OATdb Archive

2009 - 2010

Family And Consumer Sciences, Department Of

Goal
Scholarly And Teaching Productivity
To increase productivity in the areas of scholarly work and teaching (IDEA scores) for faculty within the department.

Objective
Improve Scholarship And Teaching Over Previous Years
To increase productivity in the areas of scholarly work and teaching for faculty in the department.

Indicator
Faculty Evaluation System (FES)
Comparisons over the past four years should show improvement in amount of scholarly productivity.

Criterion
20% Increase In Scholarly Productivity
An increase of 20% over the past four years will measure improvement.

Finding
Improved Scholarship
The department did see gains in scholarship during the 2009-2010 academic year.  However, with an improvement from 2007-2008 to 2008-2009 of 1874%, an additional improvement, even of 20%, did not occur.  The exact amount has not yet been calculated, but it is important to point out that the department received the CHSS Award for Department Excellence in Research/Scholarship for 2008-2009, and continues to be productive in this area, with presentations, peer-reviewed journal articles, and grant applications that are pending.

Indicator
Individual Development And Educational Assessment (IDEA) Results
The Individual Development and Educational Assessment (IDEA) results will be used to measure improvement

Criterion
10% Increase In Teaching Scores Over Past Four Years.
A 10% increase in IDEA teaching scores will constitute improvement.

Finding
Improved Teaching
Improvement was noted in IDEA scores, a partial measure of teaching improvement, with an increase of 2.9% from Fall 2008 to Fall 2009.

Action
Improve Scholarship, Teaching
Action has been taken and is being taken, specifically, to improve IDEA scores for the department.  Dr. Paula Tripp held a workshop for the faculty during the Spring 2010 semester.  Faculty will continue to work with Dr. Ruth Massingill and Dr. Marsha Harman during the Fall 2010 semester with the goal of improving IDEA scores and, more importantly, improving teaching in the classroom and on-line.

The department chair will work with Dr. Terry Bilhartz on calculating the exact amount of increase or decrease in research/scholarship for the department from 2008-2009 to 2009-2010.  However, it must be reiterated that continued scholarly productivity is an important part of the culture of the department which was not the case four years ago.

Goal
Program Offerings
To offer programs in keeping with the mission and resources of the department.

Objective
Program Assessment And Improvement
To assess all of the programs in the department and construct plans for program improvement.

Indicator
Program Assessments
Each program director/leader shall conduct an assessment of the program or programs for which that director/leader has assumed leadership. These assessments shall lead to directions for improvement which shall then be implemented.

Criterion
Program Assessment
This criterion is met when programs have been assessed for the 2009-2010 fall and spring semesters during the summer of 2010. The assessment cycle has been December, May and August for a given year, such as 2009-2010, but in order to get on track with the rest of the university, the assessment cycle for 2009-2010 only will be for December of 2009 and May of 2010. August of 2010 will be incorporated into the 2010-2011 assessment cycle which will end in May of 2011.

Finding
Program Assessment
All programs have been assessed, and data for all but one program submitted as of May 27, 2010.  The data set for that one program is expected by Monday, May 31, at the latest.  Therefore, the expectation is that this goal will be met at 100%.  For the most part, the department is on the same cycle as the rest of the university.  Graduate school admissions for the MS in FCS program will not be available until August 1, 2010.  That one indicator/criterion will need to be re-written to accommodate the new assessment calendar, and that data will be pending for the current cycle.  August 2010 data will be incorporated into the 2010-2011 report.

Action
Program Assessment
The goal regarding graduate school admissions for the MS in FCS will be re-written for the coming cycle to accommodate the new assessment cycle in regard to calendar changes so that the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences will be on the same assessment cycle as the rest of the university.


Objective
Building/Facilities
The department will provide a department viewed by the students as satisfactory in regard to the building and facilities.

Indicator
Exit Survey - Building/Facilities
The Exit Survey requests several different types of data including satisfaction and skills assessment.  For this objective, the rating of the building/facilities will be extracted and analyzed.

Criterion
80% Graduating Seniors Rate Building/Facilities High
80% of graduating seniors will rate building and facilities with a score of 3.0 or greater on a 4.0 scale.

Finding
Building/Facilities
Of the 47 graduating seniors from December 2009 - May 2010, the data set included information from 32 of them, or 68% of the total group.  Of those from whom data were available, 71% (23 out of 32) rated the building and facilities with a score of 3 or 4 on a 4-point scale. 

