What Makes Us Unique
[above] NUFS pre-med student and volunteer Jeffrey St. Amant ('01) observes Dr. Michele Goldhagen in the East Alabama Medical Center Emergency Room. |  |
Human Sciences as a field of study was established inthe late 19th century. Its purpose was to address human needs by applyingscientific principles to solve the practical problems of everydaylife. What makes the College of Human Sciences at Auburn University(CHS@AU) unique today comes out of that same tradition of putting "people first" and integrating science-based skills with human-based values. Indeed, it is pursuing Science for a Quality Life.
Programs in CHS@AU are built on a Belief System that undergirds our mission "to enhance human well-being and quality of life worldwide." The Mission of the College centers on promoting the health and well-being of the individual within the family and larger community.
The three Human Sciences departments make unique, yet interdependent contributions to the mission of the College. Concisely stated, all programs are based on a human ecological model, i.e., studying the relationship between human beings and their environments.
The Department of Human Development and Family Studies focuses on how individuals and relationships develop and change in different contexts over time.
The Department of Consumer Affairs studiessocial/cultural, economic, technological, and human constructed systems to address consumer demand for textile/apparel and other consumer products and the design of interior space.
The Department of Nutrition and Food Science concentrates on the promotion of human health and well-being through good nutrition; the development, production, and use of safe, quality food products; and the provision of premium hospitality service to enhance the lives of families and consumers.
All of these programs, which contribute to our understanding of the global human/environment system, are integrative in nature and co-dependent.
Regardless of which curriculum students pursue in the College, the health and well-being of the individual as family member, as consumer, and as contributor to the workforce and larger society is of paramount importance in their course of study. The human sciences come to life where the three departments interface. At this juncture, students experience the essence of the College in its integrated core curriculum, International focus, and cross-departmental activities such as lecture series and student leadership groups.
The exciting, challenging Instructional programs in CHS@AU are designed to help students grow personally and professionally. Not only do Human Sciences programs prepare students to focus on human well-being in a professional context, they also encourage personal growth, lifelong learning, and social responsibility. Our goal is to help students become more tolerant, broaden their worldviews, value all people as individuals, and recognize the unique strengths of diverse family forms in existence around the globe.
Human Sciences students are highly competitive in the workforce due to the excellent technical knowledge and interpersonal skills they acquire in their respective programs. Students’ marketability is further enhanced by their completion of required internships and other hands-on professional experiences. Both undergraduate and graduate students receive strong faculty mentoring unparalleled on the Auburn campus. With this guidance, students develop the courage and inspiration to set high goals and to pursue those goals with commitment and determination.
Consistent with our land-grant heritage, Research and Outreach in CHS@AU are rooted in interdisciplinary scholarship and application. The ultimate goal of our research programs is to generate knowledge based on theory from the physical, biological, and social sciences, as well as the arts, to enhance human well-being. Both basic and applied research in Human Sciences links with the outreach efforts of practitioners and becomes the basis for program development and evaluation and public policy decisions affecting people throughout our state, nation, and world.
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