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In addition to the competencies for all FCS majors, additional competencies have been identified that are specific to options and minors. Most of these are driven by accreditation standards and specific skills expected in the workplace. We choose to meet some standards voluntarily to show the high expectations we have for student outcomes, while others are mandatory. The following list explains these competencies:

· Textiles and Merchandising Option: Voluntary compliance with International Textile and Apparel Association (ITAA) standards.

o Aesthetics – Apply the elements and principles of design to the development, selection, and evaluation of apparel and other textile products.

o Global Diversity – Develop a global awareness of social, economic, technological, cultural and aesthetic factors influencing trends in design, merchandising, production, distribution, and consumption of textiles and apparel. Recognize the interrelationships of off-shore and domestic sources of textiles and apparel in meeting world consumer demand.

o Policy and Ethical Issues – Understand the impact of regulations, laws, and trade agreements on manufacturers, retailers, and consumers. Evaluate impacts on the environment resulting from choices in products, packaging, manufacturing techniques, and distribution in the soft goods chain. Develop a sensitivity to ethical aspects of decision making processes and develop a personal code of ethics for problem resolution.

o Human Behavior – Analyze the effect of clothing on human behavior from the cultural, economic, historical, psychological, and social perspective. Recognize relationships among aesthetic, cultural, economic, historic, psychological, sociological, and technological factors as a basis for understanding trends in fashion.

o Analytical Thinking/Problem Solving – Demonstrate logic in solving problems through location of appropriate supporting information and materials, evaluation of the information, and critical interpretation of results.

o Design/Merchandising/Production – apply knowledge of interrelationships among factors (material, design, quality standards, production methods, profitability, end use, and consumer expectations) related to product development for specific target markets.

o Professional Development – Recognize the role of the clothing and textiles professional in influencing the degree of match between consumer needs, desires, and expectations, and product availability, cost and quality. Understand the activities and technical and analytical skills involved in careers in the textile and apparel industry and related fields. Be literate in the use of textile and apparel terminology as used in scientific, business, and consumer communities.

· Interior Design Minor: Voluntary compliance with Federation for Interior Design Education Research (FIDER) standards.

o Design Fundamentals – Students have a foundation in the fundamentals of art and design, theories of design and human behavior, and discipline-related history.

o Interior Design – Students understand and apply the knowledge, skills, processes, and theories of interior design.

o Communication – Students communicate effectively for the field of interior design i.e. drafting and lettering (manual and CAD), illustrative sketching and presentation boards.

o Building Systems and Interior Materials – Students design within the context of building systems. Students use appropriate materials and products.

o Regulations – Students apply the laws, codes, regulations, standards, and practices that protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public.

o Business and Professional Practice – Students have a foundation in business and professional practice.

o Professional Values – The programs leads students to develop the attitudes, traits, and values of professional responsibility, accountability, and effectiveness.

· Apparel Design Minor: Voluntary compliance with ITAA standards.

o Design Fundamentals – Students have a foundation in the fundamentals of art and design, theories of design, and discipline-related history.

o Aesthetics – Apply the elements and principles of design to the development and evaluation of apparel.

o Illustration – Students effectively demonstrate the ability to use design principles, materials, knowledge of textures and fabrics, knowledge of the human form, and art techniques in media related to fashion illustration.

o Construction Skills – Students demonstrate ability to construct garments using appropriate fabrics, correct construction techniques, correct pressing techniques, and use of commercial and flat pattern creation. Students demonstrate a knowledge of style, fit, dye methods, fabric and yarn formation.

o Design Production - apply knowledge of interrelationships among materials, design, production methods, end use, and consumer expectations related to product development for specific target markets.

o Professional Development - Understand the activities and technical and analytical skills involved in careers in the textile and apparel industry and related fields. Be literate in the use of textile and apparel terminology as used in scientific, business, and consumer communities.

· Dietetics Option: Mandatory accreditation standards through the American Dietetics Association (ADA).

o Communications: Graduates will have basic knowledge about negotiation techniques, lay and technical writing, and media presentations. They will have working knowledge of interpersonal communication skills, counseling theory and methods, interviewing techniques, educational theory and group dynamics, public speaking, educational materials development. Graduates will have demonstrated the ability to present an educational session for a group, counsel individuals on nutrition, demonstrate a variety of documentation methods, explain public policy position regarding dietetics, use current information technologies, and work effectively as a team leader.

o Physical and Biological Sciences: Graduates will have a basic knowledge about exercise physiology. They will have a working knowledge of organic chemistry, biochemistry, microbiology, nutrient metabolism, pathophysiology related to nutrition care, fluid and electrolyte requirements, pharmacology: nutrient-nutrient and drug-nutrient interaction. Graduates will have demonstrated the ability to interpret medical terminology, interpret laboratory parameters related to nutrition, and apply microbiological and chemical considerations to process controls.

o Social Sciences: Graduates will have basic knowledge about public policy development. They will have working knowledge of psychology, health behaviors and educational needs, economics and nutrition.

o Research: Graduates will have basic knowledge about research methodologies, needs assessments, and outcomes-based research. They will have working knowledge of the scientific method and quality improvement methods. Graduates will have demonstrated the ability to interpret current research and interpret basic statistics.

o Food: Graduates will have basic knowledge about food technology, biotechnology and culinary techniques. They will have working knowledge or sociocultural and ethnic food consumption issues and trends for various consumers, food safety and sanitation, food delivery systems, food and non-food procurement, availability of nutrition programs in the community, formulation of food security policy, food production systems, environmental issues related to food, role of food in promotion of a healthy lifestyle, promotion of pleasurable eating, food and nutrition laws/regulations/policies, food availability and access for the individual, family, and community, and applied sensory evaluation of food. Graduates will have demonstrated the ability to calculate and interpret nutrient composition of foods, translate nutrition needs into menus for individuals and groups, determine recipe/formula proportions and modification for volume food production, write specifications for food and foodservice equipment, apply food science knowledge to functions of ingredients in food, demonstrate basic food preparation and presentation skills, modify recipe/formula for individual or group dietary needs.