Action
Building/Facilities
It was somewhat distressing to note that 29% of graduating students viewed the department's building and facilities as less than satisfactory, according to assigned ratings.  For those graduating in the coming year (2010-1011, beginning in August of 2010), a short-answer question will be added to the Exit Survey so that students will have the opportunity for additional feedback -- i.e., to identify the areas viewed as less than satisfactory.  A cursory breakdown of the findings shows that students in foods and FCS general majors reported less satisfaction with the building and facilities.  The foods laboratories often seem crowded at laboratory times, and routine equipment needs to be updated; perhaps the open-ended answers in the next assessment cycle can guide the faculty in which aspects of the building and facilities need to be on the priority list for updates.

Objective
Faculty
The department will provide a faculty viewed by the students as satisfactory in teaching prescribed content.

Indicator
Exit Survey - Faculty
Exit Survey data that includes a rating of the faculty in the program will be extracted and analyzed.

Criterion
80% Graduating Seniors Will Rate Faculty High
80% of graduating seniors will rate the faculty in the program with a score of 3.0 or greater on a 4.0 scale.

Finding
Faculty
Of the 47 graduating seniors from December 2009 - May 2010, the data set included information from 32 of them, or 68% of the total group.  Of those from whom data were available, 100% -- all 32 -- rated faculty in the department with a score of 3 or 4 on a 4-point scale. 

Most comments are very positive; however, there was one comment about the faculty updating technology skills.

Action
Faculty
The faculty in the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences is a caring and effective group, as shown by this feedback from graduating seniors from undergraduate programs (graduate students are not subject to the Exit Survey from which data are extracted).  The department will seek to continue to nurture its tenure-track faculty toward tenure, as well as to mentor those adjunct faculty who teach in the department.  In addition, the department will continue to seek to hire new faculty in areas of need -- specifically, food preparation, fashion merchandising, and general fcs, as well as to request permission to hire a coordinator that could teach and work with both dietetics programs. Finally, the department faculty agree that updating technology skills would be beneficial.

Goal
Program In Hospitality Administration
To broaden the current Food Service Management Program to include the entire hospitality industry without eliminating the current focus on food service.

Objective
Program In Hospitality Administration
To broaden the focus and change the name of the current program in Food Service Management to Hospitality Administration.

Indicator
Hospitality Administration Program
Whether or not progress has been made toward broadening the current Food Service Management program into a program in Hospitality Administration.

Criterion
Focus And Name Change To Hospitality Administration
Whether or not progress has been made toward broadening the focus of the Food Service Management program and changing its name to Hospitality Administration.

Finding
Program In Hospitality Administration
Progress has been made toward broadening the focus of the Food Service Management program and changing its name to Hospitality Administration.  An upper-level course in Lodging Operations has been proposed and offered under a "special topics" number with a great deal of student interest in the course.  A tenure-track faculty member has been hired who has hospitality administration as part of her background. 

Action
Program In Hospitality Administration
Although the upper-level course was proposed and approved at the college level, it was not approved by the University Curriculum Committee.  An effort will be made to propose it again during the coming cycle, addressing the concerns of the University Curriculum Committee, some of which were: 1) at the time, an adjunct was listed as the instructor; since then a fully-qualified tenure-track professor will take the helm once approved; and 2) there seems to be some perception of threat to class enrollment across departments and across colleges.  Specifically, business departments had concerns about the overlap of business instruction in the course.  These issues will be addressed when the course is reproposed.

Goal
Accreditation For Interior Design Program
Accreditation by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA) is sought by the interior design program so that students who graduate from the program may sit for the licensing exam and become licensed interior designers.

Objective
Progress Toward Council For Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA) Accreditation
The program will implement the approved curricular changes so that student work can be collected based on improvements instituted with the curricular changes and thus progress with the accreditation process.

Indicator
Progress Toward CIDA Accreditation
Implementation of proposed and approved changes in the interior design curriculum.

Criterion
90% Progress Toward CIDA Accreditation
90% of proposed and approved curricular changes for the interior design program will be implemented.

Finding
Progress Toward CIDA Accreditation
According to Dr. Laura Burleson, at least 90% of the proposed curricular changes have been implemented.  All that remains is modification of some assignments to better meet CIDA standards.

Action
Progress Toward CIDA Accreditation
Faculty teaching in the interior design program will continue to modify assignments to better meet CIDA standards.  A new faculty member in the area of interior design was hired this past summer and came on board in August of 2010.  He has made a concerted effort to better help students connect with the industry, including architects and builders.  The faculty has submitted paperwork to CIDA that asserts that this program is ready to write the self-study that must be submitted before the CIDA site visit, and that site visit in tentatively scheduled for April of 2011.  This spring the interior design faculty met and solidified textbook selection for the coming academic year and also visited interior design faculty from an accredited program in another part of the state.

