Dean’s Update 2/18/20
COLLEGE ACCREDITATION – SITE VISIT SUN. – WED. FEB. 23 – 26
Three site visitors will coming to the College for a four-day visit. On our accreditation web page /college/accreditation is a link to a 3-page AAFCS Accreditation Summary document written for employees of the college, students and collaborators. Included are the bios of the site review team:
- Sue Byrd
- Valerie Giddings
- Janet Pope
Thanks in advance to the faculty, administrators, staff, students, alumni and advisory board members who have agreed to be part of focus-group style meetings with the site review team.
The UGA College of Family and Consumer Sciences has been accredited by the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS) for over 40 years, receiving and continuing accreditation since 1979. The previous ten-year accreditation was granted in 2009.
Accreditation is a voluntary, peer-review process that evaluates program curricula, faculty expertise, facilities, instructional support and other important factors. Accreditation results in a list of recommendations and identifies areas in which to improve. Targets or goals are set and reported every two years to the Council of Accreditation, AAFCS. In the College we also have multiple accreditations, discipline-specific, which the graduates recognize more readily than AAFCS. Those additional accreditations are listed on our web page.
There are four main “standards” for AAFCS accreditation articulated in the self-study. The Family and Consumer Sciences (FACS) Body of Knowledge (BoK) is the current framework that serves as the foundation for the field. Click here for an overview and explanation of the FCS Body of Knowledge This accurately represents the essence of UGA FACS and is still relevant and in action today. The BoK represents how we integrate core concepts of all the departments’ degree programs and sub-disciplines to address basic human needs, individual well-being, family strengths, and community vitality life with course development and human ecosystem theoretical context. In brief terms, the AAFCS four (4) Standards focus on the following areas of the College.
Standard 1: Institutional Environment, Mission and Resources of the College
Our mission is to advance the well-being of individuals and families over their life span and strengthen communities through the generation and dissemination of knowledge, education of professionals, and provision of research-based programs.
Standard 2: Programs of Study; and Student Performance and Achievement
Infusion of Core Concepts of the Body of Knowledge (BoK) into the Curriculum: All family and consumer sciences students are expected to understand and comprehend the Family and Consumer Sciences. The BoK consists of core concepts, integrative elements, and cross-cutting themes.
Standard 3: Unit (College) Discovery, Research, Scholarly, or Creative Activities
All faculty are engaged in scholarly and creative activity, pursuing the discovery, integration, and application of knowledge as guided by the mission and goals of the College.
Standard 4: Faculty, Staff and Students
All faculty members (part-time and full-time) have the educational preparation and professional experiences appropriate for the Unit’s mission, goals, and curricula. Assessment of diversity goals for faculty, staff and students.
PROGRESS ON FACS STRATEGIC PLANNING 2025
I was very inspired by the College’s strategic plan visioning sessions and forums held over two days in November. More than 170 faculty and staff offered thoughtful input and feedback to open-ended questions as they envisioned our shared future in response to the UGA Strategic Plan 2025.
Since then, a 16-person committee in the College has been meeting in three sub-committees which align with the Strategic Directions of the 2025 SP:
- Promoting Excellence in Teaching and Learning
- Growing Research, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship
- Strengthening Partnerships with Communities across Georgia and around the World
The participants enthusiastically engaged in conversations that will help us define how we can better serve our students, the employees in our great College, and the state of Georgia,
In addition to the forums and the work of the subcommittees, we envision in March an online survey asking for your feedback and priorities to help ensure the creation of a college-inclusive plan. As part of the strategic planning process, we also sought input on the current Mission Statement for the College and will present the recommendation from the committee also in March.
I encourage you to remain engaged in the process as we move forward during the next month. We are getting closer to the first deadline, a DRAFT College Strategic Plan 2025 is due April 1st.
You can stay updated on the latest developments through the College’s strategic plan website and the UGA Strategic Plan 2025 web site which became active after President Morehead’s State of the University Address last month.
