COORDINATED PROGRAM
SUPPLEMENT TO
FOOD AND NUTRITION MAJOR HANDBOOK
2003
CP SUPPLEMENTAL HANDBOOK
INTRODUCTION
Students
accepted into the Coordinated Program have entered a unique phase of their
college education. No longer traditional
college students, they have accepted the additional role of
"professional-in-training".
This new role carries a greater responsibility and commitment to class
attendance, timeliness, attire, and other factors that will be addressed which
directly relate to job performance and professional presentation. A student preparing to become a registered
dietitian needs to develop an attitude of commitment to the profession. Attendance in all classes, field trips, or
special tours/seminars and prompt appearance for supervised practice is expected as a demonstration of this
professional commitment. This is a
necessary competency for any successful endeavor. It is difficult to stress adequately the
importance of attitude toward this aspect of professional life. In the event an emergency arises, the student
is expected to notify the faculty member in the Department and the preceptor,
if in a supervised practice site. Failure
to comply will be reflected in the course grade, evaluation of performance, and
any reference from the instructor or preceptor.
Each time a student reports to or leaves a facility or unit, the
preceptor should be notified.
The CP
adheres strictly to the Honor Code of the University. Several classes include the pledge on tests. All students are expected to conduct
themselves in their professional role (which includes written work) with
honesty and integrity. In the event any
student is found guilty of any infraction of the Honor Code, that student is
automatically withdrawn from CP.
Students
are encouraged to maintain a calendar of events in whatever format they
prefer. It is critical to be at
appointments on time, to submit assignments on time, and to have those records
available at all times.
PROGRAM
STATUS
The
Coordinated Program is currently granted accreditation status by The Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics
Education, ADA's accrediting agency for education programs preparing students
for careers as registered dietitians. CADE exists to serve the public by
establishing and enforcing eligibility requirements and accreditation standards
that ensure the quality and continued improvement of nutrition and dietetics
education programs. Programs meeting those standards are accredited by
CADE, which is recognized by the United States Department of Education and
the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. This affirms that CADE meets
national standards and is a reliable authority on the quality of nutrition and
dietetics education programs.
PROFESSIONAL
PRESENTATION
Professional
presentation encompasses a variety of behaviors and attitudes which, in total,
reflect individuals' perceptions about their careers. One of the purposes of CP is to assist
students to develop professional presentations which will guide them to become
successful practitioners and will reflect positively on the individuals, the
program, the University, and the dietetic profession. Toward this end, professional presentation is
a graded component in each CP course.
Specifically, it includes keeping appointments on time; appearance in
supervised practice sites (attire/uniform, shoes, hair restraints when
appropriate, name tag, etc.); overall appearance of written work; working
relationships with classmates and facility staffs; attendance at professional
meetings; and any other aspect identified on course outlines.
CONFIDENTIALITY
Although
a major aspect of professional presentation, confidentiality is so important
that it warrants a separate discussion.
Confidentiality applies to classroom discussions, individual
conferences, information gathered in supervised practice sites, and patient information. The confidentiality of patient information is
so important that the guarantee of this confidentiality is a written component
in the training agreements which the University signs with the individual
healthcare facilities.
In
the classroom, the use of specific examples in teaching occasionally involves
information which needs to remain confidential to that class. The student is expected to honor that
confidentiality. When in doubt about any
information, do not say anything about it.
Questions that may arise concerning any
aspect of class or supervised practice may be discussed in confidence with the
faculty instructor and/or the program director.
All such discussions will be held in confidence.
WRITTEN WORK
All
written assignments must be typed. Any
exception to this will be noted by the instructor. Penalties will be imposed for spelling
errors, grammatical errors, incorrect sentence structure, and content
errors. Written work is reflective of
professional competence.
Each
student is advised to retain a copy of all written work submitted until the
material is returned with a grade. In
spite of the care which is taken in handling written materials, occasionally
something does get lost. Since the
student is ultimately responsible for submitting the work, having a copy may
preclude having to repeat the assignment.
Additionally, special projects may be of value to students as they
interview for jobs after graduation.
Many graduates have stated that the projects they completed while in the
program have been instrumental in their being selected for jobs.
