Food and Nutrition program moves to College of Health Professions
The Culinary Center, previously called the Foods Lab, used by the Nutrition and Dietetics program on Sept. 19, 2019 in Wightman Hall.
The Foods and Nutrition program at Central Michigan University changed its name to Nutrition and Dietetics and is now a part of the Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow College of Health Professions.
The program voted on the name change and made it official at the beginning of the semester to better fit the program.
"The name better describes what they do: They do nutrition and they do dietetics," said Tom Masterson Dean of the College of Health Professions. "There is a food component, but it is a very small part of it."
While reorganizing and restructuring the colleges within the university, the nutrition and dietetics program moved from the College of Education and Human Services to the College of Health Professions.
The change was voted on in 2018 spring semester but was not officially implemented until July 1, 2019, making this the first academic year of the reorganization.
The program was brought to the College of Health Professions due to it being a better fit.
“They felt it was a much better alignment for students and students would be able to find them easier. They’ll be working with more like minded colleagues in those areas of health," said Elizabeth Kirby, dean of the College of Education and Human Services.
The faculty and classes for the program have remained the same throughout the relocation process.
“It really won’t change much from a student perspective. Their faculty is still going to be in Wightman, their classes are still going to be scheduled in available spaces around campus,” said Megan Goodwin, associate dean of the College of Education and Human Services. “It’ll probably be a while before they realize there has been a change in the home of their program.”
The biggest change for the program going to the new college will be a change in the policies, procedures and operations. The differences include possible differing equipment budget funds and travel money.
Although the changes are not completely done yet, Masterson hopes that they will be by July 1, 2020.
While nutrition and dietetics moving was the biggest change the College of Education and Human Services had in the reorganization process, it was not the only one.
In addition, both the Human Development and Family Studies program and the Fashion Merchandising and Interior Design program became their own departments.
The College of Education and Human Services also brought in two other units, a master of science administration and an academic and professional program. The master of science and administration is offered online, at satellite centers and on-campus. The academic and professional program includes three online undergraduate programs.
The students gained from these programs will offset the loss from the nutrition and dietetics.
“When reorganization took place, part of what departments and units were asked to do was to think of how our students best could be served,” Kirby said. “Student success was really the driver for all of this."
