Breaking News
“Shaping The Silhouette” Museum Exhibit Planned
An exhibition curated by students in José Blanco’s (Assistant Professor, Textiles, Merchandising and Interiors) “Museum Issues in Historic Clothing and Textiles” course will open with a Nov. 29 preview and reception for FACS alumni and friends at the Georgia Museum of Art on the UGA campus.
Titled, “Shaping the Silhouette: A Glimpse into 20th Century Fashion,” the exhibition will feature a collection of garments and accessories from the FACS Historic Costume Collection. Students have chosen items from each decade of the 20th century, including a black silk taffeta ensemble from the turn of the 20th century, a beaded rose-color chiffon dress worn in 1923, and a bias-cut honey satin gown with patch panels from the 1930s. Items from more recent decades will include a black knit dress, designed by André Courrèges, from the 1960s and a cotton-polyester peasant dress from the 1970s.
The reception will be held from 6-8 p.m. and will begin with a program led by Blanco and the students describing the significance of the items chosen. The display will be open to the general public from Dec. 1-March 10, 2008.
For more information on the exhibition or the conference, contact Blanco at jblanco@fcs.uga.edu. For information on the reception, contact Suzanne Griffeth (Director, Alumni Relations and Student Leadership) at 706-542-4881.
HUD Conference Draws More Than 220
More than 220 elected officials, planning department leaders in local governments, developers and property owners attended a day-long conference in late September focused on why housing has become so expensive and strategies for building more affordable housing. The conference included a keynote address by Jean Lin Pao, general deputy assistant secretary for policy development and research at HUD.
Sponsored by the FACS Housing and Demographics Research Center and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, conference sessions included a discussion of land use and zoning for housing choices, land development standards, and perspectives on the financial resources and risks faced by lenders, developers and homebuyers.
“Red tape is choking the life out of housing that’s affordable for working families,” according to Bob Young (R), a regional director for HUD and former mayor of Augusta, Ga. “There is much work to be done to reach the goal of removing regulatory barriers and providing workforce housing.”
According to Tom Rodgers (Professor Emeritus, Housing and Consumer Economics) the median family income in Georgia is $42,000, allowing them the ability to purchase a home costing $127,000.
“Try to find one for that price,” Rodgers challenged the group, going on to point out that half of Georgia’s citizens can’t even afford to spend that much for a home.
Russell James (Assistant Professor, Housing and Consumer Economics) pointed out that policies requiring minimum lot or house sizes and amenities such as granite countertops and brick facades serve to prevent the working poor from buying houses.
Mara Register, assistant city director of Valdosta, said she’s finding that rather than NIMBY—Not In My Backyard—being the acronym of homeowners, the new acronym is BANANA—Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anyone.
To view the conference sessions, go to:www.fcs.uga.edu/hace/hdrc/symposium.html. Or, for more information on HUD initiatives visit: www.hud.gov.
Andress Wins Outstanding Engagement Award
Elizabeth Andress (Professor, Foods and Nutrition) has been chosen as the second recipient of the Outstanding Engagement Award by the Board on Human Sciences of the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges.
The award recognizes “exceptional creativity and scholarship in campus or state level Extension and public service programs,” according to Dennis Savaiano, who chairs the Board on Human Sciences. The award will be presented Nov. 12 at NASULGC’s annual meeting in New York City.
As director of the National Center for Home Food Preservation, Andress has developed multiple outlets for her research verifying safe procedures for home food preservation, including printed materials, a series of videos, and So Easy to Preserve and the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning, which have been called the “Encyclopedia Britannica” of home food preservation.
FACS Specialist, Agents “Teach the Teachers”
Michael Rupured (Consumer Economics Specialist, Cooperative Extension), with the aid of FACS Cooperative Extension agents, “taught the teachers” this summer on the best ways to instruct Georgia’s students about financial literacy.
Rupured and a team of 28 FACS agents met with teachers in six locations around the state for two-day workshops focused on financial literacy. Participants included teachers in the areas of social studies, economics, family and consumer sciences, and ROTC.
“When the new financial literacy standards were announced, several FACS agents contacted me about developing a training program for teachers,” Rupured said. “Although financial literacy education is something that FACS teachers learn in college, that’s not necessarily true for social studies or economics teachers.”
Over the course of the past year, Rupured and the team of agents developed a 10-hour training program that included a variety of activities teachers could use in the classroom to teach students concepts, such as how to evaluate the costs and benefits of using credit cards and how to compare interest rates on loans from different institutions.
“One of the benefits of this program was the introduction of the economics teachers to their school’s FACS teachers,” Rupured said. “Several of the teachers who attended the workshop said they hope to work together with their FACS teachers.”
The Financial Literacy for High School Students workshops will continue to be taught by FACS Extension agents throughout the state. Teachers who are interested in having a workshop offered in their area can contact their local agent for more information.
Family Financial Planning Establishes New “Boot Camp”
The FACS Family Financial Planning program has teamed with Cannon Financial Institute to offer a “boot camp” for those interested in becoming Certified Financial PlannerTM certificants.
The new program will be offered in locations throughout the United States, including Chicago; Charlotte, N.C.; and San Francisco; and at Pepperdine and Notre Dame universities. The program consists of five modules that will be taught in week-long sessions over the course of a year, along with a final six-day review course, according to Lance Palmer (Assistant Professor, Housing and Consumer Economics).
“We’re very excited about teaming with Cannon on this project,” Palmer said. “The curriculum and tests are being provided by the Family Financial Planning faculty while the instruction will be provided by Cannon, which has more than 45 years of experience in the financial services education field.”
Palmer said he’s also pleased that the instruction will be face-to-face, rather than offered on-line.
“Although some students learn effectively on-line, we felt like the very best way to prepare those who want to pursue the CFP® credentials was through face-to-face classes taught over the course of approximately a year,” he said.
The courses being offered are: financial planning process and insurance; retirement planning; investment planning; estate planning, and income tax planning. To learn more about the program contact Palmer at lpalmer@fcs.uga.edu.
In addition, the FFP program and Cannon Financial will be offering a six-day CFP® Exam review course. The course will be held in Dawson Hall and will cost $950. Dates for the course have not yet been decided. For more information, visit the www.fcs.uga/hace website.