Goal
Curriculum Development/Graduate Programs
To develop new graduate courses in all areas of family and consumer sciences to meet the needs of current and potential students and other stakeholders.

Objective
Structured Classes For Graduate Programs
Faculty in the department will develop courses that will meet the content area needs of students interested in a concentration or focus area including interior design, fashion merchandising, family and consumer sciences teacher certification, and nutrition.

Indicator
Structured Classes For Graduate Programs
Faculty will develop courses that meet the content area needs of students interested in a concentration in one of the following areas of family and consumer sciences: interior design, fashion merchandising, family and consumer sciences teacher certification, and nutrition.

Criterion
One Structured Class Per Year
Faculty in the department will develop at least one course per academic year and submit the course for university approval.

Finding
Structured Classes For Graduate Programs
Faculty in the department developed a graduate course entitled FACS 5380 Needs of Aging Populations and Their Families.  In addition, a tenured professor developed and submitted FACS 5381 Evaluation Techniques in Family and Consumer Sciences.  Both courses were approved by the CHSS Curriculum Committee and are being submitted to the University Curriculum Committee.

Action
Structured Classes For Graduate Programs
The criterion that was established was met, and an additional course was submitted as well.  The two areas that need the most in terms of course development are interior design and fashion merchandising, although a course incorporating the needs of the costume collection would also be helpful.  A food technology course is taught regularly, but a graduate course in nutrition/dietetics also could and should be developed.  Faculty will work on course development in these three areas.

Goal
Program Coordinator For Supervised Practice - Dietetics Programs
The dietetics programs (BS in Food Science and Nutrition and MS in Dietetics) have the goal of requesting a new faculty position; that person can serve as a coordinator for the supervised practice (preceptor sites) for both programs. Students in the program would benefit through greater supervision at the rotation sites. The addition of a new position would be of benefit in terms of continuing accreditation for these programs.

Objective
Program Coordinator For Supervised Practice - Dietetics Programs
The department will hire an additional faculty person in the area of nutrition/dietetics who would coordinate with the interns and undergraduate majors and their preceptor sites as well as teach part-time for the department. This position is needed so there is a specific contact person (rather than DI Director for graduate students and DPD Director for undergraduate students) for the preceptor personnel and to ensure that all contracts, paperwork, etc., with the preceptor sites is constantly maintained. Such a position would be an asset to the accreditation for both programs by allowing for expanded course offerings and greater supervision of the students at the various rotations (i.e., preceptor) sites.

Indicator
Program Coordinator For Supervised Practice - Dietetics Programs
Approval for and successful negotiation of a contract with a new faculty person who also can serve as a coordinator for the supervised practice for both dietetics programs.

Criterion
Program Coordinator For Supervised Practice - Dietetics Programs
Whether approval was granted for a new faculty person in the area of nutrition/dietetics who also could serve as a coordinator for the supervised practice (preceptor sites, rotation) for both dietetics programs.

Finding
Program Coordinator For Supervised Practice - Dietetics Programs
Although faculty requested a new faculty/staff person who could teach as well as serve as a coordinator for supervised practice for both dietetics programs, this request was not approved.

Action
Program Coordinator For Supervised Practice - Dietetics Programs
Faculty will continue to request this position.  Faculty requested and will continue to request a new faculty position, a combined teaching/staff position, or whatever configuration would work within budgetary constraints.

Update to previous cycle's plan for continuous improvement
Plan for continuous improvement The Department of Family and Consumer Sciences has continued to make foward strides toward achievement of its goals while staying within the budget as set forth by the University.  Scholarship remains strong, with all tenured/tenure-track faculty presenting papers, actively involved in scholarly work, and/or working toward the goal of peer-review publications.  Teaching effectiveness has improved, and with advances noted in last year's report (an increase of 8%) plus increases noted this year (2.9% increase), an overall net increase of 10.9% has been realized over the last two years (data that would document changes noted in Spring 2010 are not yet available).  Faculty will be working with Dr. Marsha Harman in the Professional and Academic Center for Excellence (PACE) Center over the next year to received individualized plans for improving teaching.

