Mission of the Coordinated Program in Dietetics at the University of Montevallo
The mission of the Coordinated Program in Dietetics is four-fold:
- to prepare candidates for success in the supervised experiential learning component of the program in order to successfully pass the Registered Dietitian Nutritionist exam;
- to prepare graduates who possess the competencies necessary for gainful employment as entry-level nutrition and dietetics practitioners;
- to prepare graduates who possess the academic preparation to address the interdependence of human nutrition/dietetics/food with the well-being and health-related behaviors of individuals and families; and,
- to prepare graduates who have a general foundation in clinical nutrition and dietetics.
The educational emphasis of the Coordinated Program in Dietetics is medical nutrition therapy, especially as it relates to nutrition and chronic diseases which affect a disproportionate segment of the Alabama’s residents and particularly those who live in the local community. This mission is consistent with that of a liberal arts university and the Exercise and Nutrition Science Program and college within which the program is administratively housed.
MISSION OF THE COLLEGE OF EDUCATION and HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
The mission of the College of Education and Human Development is to prepare highly skilled, knowledgeable, and continually developing undergraduate and graduate candidates who make informed decisions, use current evidence and research based practices, and promote healthy and equitable communities through careers in counseling, exercise and nutrition science, family and consumer sciences, leadership, teaching, and technology.
MISSION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MONTEVALLO
The University’s mission, unique in higher education in Alabama, is “to provide to students from throughout the state an affordable, geographically accessible, ‘small college’ public higher educational experience of high quality, with a strong emphasis on undergraduate liberal studies and with professional programs supported by a broad base of arts and sciences, designed for their intellectual and personal growth in the pursuit of meaningful employment and responsible, informed citizenship.”
Program Goals and Objectives
The two goals listed below are consistent with the mission of the Coordinated Program in Dietetics, which is to prepare candidates for success in the Supervised Practice component of the program in order to successfully pass the Registered Dietitian exam; to prepare graduates who possess the competencies necessary for gainful employment as entry-level dietetics practitioners; to prepare graduates who possess the academic preparation to address the interdependence of human nutrition/dietetics/food with the well-being and health-related behaviors of individuals and families; and to prepare graduates who have a general foundation in clinical nutrition and dietetics.
The goals are accomplished through learning activities conducted by faculty, preceptors, and graduates and are assessed through measurable outcomes.
Goal 1: The program will attract quality students and prepare graduates who have academic preparation necessary to be successful in passing the Registered Dietitian Nutritionist exam and to be competent entry- level professionals.
Objective 1: The program’s one-year pass rate (graduates who pass the exam within one year of first attempt) on the CDR credentialing exam for dietitian nutritionists is at least 80%.
Objective 2: Of graduates who seek employment, 80% are employed in nutrition and dietetics or related fields within 12 months of graduation.
Objective 3: At least 80% of program students complete program/degree requirements within 6 years or 150% of the program length.
Objective 4: Fifty percent of program graduates take the CDR credentialing exam within 12 months of program completion.
Goal 2: The program will provide a high quality, academically strong, accredited program in dietetics framed within a liberal arts environment.
Objective 1: At least 80% of employers will report a satisfactory rating on knowledge, skills, and dispositions of program graduates.
Objective 2: At least 80% of alumni will indicate positively that their program of study prepared them adequately for an entry level position.
Objective 3: At least 80% of graduates will indicate on alumni surveys administered at the conclusion of internships that their academic experience provided them with at least:
- An adequate or above quality general and professional education background
- Adequate or above skill to work effectively in groups
- Adequate or above preparation for life
Outcome Data measuring the achievement of program objectives is available upon request. Please contact Ms. Patricia Petitt for more information at (205) 665-6390 or petittph@montevallo.edu.