By
Anastasia Ching
Arizona Daily Wildcat
The UA division of Family Studies and Human Development has a new name and new opportunities for its students - now it wants a new image.
Formerly known as just family studies, the division of the school of Family and Consumer Sciences added "human development" to its title to more accurately portray what students learn and the type of research faculty conducts, said Susan Koerner, interim chair of undergraduate studies in FSHD.
Rod Cate, a FSHD professor, said the name change makes an important distinction.
"The new title better reflects the two primary disciplines in the division," Cate said. "Family studies and human development, although closely related, are really two separate disciplines."
Ashley Bourguet-Vincent, an FSHD junior, said the name change will help dispel what she sees as FSHD's reputation of being an "easy" major.
"When it was just 'family studies,' people couldn't understand what I could possibly do with that major or what it entailed," Bourguet-Vincent said. "But by adding 'human development,' I think it better shows that this is a serious major where we study both family relationships and how humans develop."
Amy Chandler, interim coordinator for undergraduate student services in the school of Family and Consumer Sciences, said that the new programs in the division will also help to eliminate FSHD's negative image.
"I'm fully aware of the stigma attached to FSHD," Chandler said. "What people don't know is that we have a lot of new programs that require a good grade point average to get in - these are very serious and rigorous programs."
These programs include internships, collaborative efforts with pre-professional advisers and faculty mentoring.
Through the Institute for Children, Youth and Families (ICYF), FSHD students can participate in service-learning internships that require a 3.0 grade point average to get involved.
"The ICYF sponsors our students in research projects and assists students in getting internships," Koerner said. "It's a new feature that will help our qualified students get really good experience in the field of their choice."
Starting this semester, the FSHD division is collaborating with pre-law and pre-health advisers to coordinate requirements for FSHD majors with those minors.
"We're getting more and more students who are majoring in FSHD and minoring in pre-law or pre-health," Chandler said. "This is a new and upcoming trend among our students."
Also starting this semester is an optional faculty mentoring program meant to complement the mandatory academic advising required of every student in FSHD.
"The faculty mentoring program is another way - in addition to working with faculty on research projects - for undergraduate and graduate students to get to know their professors better by talking to them about research opportunities, career possibilities and graduate school," Koerner said.
Koerner said that these new opportunities for students reflect the division's commitment to student involvement within FSHD.
"We want our students to be completely involved," Koerner said. "We want students to be devoted to their coursework, but also to internships in the community and as research assistants to faculty members."
Cate is optimistic that the division's new name and programs will help put FSHD in a more positive light.
"The reputation is undeserved," Cate said. "This is a major that prepares people for many different types of jobs, thus its attractiveness."
Sarah Lemon, an FSHD junior, said she resents the negative reputation associated with the school.
"It's frustrating," Lemon said. "People don't know what we're studying and that it can get as complex as math or business - unless you've experienced it, you can't say it's easy."
