NMSU's Home Economics Department Gets New Name

Date:  June 30, 1997
Editor: D'Lyn Ford  (505) 646-6528, dlford@nmsu.edu

LAS CRUCES -- As of July 1, New Mexico State University's home economics department will have a new name -- Department of Family and Consumer Sciences.

The name change was approved May 16 by the university's Board of Regents, following almost 12 years of discussion and preparation within the department.

"We think the name, family and consumer sciences, is really more representative of what we teach," said Mary Ellen McKay, department head. "In the past when people heard about home economics, they thought our focus was entirely on the family. Today, we also focus on the consumer, so the name change is appropriate."

The department offers a variety of majors including human nutrition and food science; family and child science; and clothing, textiles and fashion merchandising. A master's degree in marriage therapy also is available.

"We also train students to become vocational teachers in the family and consumer sciences departments at junior high and high school levels," McKay said.

For more information about the family and consumer sciences department in the College of Agriculture and Home Economics, please call (505) 646-3936, or visit the college's web site at http://www.cahe.nmsu.edu.