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Academics - Family and Consumer Education
Academic programs at UWSP that are descendants of the original domestic science-home economics program are:
Undergraduate:
Dietetics
Family And Consumer Education
Interior Architecture
Graduate Programs in:
Human and Community Resources
Nutritional Science.
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Undergraduate Major in Family and Consumer Education and the Master�s in Human and Community Resources.
The core of the historic home economics mission is the major in Family and Consumer Education, along with a minor in
child and family studies and master�s in human and community resources.
Many changes have occurred in UW-SP's family and consumer education program during recent years, including a renewed
interest by students in a field that concentrates on families and the complex concerns faced by family members in
their everyday lives. As a part of the requirements for the major, students enroll in a variety of human development
and foods & nutrition courses that address concerns such as nutrition, family finances, relationships, child care,
and parenting. In addition, they study new approaches to teaching and learning that focus on facilitating learners'
ability to acquire critical thinking skills in order to promote deliberate, conscious thought and action by family
members. Secondary level and adult-oriented family and consumer education resource materials reflect this approach
and are designed to engage learners as active participants in the study of the family.
To assist in understanding and implementing this approach, the 1999 American Association of
Family and Consumer Sciences Teacher Education Yearbook, "Family and Consumer Sciences Education: Toward a Critical
Science Approach" was co-edited by Dr. Cheryl Fedje, UW-SP Professor and Dr. Julie Johnson, University of
Nebraska-Lincoln. Teachers from Wisconsin and other states have written examples of how they have used the approach
in their classrooms and their journey to understanding and using this approach.
The family and consumer education program has grown to over 80 majors in 2001-2 as high
demand for professionals in the field has evolved. Two options are available: the certification option for those
students who are seeking a DPI teaching license in K-12 Family and Consumer Education and the non-certification
option for those students who wish to teach in non-formal settings. Much of the course work is the same except that
certification majors meet specific DPI course requirements and complete a semester of student teaching. FCE
non-certification majors gain real-life experience by serving as interns in settings such as UW-Cooperative
Extension, Head Start, Family Resource Centers, Big Brothers/Sisters, Girl Scouts, and numerous other programs
serving children, teens, and families.
Another aspect of the Family and Consumer Education major is the student organization called
Stevens Point Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (SPAFCS) which is affiliated with the national (AAFCS) and
state organizations (WAFCS). In addition to involvement in a variety of projects and activities, student members
gain leadership experiences by attending and participating in WAFCS conferences. In November, UW-SP students hosted
the state WAFCS student conference attended by a large group of students. Members interacted throughout the day with
current student teachers/interns and a variety of professionals who are employed in programs serving communities,
families, and children. Two of these professionals (and UW-SP Alums) were Christine Fabian, FCE teacher and
School-to-Work Coordinator from Port Edwards High School and Sherry Daniels from the Human Resource Department of
the Noel Group, Stevens Point. Both professionals were a great representation of how students can use their major
in different ways!
Faculty are affiliated with the following national organizations:
National Council on Family Relations: www.ncfr.org
American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences: www.aafcs.org
Association for Career and Technical Education: www.aceteonline.org
Faculty Profiles
Student Profiles
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