Department of Family and Consumer Sciences

Dr. W. Keith Dooley, Chair
340B Gooch Hall
731-881-7100
fax 731-881-7106

Faculty

Brian D. Carroll, W. Keith Dooley, Lisa C. LeBleu, Lori H. Littleton, Amy L. Richards

Mission

The mission of the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences at The University of Tennessee at Martin is to prepare professionals who help promote a better quality of life for individuals and families, enhancing the interrelationships of people and communities in diverse social, economic and physical environments. For graduates who wish further specialization, the curriculum prepares them for advanced training or degrees such as UT Martin’s Master of Science degree in Family and Consumer Sciences.

A complementary mission of the department is to provide service courses for individual and curricular needs of students outside the major, as well as professional and non-professional persons in the region. The Dietetics and Child and Family Studies concentrations improve the quality of life for individuals and families in the region through public service and research.

Expected Outcomes

Upon completion of curriculum requirements for the degree in Family and Consumer Sciences, students will be able to:

Use technology that is appropriate for professionals in family and consumer sciences.
Use professional skills for effective communication, team building and decision making consistent with standards of ethical practice.
Exhibit appropriate interpersonal skills and professional attitude in professional and community settings.
Engage in professional networking in their area of specialization.
Identify relevant issues and participate in the legislative process as it relates to family and consumer sciences.
Interact effectively with individuals and families, taking into consideration social, economic, psychological and cultural differences.
Apply physical/biological and social sciences foundations in family and consumer sciences.
Apply knowledge gained from the student’s speciality area in family and consumer sciences careers.
Apply critical thinking skills for analysis of social, economic and political issues.

Minors

Students majoring in family and consumer sciences are not required to complete a minor in a supporting academic discipline. However, family and consumer sciences students have the option and may elect to do so. The option for completing a minor is especially well suited to the concentration in fashion merchandising. The choice to complete a minor means that the student must comply with the stated guidelines for the selected minor. Additional hours may be needed in pursuing a minor.

Major

The undergraduate program is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (107 South West Street, #816, Alexandria, VA 22314, telephone 703-706-4600). The undergraduate curriculum prepares students for the degree, Bachelor of Science in Family and Consumer Sciences. The major is called family and consumer sciences and offers seven concentrations. The student will select one of the following concentrations:

Child and Family Studies (1212)
Dietetics (1217)
Family and Consumer Sciences Education (1213)
Fashion Merchandising (1219)
Food and Nutrition (1211)
Gerontology (1215)
Hospitality and Food Service Management (1220)

Family and consumer sciences majors must earn a minimum grade of C in all family and consumer sciences subject-matter courses. Students who choose to complete upper division electives in lieu of field experience, or in combination with field experience, must earn a minimum grade of C in those courses, regardless of subject matter. A student can complete the minimum number of 120 semester hours in four academic years (two semester terms per year) if the student schedules a regular course load of 16 to 18 hours each term. If a student needs to carry more than 20 hours at one time, special permission of the dean of the college is required. Family and consumer sciences majors taking a minor can count up to two courses that are common to both the major and the minor.

Study and internships beyond the baccalaureate degree are necessary to attain credentials from certain professional organizations such as the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND). Advanced degrees are required for leadership and specialist positions, for college teaching and for many career promotions. The master’s degree is described in the graduate section of the catalog.

Facilities

Modern classroom and lab facilities are housed in Gooch Hall for almost all family and consumer sciences courses. Separate facilities exist, that may serve as laboratories for courses in child and family studies. The Margaret N. Perry Children’s Center provides services designed for the social and educational enrichment of young children, including a kindergarten readiness curriculum and after-school care for school-aged children.

The Child and Family Grants Program include the Infant Stimulation Program, which provides services to infants and toddlers who are developmentally delayed and their families; Healthy Start, which provides parent education for first-time parents in the region; and Healthier Beginnings, which serves expecting, first-time, and/or teen mothers and their infants. Students interested in careers in this field may volunteer or perform internships with these programs.

Student Organizations

UT Martin family and consumer sciences students are active in the Student Group of the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences, the Fashion Merchandising Association, the Student Dietetic Association, West Tennessee Association for Children’s Early Education, and Phi Upsilon Omicron. These organizations provide opportunities for students to interact socially and professionally.

Supervised Field Experience and Upper Division Electives

A supervised field experience may be selected by the student with the intent of developing specialization in one’s preferred career. A student must have a minimum 2.50 cumulative grade point average in order to enroll in field experience. Students who wish to complete the field experience for the ACEND accredited didactic program in dietetics must have a 3.0 cumulative grade point average. The required grade point average for all field experiences must be achieved two semesters preceding the semester of field experience and maintained until the semester of field experience.

Students who choose to complete upper division electives in lieu of a supervised field experience or in combination with a field experience must select electives in consultation with the adviser. Once the upper division electives have been approved by the adviser, the student may make changes only with prior consultation and approval of the adviser.

For students enrolled in family and consumer sciences education, the supervised field experience is supervised student teaching. These students must meet the criteria for the teacher education program as outlined by the College of Education, Health, and Behavioral Sciences.