonstrate knowledge and skills necessary to become advocates for public policy as related to individuals, families and communities;
Use technology effectively in their work and family life;
Pursue lifelong learning;
Have an understanding of their responsibilities to their communities and the global society and act on this understanding;
Demonstrate understanding of the synergistic, integrative nature of the family and consumer sciences profession with its focus on the interrelationships among individuals, families, consumers, and communities as taught in human systems theory and life course development and students apply this understanding to the study of their areas of specialization.

The Department of Family and Consumer Sciences is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences. The Didactic Program in Dietetics is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND), Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2000, Chicago, IL 60606-6995, (312) 899-4876, www.eatright.org/ACEND. Currently the Program at TSU is on probationary status (see attachment).

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Mission of the Dietetics (DPD) Program

The mission of the TSU Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) is to support the missions of the University, College, and Department by providing a progressive and effective academic curriculum that prepares students to be scientifically competent, accountable, and ethically responsible food, health, and nutrition professionals prepared for supervised practice, a health or science related profession and/or graduate school, and advancing as self-educating dietetics professionals who will become Registered Dietitians.

Goals and Objectives of the Didactic Program in Dietetics

Goal 1: To prepare competent graduates that have the foundation, knowledge and skill requirements needed to enter and successfully complete a dietetics internship program, and pass the exam to become a Registered Dietitian.

Goal 1 Objectives:
Over a five year period, a minimum of 60% of students who complete the ACEND requirements will apply for an ACEND approved internship or ISPP within 12 months of graduation.Over a five year period, a minimum of 50% of those who apply for an ACEND approved internship or ISPP are accepted into such within 12 months of graduation. Over a five year period maintain a minimum 80% first-time passage rate for graduates taking the registration exam, and a minimum 80% one year passage rate over a five year period for those who do not pass the exam on the first attempt.

Goal 2: To increase the number of students who pursue the DPD, remain in the Program, and complete it within the recommended time frame.

Goal 2 Objectives:
Increase enrollment in the DPD by 25% each year.Students will be satisfied with program services, as indicated by a minimum of 80% of students marking "satisfactory" or higher on questions related to program content and advisement.Eighty percent of students will complete the program requirements within three years of being accepted into the program.

Goal 3: To prepare graduates to be competent employees in dietetics and related professions e.g., food service management, community agencies, health care organizations and business.

Goal 3 Objectives:
Over a 5 year period an average of 75% of students will find dietetics-related employment within 12 months of completion of the DPD, internship, or supervised practice program (ISPP). Over a five year period, 80% of employers will rate graduates as competent for the position they are holding.

Goal 4: To prepare students to be critical thinkers who are knowledgeable about the research process and outcome evaluation.

Goal 4 Objectives:
Over a 5 year period an average of 80% of program faculty will have research/extension/teaching funding from external funding agencies.At least five DPD students will participate in funded research projects each year. At least two DPD students will present a paper at a scientific conference each year.

The Didactic Program in Dietetics is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2000, Chicago, IL 60606-6995, (312) 899-4876, www.eatright.org/ACEND.

Admission/Retention Requirements

Students who wish to complete requirements for the ACEND accredited Didactic Program in Dietetics must complete an application for admission, be accepted into the program, and maintain a 2.75 GPA in the courses required for the concentration. Degree candidates seeking teaching certification in Early Childhood Education and Family and Consumer Sciences Education must meet requirements designed for the Teacher Education Program as below.

All Family and Consumer Sciences majors must have a "C" or better in all courses in their area of concentration in order to graduate.

Admission to Upper Level (Junior-Senior year) in Family and Consumer Sciences/Early Childhood Education Programs

Family and Consumer Sciences/Early Childhood Education majors must meet the following criteria to gain full admission to the programs:
1. GPA of at least 2.0 for FACS majors and 2.75 for Early Childhood Education and Family and Consumer Sciences Education majors.
2. Completed the general education courses.
3. Completed all developmental courses.
4. Completed the following major field courses: FACS 1010 and at least one of the following core courses: FASH 1120, DIGN 2010, NUFS 2010 or 2011, and ECFS 1010. Those students who did not transfer are expected to have completed all the FCS core requirements before gaining full admission. If courses are not available at the time of transfer, the student will receive tentative admission with the stipulation that enrollment in these courses is required at the first available time.

In addition, Early Childhood Education and Family and Consumer Sciences majors must meet the Admission and Retention requirements listed in the Teacher Education Program.

Teacher Education Admission and Retention Requirements

Each student who desires to be a candidate for admission to the Teacher Education Program will make application to the Director of Student Services and Teacher Education in the second semester of the sophomore year. The student must have earned a cumulative 2.75 GPA, and acceptable scores on the Pre-Professional Skills Test (P-PST), or the Computer Based Test (CBT).

Further clarification of the Teacher Education Program can be found in the College of Education section of the Tennessee State University catalog: "Admission, Retention, and Student Teaching Requirements for the Teacher Education Program." Students are required to complete 9 semester hours of student teaching which includes a dual placement.

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Undergraduate Admissions
P. O. Box 9609
Nashville, TN 37209

888-463-6878 toll-free
615-963-5101 voice
615-963-2930 fax

Graduate Admissions
P.O. Box 9584
Nashville, TN 37209

615-963-5901 voice
615-963-5963 fax
gradschool@tnstate.edu

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