OATdb Archive

2014 - 2015

Family And Consumer Sciences BS (Food Science And Nutrition)

Goal
Knowledge And Skills
To graduate students with the necessary foundation, knowledge, skills, and competencies outlined in the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) Handbook.

Objective
Demonstration Of Knowledge And Skills
Food Science and Nutrition students will demonstrate knowledge and skills necessary to meet the standards of the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics, the accrediting arm of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (formerly the American Dietetic Association).


Indicator
Exit Survey - Knowledge And Skills
Students either have the option of a capstone project in FACS 4361 for an undergraduate publishable paper or they may ask to take the Exit Survey. The Exit Survey for food science and nutrition majors includes multiple-choice and short-answer sections that test retention of course material; it is graded on a pass/fail basis. (Each program area has questions that are specific to that program content.) To develop this instrument, faculty in the content area reviewed course and program objectives and chose questions from exams that reflected important concepts that students should retain. The test is used repetitively and the scoring is consistent. For security reasons, the test portion (multiple-choice, short-answer questions) is not attached. However, this document is available in the DPD Director's office.

Criterion
80% Of Students Pass Exit Survey - Knowledge And Skills
At least 80% of the students who complete the food science and nutrition program's Exit Survey will score a Pass or High Pass on the content portion of the exam.  An 83% or a B is required for a publishable manuscript if the student chooses the capstone project.

Finding
Knowledge And Skills
80% of those students who completed the Exit Survey scored a grade of Pass or High Pass, and 85% of students who did the capstone project passed it with a grade of 83% or better.  Therefore this criterion is met.


Action
Knowledge And Skills
The DPD Director has made the decision that the Food Science and Nutrition program will no longer use the Exit Survey.  The capstone project will be required and receiving a B on this project is more than an adequate demonstration of student knowledge and skills.


Goal
Becoming Registered Dietitians
To graduate students who will successfully complete dietetic internship programs and pass the national credentialing exam with the goal of becoming Registered Dietitians.

Objective
Demonstrating Knowledge And Skills Required Of Registered Dietitians
Students will demonstrate the knowledge and skills necessary for entry-level dietitians.

Indicator
Registration Examination In Dietetics
The information concerning passage of the credentialing exam can be verified by an annual report sent to program directors by Pearson Testing for RD Examination.

Criterion
Registration Examination In Dietetics
At least 80% of students will receive a passing score on the Registration Examination for Dietetics.

Finding
Registration Examination In Dietetics
87.5% is the passage rate for 2014.  Some students are still in their Dietetic Internships currently and not yet ready to take the RD Exam.  They are either in a 16-month or two-year program.  Based on the 87.5% passage rate for 2014, this criterion is met.

Action
Registration Examination Dietetics
The DPD Director will encourage students to attend an RD seminar to improve the first-time passage rate on the Registration Examination in Dietetics.

Goal
Dietetic Internship Programs
To guide and direct well-qualified students toward admission into a dietetic internship program.


Objective
Increase Percentage Of Didactic Program In Dietetics (DPD) Graduates Admitted To Dietetic Internship (DI) Programs
Well-qualified students will be recruited to enter a dietetic internship program. 

KPI
Graduates Admitted To Dietetic Internship Programs
The program will increase the percentage of students graduating from the Food Science and Nutrition Program and applying to a Dietetic Internship Program who are successfully admitted. Over a two-year period, 30% of students who graduate from the Food Science and Nutrition Program will apply for, and be admitted to, a dietetic internship program.

Result
Graduates Admitted To Dietetic Internship Programs
40% of program graduates applied to Dietetic Internship programs, and 100% of those who applied were accepted.  In addition, another program graduate from three years ago was also accepted into a Dietetic Internship program.  She chose to spend time in the workforce for additional training.
Based on the 40% of program graduates who applied and the 100% acceptance rate, this criterion is met.

Action
Graduates Admitted To Dietetic Internship Programs
Dr. Browning-Keen, DPD Program Director, will continue to work with students nearing graduation so that they present strong application packets and she will continue to encourage qualified graduates to take this next step toward becoming Registered Dietitians.


Update to previous cycle's plan for continuous improvement We look forward to working with more Hispanic and African-American students through the CHAAMP grant. 

DPD Director Dr. Valencia Browning-Keen and Jeffrey Roberts will work to align the Plan for Continuous Improvement with the Program Objectives as set forth in the Response to the Site Team Visit document submitted in June of 2015.

We continue to work to improve the five-year, first-time pass rate on the Registration Examination in Dietetics (RD Exam) for DPD graduates who have entered Dietetic Internship programs.  The DPD Director works one-on-one with qualified students so that they present strong application packets and encourages those completing Dietetic Internship programs to take the RD Exam in a timely manner. 

We will continue to search to fill the open tenure-track faculty position in the area of Nutrition and Dietetics.  (This position came about as the result of feedback from the ACEND site visit team during the December 2012 site visit.)

    


Plan for continuous improvement We will continue to work to improve the five-year, first-time pass rate on the Registration Examination in Dietetics (RD Exam) for DPD graduates who have entered Dietetic Internship programs.  The DPD Director will continue to work one-on-one with qualified students so that they present strong application packets and will encourage those completing Dietetic Internship programs to take the RD Exam in a timely manner. 

We will continue to search to fill the open tenure-track faculty position in the area of Nutrition and Dietetics.  (This position came about as the result of feedback from the ACEND site visit team during the December 2012 site visit.)

We will develop a Nutrition Assessment laboratory to be used in conjunction with FACS 4373 Nutrition Assessment, one of the more recently approved courses for the Food Science and Nutrition (DPD) program.  A space within the building has been identified and is being prepared.  It has been approved for the department to purchase a SIM Man specifically for this laboratory space.  It is also hoped and expected that the purchase of this significant piece of equipment will make the department more attractive for possible candidates for the open position cited above.

Finally, we will help students apply for study abroad opportunities that will help them as they graduate and apply for dietetic internship programs.