By BRITTANY WALL

Staff Writer

The School of Human Ecology is seeking re-accreditation from the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences.

Janet Pope, the director of the School of Human Ecology, said three members from the AAFCS visited the department for four days and spoke with faculty, students, the vice president and Tech President Dr. Dan Reneau.

"While they were here they really interacted with the students and the staff," Pope said.

The process began this past summer when the department prepared a self-study document, Pope said. The Council of Accreditation evaluates the document and sends out representatives from the AAFCS to evaluate the program. The members of the AAFCS then have to give a preliminary report to the department, Pope said.

"We are extremely optimistic," Pope said. "Based on the comments and the marks we received on our preliminary report, I would be very surprised if we were not re-accredited."

The department is up for re-accreditation every 10 years, but, Pope said, it is not a requirement for their department to be accredited.

"Students could still get a degree and jobs in this program if we were not accredited," Pope said. "But that's not true for every program. AAFCS is a voluntary program."

Pope said even though there are no requirements for their program to be accredited, she believes it is a very positive thing for their department.

"Getting accredited is sort of an external perspective of our program," Pope said. "I think it makes our department a much better and stronger department because it shows us where our weaknesses and strengths are. This shows that the program is a quality program."

James Liberatos, the dean of the College of Applied and Natural Sciences, met with members of the AAFCS and he agreed with Pope.

"The benefit of having an accreditation visit is having that validation," Liberatos said. "We have people who are familiar with the program outside of Louisiana look at our program, and it helps all of us realize what we're doing well and what we could do better."

Students majoring in family and child studies also said they were confident in their department's ability to be re-accredited.

"We have really good professors," Amber Mills, a family and child studies major, said. "And I have no doubt that we will do well. It makes you feel confident in your education to know that you are getting a degree in a program that's recognized and essentially just a good program to be in."