o Nutrition: Graduates will have basic knowledge about alternative and herbal therapies, and evolving methods of assessing health status. They will have working knowledge of influence of age, growth and normal development on nutritional requirements, nutrition and metabolism, assessment and treatment of nutritional health risks, medical nutrition therapy including alternative feeding modalities, chronic diseases, dental health, mental health, and eating disorders, strategies to assess need for adaptive feeding techniques and equipment, health promotion and disease prevention theories and guidelines, influence of socioeconomic, cultural, and psychological factors on food and nutrition behavior. Graduates will have demonstrated the ability to calculate and/or define diets for common conditions, screen individuals for nutritional risk, collect pertinent information for comprehensive nutrition assessments, determine nutrient requirements across the lifespan and across a diversity of cultures, measure, calculate and interpret body composition data, and calculate enteral and parenteral nutrition formulas.

o Management: Graduates will have basic knowledge of program planning, monitoring, and evaluation, strategic management, facility management, organizational change theory, and risk management. They will have working knowledge of management theories, human resource management including labor relations, materials management, financial management including accounting principles, quality improvement, information management, systems theory, marketing theory and techniques, and diversity issues. Graduates will have demonstrated the ability to determine costs of services/operations, prepare a budget, interpret financial data, apply marketing principles.

o Health Care Systems: Graduate will have basic knowledge about health care policy and administration and health care delivery systems. They will have working knowledge of current reimbursement issues, ethics of care.

· Foods and Nutrition Option:

· Professional Child Development Option: National Association for the Education of Young Children’s standards for teachers of young children.

o Promoting Child Development and Learning: Demonstrate their understanding of young children’s characteristics and needs and of multiple interacting influences on children’s development and learning by creating environments that are healthy, respectful, supportive and challenging of all children.

o Building Family and Community Relationships. Know about, understand, and value the importance and complex characteristics of children’s families and communities. Demonstrate the ability to use this information to create respectful, reciprocal relationships that support and empower families, and to involve all families in their children’s development and learning. Show knowledge of family systems theory.

o Observing, Documenting and Assessing to Support Young Children and Families: Demonstrate knowledge of and ability to use systematic observations, documentation, and other effective assessment strategies in a responsible way to positively influence children’s development and learning. Understand the goals, benefits and uses of assessment.

o Teaching and Learning: Understand the importance of each content learning area in young children’s learning. Demonstrate the ability to design, implement, and evaluate meaningful, challenging curriculum that promotes comprehensive developmental and learning outcomes for all young children. Demonstrate the knowledge and use of a wide array of effective approaches, strategies and tools to positively influence children’s development and learning.

o Becoming a Professional: Demonstrate knowledge and ability to apply the principles in the National Association for the Education of Young Children’s Professional Code of Ethics.

· Early Childhood Program Director’s Certificate: Voluntary compliance with the National Association for the Education of Young Children’s (NAEYC) Standards.

o Early Childhood Growth and Development: Knowledge of physical maturation, cognitive and language development, and social-emotional development from pre-birth to approximately 8 years of age, including the impact of early experiences.

o Early Childhood Methods and Techniques: Planning, implementing, and evaluating developmentally appropriate curriculum through the facilitation of play and the design of appropriate learning environments to meet the needs of all children. Articulating rational for and implementation of developmentally appropriate practices in the education of all children including techniques of informal and formal assessment, strategies for working with children with special needs, and the process for evaluating early childhood programs.

o Uniqueness and Cultural Awareness: Knowledge of the cultural contexts for young children’s growth, development and learning including such areas as learning styles, bi-lingualism, cultural values, race, and ethnicity.

o Family Relationships: Knowledge relating to diverse perspectives of the family, parent/child/community/school systems, and various approaches to parent involvement.

o Early Childhood Program Administration: Knowledge of budgets, staff evaluation, staff training, record keeping, and effective methods of administering early childhood programs.

o Nutrition, Health and Safety: Articulating rationale for and application of best practices relating to children’s physical development including disease prevention, special health care adaptations and treatments, age-appropriate and culturally-appropriate nutrition, and safety.

· Family Life Education Option: Compliance with competencies of the National Council of Family Relationships to allow students to attain the Certified Family Life Educator status and maintain program approval.

o Families in Society: An understanding of families and their relationships to other institutions, such as the educational, governmental, religious, and occupational institutions in society.

o Internal Dynamics of Families: An understanding of family strengths and weaknesses and how family members relate to each other.

o Human Growth and Development Over the Life Span: An understanding of the developmental changes of individuals in families throughout the life span based on knowledge of physical, emotional, cognitive, social, moral, and personality aspects.

o Human Sexuality: An understanding of the physiological, psychological, and social aspects of sexual development throughout the lifespan, so as to achieve healthy sexual adjustment.

o Interpersonal Relationships: An understanding of the development and maintenance of interpersonal relationships.

o Family Resource Management: An understanding of the decisions individuals and families make about developing and allocating resources including time, money, material assets, energy, friends, neighbors and space to meet their goals.

o Parent Education and Guidance: An understanding of how parents teach, guide, and influence children and adolescents.

o Family Law and Public Policy: An understanding of the legal definition of the family and laws which affect the status of the family.

o Ethics: An understanding of the character and quality of human social conduct, and the ability to critically examine ethical questions and issues.

o Family Life Education Methodology: An understanding of the general philosophy and broad principles of family life education in conjunction with the ability to plan, implement, and evaluate such educational programs.