PROFESSIONAL
MEETINGS
An
important part of professional growth is an understanding of the dietetic
organizations. The student should take
advantage of the opportunities to learn about and, where possible, participate
in the Student Dietetic Association, the Tuscaloosa Dietetic Association, the
Alabama Dietetic Association, and The American Dietetic Association. All professional meeting expenses are the
responsibility of the student.
The Student Dietetic Association meets several times each semester. Regular meeting times are posted and
announced at the beginning of each semester.
The Tuscaloosa Dietetic Association meets several times each year, usually on the fourth
Tuesday of the month. Students are
expected to attend, as reflected on various course syllabi.
The Alabama Dietetic Association meets in the spring of the year at rotating sites
within the state. Unless there is a
conflict in schedule between the meeting date and the University calendar (such
as Honors Week), students are expected to attend the meeting. Faculty will notify the students when a
conflict precludes this requirement.
The American Dietetic Association holds an annual meeting in the fall, usually late
September or October. Students are
encouraged to attend, but it must be at their own expense, as any professional
meetings will be. Time for attendance is
allocated in the fall schedule.
Following attendance at the annual meeting, students are asked to report
on one presentation to the class and faculty.
Those students not attending the annual meeting must remain in the
assigned rotation Monday through Thursday.
This will not be used as make-up hours; this is en lieu of the learning
experiences at the annual meeting.
FACILITY
AFFILIATIONS
Facilities
providing supervised practice are committed to the development of registered
dietitians. No reimbursement is provided
to the facilities or to the preceptors.
The preceptors are sharing their professional expertise and knowledge
purely in support of the Coordinated Program and The University. Students receive no pay while in this
learning experience.
Training agreements with a variety of
health care facilities - primarily in
Attire
While
in facilities, the student must maintain a professional appearance. Dress requirements may vary slightly,
depending upon the facility to which the student is assigned. The following overall guidelines are
universally appropriate.
Professional
Clothing:
Women
a. Two or three white
laboratory coats.
b. Professional
attire to wear with laboratory coats. No
jeans, shorts, "cut-offs", boots, tennis shoes, or other attire
deemed unprofessional. Denim and
corduroy fabrics are unacceptable at some facilities. When in doubt, check with the faculty. Hose should be worn.
c. Hair should
present a neat appearance.
Men
a. Two or three white
laboratory coats.
b. Professional
attire to wear with laboratory coat. No
jeans shorts, "cut-offs", boots, tennis shoes, or other attire deemed
unprofessional. Denim and corduroy
fabrics are unacceptable at some facilities.
When in doubt, check with the faculty.
Socks should be worn.
c. Hair should
present a neat appearance. Any facial
hair should be neatly trimmed.
A clean
and pressed white lab coat should be worn over appropriate street
clothes. Clothing should convey a
professional, conservative image.
Students' hair must be clean and neatly styled (restrained). Hair nets or other restraints must be worn
when working in food production or service areas or when walking through those
areas.
Fingernails
should be short and clean, and when in a food production or management
rotation, unpolished. Jewelry must be
kept to a minimum for health and safety reasons. Small earrings, watches, and wedding or
engagement rings are acceptable. Name
tags must be worn at all times while in the facilities. If a student's appearance is considered
inappropriate by the faculty instructor or by the preceptor, the student will
be requested to correct the situation before participating in scheduled
activities.
Student
Liability (Malpractice) Insurance
Information
concerning malpractice insurance will be available during the first week of
class in fall semester. Students are
required to be covered by this insurance.
Premiums are approximately $15.00 per year and are paid at the beginning
of each (junior and senior) fall semester.
Health
Reports and Insurance
Students
are expected to carry their own health and accident insurance. In the event of an accident, the student will
receive emergency treatment on site or at the nearest healthcare facility, but
the student is responsible for payment of any charges incurred. Specific information related to this coverage
will be required at the beginning of spring of the junior year. The University's student health coverage
meets the criteria for this requirement.
Prior
to beginning courses in spring semester of the junior year, a health report
verified by a physician is required.
Documentation of a negative tuberculin skin test (or chest x-ray) is
required on the report. In addition,
students must have a rubella titer test and, if indicated, be immunized or be
immunized without the titer test; documentation of immunity to rubella; and a
titer test for hepatitis B and, if indicated, be immunized or sign a
declination waiver.
