Family and Consumer Sciences
What is Family and Consumer Sciences?
Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) is the comprehensive body of skills, research, and knowledge that helps people make informed decisions about their well being, relationships, and resources to achieve optimal quality of life. The field represents many areas, including human development, personal and family finance, housing and interior design, food science, nutrition, textiles and apparel, and consumer issues.
Today's FCS professionals practice in multiple settings. They are early childhood, elementary, secondary, university/college, and Extension educators, administrators and managers, human service professionals, researchers, community volunteers, business people, and consultants who address the issues most important to our quality of life.
Vision Statement
The Family and Consumer Sciences program at Southeastern is nationally accredited through the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences Council for Accreditation. The program offers a dynamic curriculum that provides the employment preparation and personal development required for today's career opportunities and family culture.
Mission Statement
The mission of the Family and Consumer Sciences program is to prepare students for professions which address the adequate provision of basic human needs from a holistic and synergistic perspective as prescribed in the Family and Consumer Sciences Body of Knowledge for the profession. The focus of the Family and Consumer Sciences Body of Knowledge is to understand the complexity of the reciprocal relationships (interrelationships and interdependence) among individuals, families, communities, and the many environments in which they function
Goals
The goals of the Family and Consumer Sciences program include:
1. To provide students with a quality degree program representative of the body of
knowledge in the field of Family and Consumer Sciences.
2. To provide quality instruction and advising in the field of Family and Consumer
Sciences.
3. To provide students with facilities and equipment appropriate in the field of Family and
Consumer Sciences and use of appropriate technology in the classroom.
4. To recruit, admit and retain a culturally diverse student population in the Family and
Consumer Sciences degree program.
Student learning Outcomes
The student learning outcomes of the Family and Consumer Sciences program include:
1. To articulate the Body of Knowledge of Family and Consumer Sciences.
2. To understand the complex relationships that under gird strong, diverse, and resilient
families.
3. To demonstrate responsibility as a family and consumer sciences professional to
critique, develop, implement, and assess policies that support an environment
conducive to individual and family well-being.
4. To recognize the issues that impact basic human needs, relationships, and
interactions among individuals and essential social interfaces such as the family, the
community, the workplace, the educational system, the world of technology, and the
global economy from a holistic and synergistic perspective.
5. To apply critical thinking and problem solving skills to determine alternative solutions
for problems independently and in collaboration with colleagues.
6. To assume leadership roles as appropriate and serve as productive members of
professional organizations/networks/workplace environments that affect the quality
of life of individuals and families, ethical decision-making, and the vitality of
communities.
Strengths
The strengths of the Family and Consumer Sciences program include:
1. The FCS program is accredited by the American Association of Family and Consumer
Sciences (AAFCS).
2. Students completing a degree in FCS qualify to sit for the exam to become a Certified
Family and Consumer Scientist offered through AAFCS.
3. Students completing a degree in FCS have the opportunity to earn the ServSafe
certification through the American Restaurant Association.
4. The FCS program has been recognized by the National Council on Family Relations
(NCFR) as an approved program to offer students the opportunity to become
Certified.
5. The use of internships and the requirement of internship experiences demonstrate
the development of professional attributes among student interns and provide hands
on learning for students.
6. Students are exposed to global perspectives through completion of courses which
address multi-cultural issues in all three concentration areas.
7. Several FCS courses are offered as 100% online courses. All FCS courses are
Internet supported and several are offered as blended course options (50% online -
50% face-to-face) giving students much more flexibility.
8. Emphasis is placed on service learning through course projects and internships.
9. A career portfolio is required for all graduates which begins at the freshman level and
is completed in the capstone course. Program emphasis on professional development
through standards and ethics continue in upper level FCS courses.
Degree
The Bachelor of Science in Family and Consumer Sciences offers 3 dynamic concentration areas that help fulfill our mission and strengthen employment opportunities for students based on their professional interests. The concentration areas include:
- Family Studies
- Fashion Merchandising
- Nutrition