Child and Family Studies
Department | Program | Courses
Program
The Department of Child and Family Studies is an interdisciplinary Department that promotes the development and maintenance of strong and healthy 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 and children. 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. Course work 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, Theatre, 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 and research facility 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.
In order that each CFS major gains an insightful and holistic perspective of the family as a societal unit, a core curriculum of six courses is required to provide a common body of knowledge central to understanding the needs of the family, along with acknowledging potential strengths and contributions provided by the family.
The Department has special policies regarding CFS 186/286/386/486 (Special Topics) and CFS 395/495 (Internship),
as indicated in the applicable concentration and course descriptions to follow.
Due to the Department’s curriculum requiring direct interaction with children, all CFS majors are required to undergo criminal background and child-abuse checks, as well as a TB test. A nominal fee for these checks will be charged to the student’s College account. Students can have the TB test conducted at College Health Services. Students must turn in copies of the results of the checks and TB test to be kept on file in the CFS Department Office. The checks and TB test will be done while enrolled in CFS 130. Students transferring a course equivalent to CFS 130 will be required to give evidence of completing the checks and TB test individually. Any students who recently have completed the checks and/or TB test may bring proof of these and be exempt from the CFS 130 requirement. Students should keep their original documents in their personal files, because these documents frequently are required by schools, social agencies, volunteer organizations, and so forth.
Major and Minor Requirements
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