Child and Family Studies
Department | Program | Courses
Department
Chairperson: K.
Rivers Thompson
Faculty: J.
Blythe, E.
Burke, M. Maupin, N.
Mecham, N.
Moretz, K. Newell, K.
Thomas, S.G.
Thompson, and A.
Webb
The Department of Child and Family Studies is an
interdisciplinary Department that promotes the development and
maintenance of strong families through educational experiences
leading to the enrichment of individual and family life, promoting
critical thinking, and preparing students for professional employment
in areas of service to families. The Department faculty’s
approach to learning seeks to integrate conceptual knowledge
of the family as a societal unit with related educational concepts
from the natural sciences, social sciences, business, and other
related disciplines. The curriculum explores the interrelatedness
of the family with other societal systems, such as the economy,
the legal system, religion, and so forth. We broadly explore
lifespan human development and the needs of individual members
and the family as a system. We emphasize effective communication
skills in individual, family, and professional roles. Students
study the interaction of families with their near environment,
including sustainable housing, consumer decision making, and
effective resource management. Coursework in food, nutrition,
and culinary science allows graduates to meet both personal and
professional goals. We are committed to the preparation of creative,
independent thinkers who demonstrate respect for diversity and
are willing to serve as agents of positive social change.
As a
department, we strive to personify the College’s mission
of service. We build upon the College’s liberal academic
foundation to prepare students to become well-rounded individuals,
contributing family members, and agents of social change in their
communities, society, and world. The Department is based on a philosophy
of applied knowledge. Child and Family Studies majors have been
placed in Internships in spouse abuse shelters, homeless shelters,
head start programs, family resource centers, child care centers,
social service agencies, food banks and kitchens, child advocacy
centers, senior citizen centers, and many other locations where
the students provide service while studying social issues to understand
the broader scope of social change. Additional learning opportunities
are encouraged though Independent, Team-Initiated, or Directed
Study, or through the Labor Program. Most of the Department’s
graduates go into lives of service.
The Department offers a B.A.
degree in Child and Family Studies, with five areas of concentration:
Child Development; Family Studies; Food, Nutrition, and Culinary
Science; Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education (IECE) with
Teacher Certification (for children from birth through five years);
and Family and Consumer Sciences with Teacher Certification (for
middle and secondary grades). In addition, the Department offers
supportive instruction for other majors and minors, such as Asian
Studies, Education Studies, Nursing, and Women’s Studies.
The Department
of Child and Family Studies operates in a variety of facilities. The
Emery Building houses faculty offices, classrooms, food science and apparel
laboratories, housing and interior design facilities, and a specialized
library. The Harrison-McLain Home Management House is used for the family
resource management practicum and serves as an upper-level female residence
hall for selected departmental majors. The state-of-the-art Child Development
Laboratory, located on Jefferson Street, offers settings for observations
and interaction with children from infancy through pre-school age.
The lab is licensed for up to 120 children for full-time day care
and serves as the primary laboratory for majors in early childhood
education and child development. However, other majors, such as
Nursing, Education Studies, Psychology, and Sustainability and
Environmental Studies (SENS), regularly use the facility as an
educational laboratory. The CDL also serves the College by providing
high-quality care for the young children of students, staff, and
faculty.
Program
Major and Minor Requirements
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