Transportation
The
student will be responsible for his/her own transportation at all times to the
assigned facilities. Students should be
prepared to go out of town for selected supervised practice experiences,
meetings, and/or seminars, when necessary.
In the senior block, travel could be extensive four days per week,
depending upon where the student lives and where the student is assigned. Typically, students living in
ABSENCES
In the event of extenuating circumstances, if is possible to arrange a
day of personal leave from a rotation which can be used for job interviewing,
illness, or some other activity which
receives prior approval by the supervising faculty member and is coordinated
with the preceptor. This is a
privilege, not a right, and should not be perceived as a “free day”. Depending upon the total hours of absence, it
may be necessary to make up this time in order to complete the rotation. In the event of a planned absence, the
supervising faculty member should be contacted first, and if the request is
approved, approval should be sought from the preceptor. A form will be provided for this
purpose. In the event of illness,
contact the preceptor and the faculty member immediately.
During
the fall semester, time is allocated for students who are able to attend ADA’s
Food and Nutrition Conference and Exhibition (FNCE). Those who do not attend are expected to remain
in the rotation to which they were assigned the previous week, with the extra
supervised practice hours substituting for the learning experiences the conference
attendees experience at FNCE.
Students
are encouraged to join ADA as affiliate members at least by their junior
year. One of the primary benefits is the
subscription to the Journal of The American Dietetic Association as well as
eligibility for ADA Foundation scholarships.
Membership reflects a tangible interest in the profession and can generally
be helpful in all scholarship applications and in job opportunities.
TESTS
In
addition to tests within each course, several tests are administered routinely
to students in CP. The first is the
pre-admission test which each applicant must successfully complete to be
considered for admission. The final
exams at the end of the senior block are comprehensive not only for their
respective courses, but across the upper level professional courses. Many exams
given at the upper level are written in a multiple choice format, similar to
the national registration examination format.
INDIVIDUAL
STUDIES
Students
in CP are required to take one individual study, NHM 491.
This
course can be taken during the spring following the senior block of courses
(NHM 463, 464, 465, 466, 475, 476) or during summer
preceding the senior block, depending upon the student's date of
graduation. This experience offers the
student the opportunity to focus on a particular area of interest or to
strengthen an area determined to need strengthening. Each course carries three hours of credit and
requires 160 scheduled hours in a supervised practice facility for completion.
COORDINATED
PROGRAM COURSES
In the traditional rotation, the first
uniquely CP professional course is NHM 366, offered concurrently with NHM 365
in the spring semester. Students spend
one entire day in facilities per week - either at
The last three professional courses are
taken during the senior block in the traditional program. Students accomplish their senior clinical
rotation (466), their community nutrition rotation (464), and the senior
foodservice management rotation (476).
The non-traditional rotation includes all of these courses but sequences
them to prevent overlapping in facilities, ending with the senior foodserice management rotation in January
following the senior block.
ADDITIONAL
ANTICIPATED EXPENSES
Expenses
vary from individual to individual.
Those which are subject to considerable variation include:
Meals
while assigned to facilities
Gasoline
Supplies
Registration
at meetings and seminars
Annual
FNCE meeting ~
$500 - 600
(Includes
registration, transportation, meals, and housing)
Alabama
Dietetic Association meeting
Review
sessions for RD exam (after graduation)
Expenses which are slightly more predictable but which
are subject to change include:
Affiliate membership,
Rubella titer test $20.00
Diploma fee (prior to graduation) $35.00
Registration exam application fee $125.00
Upon successful completion of registration exam, CDR
registration fee $40.00
Application
fee for license $125.00
ADDITIONAL
COMMENTS
A
review sessions for the national registration
examination is held by the nutrition faculty at The University of Alabama,
usually around six weeks after the completion of the CP. Additional review sessions by professional
agencies are held in several locations throughout the nation. These vary in length from one to three
days. Students are encouraged to
participate in such a session. If
employed, occasionally the employer will pay the fee for the session. The review is not designed to replace
thorough studying but it can assist the graduate in organizing an approach to
studying and in familiarizing the graduate with the questioning format of the
examination.
The Program
Director and the faculty are available to respond to any questions students may
have regarding the career area, the program, and specific courses. It is recommended that you work with your
advisor to plan your program of study when you first enter the major to ensure
that your courses are sequenced in a timely manner to permit you to meet your
goals.