The department has been largely successful in changing its assessment cycle to be in keeping with that of most of the rest of the university.  Data collected in August 2010 will be included in the 2010-2011 assessment cycle.  Because one of the goals is to increase graduate admissions for the fall and because the deadline for that admission is August 1, that data set is not available for this report.  Overall, data collection has improved and program assessment, for the most part, has improved with this cycle.  The Texas Education Agency has released new TEKS that are to be implemented in Fall of 2010, and each program that has courses included in the FCS general major for Teacher Certification has been very carefully assessed to assure that the majority of those TEKS is being met.  Several courses have undergone revision and more will undergo revision, with the goal of stronger courses better targeted to the needs of this population.  

One hundred percent (100%) of graduating seniors rated faculty in the department as satisfactory or very satisfactory, a very gratifying response to this hard-working faculty because IDEA scores have not always been high for this department when compared with other departments in the college.  Faculty are working with the feedback presented through the IDEA system, their FIF sheets, etc., to improve teaching scores as reflected in that system, but it becomes important to note two factors in relation to this discrepancy.  First of all, IDEA scores are gathered at a time in the semester when student frustration is generally high and are concerned with a specific course.  With an overall response rate of 59%, and only including program majors for the department, a 100% rating of satisfaction indicates that students believe that faculty are extremely capable of appropriate content delivery.  Secondly, graduating seniors are reflecting an overall impression of their time (2-4 years) in the department rather than focusing on a specific course.  It is also important to note that in programs that are accredited or where passage of a national exam is an outcome, students are extremely successful (100% passage rate for the Registration Examination in Dietetics -- measures first-time test takers only -- and also for the content area exam for FCS Teacher Certification graduates).   The high passage rates for these exams indicate that content has been delivered in a way that students are successful!  One issue that continually surfaces among students is the need for an area in the department designated for student use.  Just recently, space has become available in the building, and plans are underway to convert it into a student-designated area.

One area that has not been rated as highly when compared with other areas rated is the condition of the building and facilities.   Classrooms are often crowded and equipment has not been updated because faculty have had to choose between those cosmetic updates and travel to professional conferences to present professional papers.  However, the department is pleased to report that "smart" technology was installed toward the beginning of the Spring 2010 semester which should help to increase student satisfaction in that area.  The public hallways and spaces on the second floor were painted a lighter color which was a cosmetic improvement, and by the beginning of the fall semester, newer sewing machines will be available for ALL students in the Clothing Laboratory (before that time, close to half of the students were working on machines that were close to 30 years old, although they had been well-maintained).  Plans are underway to repaint the public spaces on the second floor as well as do repairs due to water damage.  Maintaining attractive and professional spaces within the department is an on-going task, partially due to the age and condition of the building.  One action that will be implemented in the coming assessment cycle is to add a space where students can, in an open-ended format, delineate reasons for lack of satisfaction with the physical facilities (building and other facilities).  

The department made important progress toward CIDA accreditation during the 2009-2010 academic year.  All that remains is slight modification of several assignments within interior design courses so that all is in keeping with Standards set by CIDA.  A new tenure-track faculty member was hired beginning with the Fall 2009 semester, and with the tenured program director and a full-time adjunct, that program now has 3 full-time faculty which will be viewed very positively by CIDA.  Paperwork has been submitted, the self-study is scheduled to be written this summer, and a site visit is anticipated in April of 2011.  Much coordination will be required for this endeavor. 

The department also made progress toward improvements in the Food Science and Nutrition Program (the Didactic Program in Dietetics or DPD).  A new DPD director was hired into a tenure-track position who came with considerable experience and a strong network of dietetics professionals.  Courses were approved by the University Curriculum Committee in Community Nutrition and Clinical Dietetics and a plan was developed that will insure their smooth insertion into that program's curriculum.  The course that was proposed in Lodging Operations, as part of the plan to move the Food Service Management program toward a change in name and focus toward Hospitality Administration, was not approved during this cycle; however, it will be re-submitted in a future cycle with modifications to address concerns expressed by the University Curriculum Committee.

Great strides were made in curriculum development for the graduate program in family and consumer sciences.  Two courses were developed and approved by the CHSS Curriculum Committee, with two to three additional courses are planned for the coming cycle.  The two courses approved by the CHSS Curriculum Committee have been forwarded to the University Curriculum Committee.  

Because the department operates with more than the normal percentage of adjunct instructors, additional faculty members still are needed, especially in the areas of food preparation, fashion merchandising, and general family and consumer sciences.  A program coordinator to work with the dietetics programs, with the master's degree and R.D. credential, was requested at two different times, but that request was not approved.  The need for such a position is great, and the department will continue with this request. 

In summary, this department has made great strides during this assessment cycle.  The faculty will continue to maximize the use of its current resources and to request additional resources for improvement of programs offered within the department. 

   






 

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