FACULTY – YOUR INPUT SOUGHT ON MANAGEMENT OF RESEARCH DATA
The Office of Research, the UGA Libraries and Enterprise Information Technology Services (EITS) have together formed a Research Data Management Committee which is helping us to better understand the needs for the management of research data on campus. This effort is connected to the University’s IT Strategic Planning initiative. But we need your help. We would very much appreciate your participation in a brief (5-7 minute) survey. To be helpful, responses are needed by February 28. Survey link: https://ugeorgia.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1LdRmxr7kwOgiPz
SHARE THIS OPPORTUNITY
Could you have prediabetes? Find out and take control!
More than 1 in 3 adults in the United States have prediabetes, and 90% don’t even know they have it. Could you be one of them? Come find out and learn what you can do to take control. UGA is offering Prevent T2, a program proven to help people cut their diabetes risk in half. The program, valued at $500, will be free for the first 10 faculty and staff registrants! Come learn about your risk and find out what you can do to Prevent Diabetes in Just 24 Hours.
Get the info about the program and sign up:
- When: March 5, 2020 at 12:00 p.m.
- Where: UGA Training and Development Center, Room C.
- Full details and sign up for the information session at: https://busfin3.busfin.uga.edu/human_resources/courses/descriptionc.cfm?id=1203620S-02
*Please contact Alison C. Berg, FDN, (alisoncberg@uga.edu) for more information if you are unable to attend the information session, but you are interested in the program.
Endsley-Peifer GRADUATE Student Research Awards
Nominations are now open to select the Endsley-Peifer Student Research Award recipients /docs/Endsley_Peifer.pdf The award recognizes students whose research during graduate school made significant contributions to advancing knowledge in one or more specialty areas comprising the College. Particular emphasis will be given in recognition of the research that promises to enhance the physical and/or social quality of life for families.
Nominations are to come from the Graduate Coordinators in each department. Students eligible are those who have a peer-reviewed, serial publication for dissemination of their research. Students must be sole or senior authors, or provide documentation that they made equal contributions as junior authors. Each department may submit one name, along with the paper, for consideration. Note: four (4) awards @ $1,000 each in 2020 for physical/biological science and for behavioral/social science, instructions are found at this web site /docs/Endsley_Peifer.pdf, but remember, four (4) awards @ $1,000 each in 2020
The winners of the award will be recognized at the FACS Celebrating Excellence Luncheon in October. Graduate Coordinators, please submit your nominations to facsdean@uga.edu in the Dean's Office by 5:00 p.m. Monday, March 16, 2020, since the due date of March 15 falls on a Sunday.
REGISTRATION OPEN: IFHE 2-8 August 2020, Atlanta, Georgia USA
Registration is Open! Benefit from early bird registration fees until April 10, 2020!
The International Federation for Home Economics (IFHE) World Congress https://www.ifhe.org/events/world-congress-2020/
2020 Registration available on Congress 2020 website (direct link or via IFHE website):
IFHE World Congress Registration Guidelines
Review on the Congress website:
- Check out Registration link on IFHE World Congress website (ifhe.org) or direct link as stated above
- (lowest prices until April 10, 2020)
- Watch the “Steps to Register PowerPoint”
- Registration Information – check options
- Budget Worksheet – plan expenses
- Learning Day on the Move Information – select one
- Pay with a Visa or Mastercard
- Revisit registration link until July 10, 2020 to edit or add events
SCHEDULE (Dean’s travel and purpose during the next two weeks):
- Friday, Feb. 21, attend fundraising luncheon to honor Dr. Debbie Phillips, inaugural scholarship fundraising luncheon for Residential Property Management, Atlanta, GA
- The next Dean’s Update will be the week of March 2, 2020.
Sincerely,
Linda Kirk Fox
Dean
The College of Family and Consumer Sciences at the University of Georgia embraces a commitment to diversity by modeling for the state and nation a community of individuals and programs which seek to reduce prejudice, disparities, and discrimination and build a supportive environment for all.