Department of Consumer Sciences

Jane Hegland, Department Head
Department of Consumer Sciences
Wagner Hall 229, Box 2275A
605-688-5196
E-mail: jane.hegland@sdstate.edu
http://www.sdstate.edu/cs/

The Department of Consumer Sciences enhances the quality of life for consumers, with particular emphasis on the sustainable management of resources in a global context. While the department is home to a diverse collection of disciplines, all the programs are professionally based. All academic and extension programs have integrated elements of leadership, management, customer service, and technology. Consumer Sciences strives for high quality dynamic, and innovative teaching, scholarship, and outreach in its quest to develop successful professionals in the areas of apparel merchandising, aviation, consumer affairs, hospitality management, and leadership. In addition, a strong general education curriculum is part of all majors, which aids students in learning to assimilate all of their educational components.

Consumer Sciences faculty are committed to SDSU’s tripartite mission of teaching, scholarship, and outreach, where the focus is on integrating students into the learning environment under close supervision of qualified faculty. As well as teaching and mentoring students, faculty are researchers and scholars who produce new knowledge and serve related professional organizations in leadership capacities. Faculty and students commit themselves to fostering scholarship and outreach efforts that reflect local, regional, national, and/or global contexts; promoting careers in an ever-changing global marketplace; inspiring critical thinking and theory building; encouraging activities with socially responsible impacts on individuals, households, communities, and environments; and celebrating diversity.

Four major themes underpin the Consumer Sciences vision and mission:

Commerce: Consumer Sciences students learn about design and production processes and consumption patterns and behavior in the global marketplace;
Creativity: Consumer Sciences students engage in problem-solving activities that produce experiential work within project constraints that is a result of creative collaboration;
Resource Management: Consumer Sciences students understand the need for prioritization of resources to help consumers and businesses make optimal decisions; and
Leadership Development: Consumer Sciences students engage in leadership development opportunities.

Graduate Faculty

Soo Hyun Cho, Assistant Professor
Cody Christensen, Assistant Professor
Jane Hegland, Associate Dean, Department Head and Professor
Nancy Lyons, Associate Professor
Kunsoon Park, Assistant Professor
Lorna Saboe-Wounded Head, Assistant Professor

Programs

Master’s Degree

Certificate