Contact: csmhp@eiu.edu

A new service called the Financial Health Education Center was made available to the campus community for the first time during the fall 2004 semester. The Center was developed by Linda Simpson, Ph.D., Associate Professor in the School of Family & Consumer Sciences. The Financial Health Education Coordinator position is staffed by a Graduate Assistant from the School of Family & Consumer Sciences. The purpose of this position is to deliver programs and lectures to the campus community on financial health issues such as budgeting, credit card debt, and identity theft. In addition, the Coordinator will offer individuals one-on-one sessions to assist with specific financial problems.

The missions of Eastern Illinois University and the School of Family and Consumer Sciences are to prepare students to become responsible citizens in a diverse world and improve the quality of life for individuals and families. Providing services to develop financial management skills and assisting individuals and families in the improvement of their financial situation are direct responses to these stated missions. Money is one of the primary reasons for marital strife, divorce, and family fights. Debt can serve as an underlying factor for many stress-related problems or illnesses and plays a role in the level of an individual's self esteem. Money is directly related to quality of life, and debt can be a serious financial burden. The improvement of an individual’s and a family's financial stability will help them build a strong foundation allowing them the opportunity to become responsible citizens and improve their quality of life.

Child Development Lab ’s Bridge Program

The School of Family and Consumer Sciences Child Development Laboratory recently embarked on a cooperative venture with area kindergartens in order to help children bridge the gap between home and school. It seems that local kindergarten teachers were able to easily pinpoint the children that entered kindergarten with little experience with organized child care/preschool. These children tended to have trouble navigating group situations and managing social relationships with other children in adapting to the kindergarten environment as well as attending to academic instruction.

Dr. Mikki Meadows, Coordinator of the Child Development Laboratories, served on a committee originated within the public schools to address this issue. Upon hearing about the concern, Ms. Dominque Vine, and her faculty advisor Dr. Frances Murphy, initiated a brief study with Charleston’s Mark Twain Kindergarten during the 2003-2004 academic year. The study was designed to identify children that had little to no experience with organized child care before they moved into the public schools in hopes of somehow easing the transition. The study provided the foundation for what today is an ongoing “Bridge Program” that allows for cooperation between the Laboratory and Charleston’s public schools in addressing the problem.

Before Preschool Screening occurs each year, information about the Child Development Laboratories is provided to the schools. The public school district identifies children that they believe need some type of experience within organized care before they start school in August. The Child Development Laboratory then facilitates the enrollment of the children in either the morning or afternoon session of the program. In addition, representatives from Mark Twain Kindergarten visit EIU for an informational program for the families of children enrolled in the laboratories. The representatives share information about the kindergarten experience and ways in which to better prepare children for school enrollment.

One session of the new “Bridge Program” was facilitated this past Summer, and the program was seen as a benefit for both the kindergarten and the laboratory teachers. The next session of the program is planned for March 2005. It is hoped that the program will continue to benefit children and families in the area on a long-term basis.

Hospitality Management Concentration Revised

During the past year the curriculum for the Hospitality Management concentration, within the School of Family and Consumer Sciences, was revised to better prepare students for management positions in the ever changing hospitality industry. Goals driving the review of the concentration included strengthening the lodging component of the program, increasing the number of hospitality related electives for the students, and emphasizing the integration of real world applications into courses where appropriate.

Led by Dr. Rick Wilkinson, the revision process undertaken included reviewing the programs of 30 leading and peer hospitality programs (benchmarks), identifying EIU student interest by collecting survey information from 57 current EIU hospitality students (demand for courses), and validating proposed changes by surveying 40 hospitality managers from the Central Illinois area. The Accreditation Council for Programs in Hospitality Administration (ACPHA) curriculum standards were also reviewed to insure that their standards were incorporated into proposed program revisions.

New courses developed and approved include Lodging Operations, Hospitality Sales and Service, Dining Room Management, Club Management, Commercial Quantity Food Production, and Hospitality Franchising. Hospitality students will also be able to take the Travel and Tourism course (offered by Recreation Administration) as part of their program. Program restructuring now allows students to select 18 hours of electives within the hospitality concentration; previously students were locked into 28 semester hours of required hospitality concentration courses with no electives. This will allow students to select courses that best match their interests and prepares them for specific career paths in the broad hospitality field.

Of particular importance to the integration of real world application into the curriculum is the development of the Commercial Quantity Food Production Course. Once in operation, this course will require students to plan, prepare, and serve meals 4 days a week in a restaurant style setting on campus. Students will alternate between the role of manager, food production, and server, under the guidance and direction of Family and Consumer Sciences faculty. Students must adhere to a specified budget in planning and preparing menus, and customer comments will be a part of determining course grades.

Many hospitality students have enhanced their technical skills by completing culinary classes as part of a 4 week study abroad experience (Summer 2004 and scheduled for Summer 2005) with the Apicius Culinary Institute of Florence, Italy, developed and lead by Instructor Lisa Brooks. This experience provided students an opportunity to learn culinary techniques from master chefs, develop an understanding of wine production and the importance of wine and food pairing, and experience life in a culture different from their own. In addition, and with the support of FCS Chair Jim Painter, Apicius faculty members now travel to the EIU campus and offer culinary skills classes to hospitality students and interested members of the community during summer sessions.

This is indeed an exciting time of change for the hospitality concentration within the School of Family and Consumer Sciences. New courses, new options, and new opportunities will better prepare our students for managerial positions in the growing hospitality and tourism field. The hospitality concentration is appreciative of the support shown by the university community and looks forward to serving it as it offers greater opportunities to its students.

Submitted by Rick Wilkinson