Progress 03/01/19 to 02/29/24
Outputs
Target Audience:The project proposal's ultimate objective was the development of a new Master of Science in Family and Consumer Sciences (M.S. in FCS) with a focus on social entrepreneurship in the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) at North Carolina A&T State University (NC A&T). As such, the primary projected audience were those graduate students to be enrolled in the M.S. in FCS. A secondary audience were graduate and undergraduate students at NC A&T who participated in the planned Social Entrepreneurship Institute, which was to align with the M.S. In FCS, but would also include opportunities for outside student involvement. Through program recruitment, an additional planned audience included undergraduate students in FCS programs at NC A&T and beyond who were to be included in recruitment efforts. Given the proposed program placement in a FCS department and at NC A&T, the audience was projected to be predominantly female and persons of color. The focus on social entrepreneurship also appeals to individuals who may themselves be socially, economically, or educationally disadvantaged (or wish to extend their own impact to populations that are). As reported in previous project reports, there have been ongoing roadblocks with obtaining UNC system-level approval. Despite these roadblocks, audiences for primary project effort during the project duration included: Completion of on-campus process for program approval. Prior to submitting a new program for formal establishment, departments must obtain approval to seek the program through internal, on-campus processes. The project team initiated this effort in Year 1 of the project and had to revisit this effort during subsequent revisioning. The team was successful in 2 of the 3 three attempts for this, meaning that the proposed M.S. in FCS was officially selected as one of NC A&T's two graduate programs submitted to the UNC System for review and approval. Audience: For these on-campus selection processes, the primary audience included administrators in the NC A&T College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences (Dean and Associate Dean), the Dean of the Graduate School, and the Provost's Office. Submission of UNC System documentation for program approval. Once the M.S. in FCS was selected for program application internally, the project team had to complete formal requests to establish the program through UNC System applications. The team prepared the original submission in Year 1, and subsequently submitted several responses and revisions in Years 2 & 3 based on system feedback. Audience: For the external system review, the primary audience were the reviewers of new programs at the UNC system. On campus readers and information-gathers included administrators in the NC A&T College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences (Dean and Associate Dean), the Dean of the Graduate School, and the Provost's Office; as well as representatives from the Office of Strategic Planning and Institutional Effectiveness (OSPIE). Completion of on-campus program and curriculum components. Concurrent to the submission of program approval applications, the project team defined all aspects of the programs to be delivered, including: (1) the general degree plan, showing the 30-hour program with thesis and non-thesis options, (2) a list of existing courses to support the program, (3) identification of three tracks of study and supporting courses, namely, Child and Family Services, Fashion Management and Entrepreneurship, and Housing Studies, (4) five new courses that were proposed and approved for program inclusion, and (5) identification of lead personnel for student advising and course instruction/development. Audience: The degree plan (including sequencing, options, etc.) and new courses were reviewed by all levels of on-campus curriculum committees (FCS Department, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, University Curriculum Committee), the Faculty Senate, and the Provost's Office. The intended final audience for these materials included students enrolled in the program and faculty advisors. Credentialing of Project PI. In 2022, the project PI completed the ELI Mindset training to become a certified Entrepreneurial Mindset Facilitator. In the highly regarded, four week program, the PI was trained to facilitate budding entrepreneurial success by identifying problems that affect people, and attempting to solve these problems through process, product or other innovation. This approach, termed the Ice House approach, aligns perfectly with the concept of social entrepreneurship. Audience: The PI utilized this training to complete a pilot module in an undergraduate FCS 486 / Professional Development for Fashion Careers course. The course enrolls many students with entrepreneurial interest and the Ice House approach allowed students in the Fall 2022 course delivery (n=20) to consider their values and the ways they may use this knowledge to drive internship/job site selection, impact social good, and create new opportunities for themselves and others. Completion of two course delivery pilots. In 2021 and 2022, the project team completed two pilots to explore course delivery using the theme of social entrepreneurship. In 2021, the project PI was selected as a fellow for the NC A&T Center of Excellence in Entrepreneurship and Innovation, allowing her to redesign a selected course to include a stronger entrepreneurial focus. The team selected FCS 683 / Advanced Interior Design due to its connection to two of the proposed M.S. in FCS concentrations, fashion and housing. The PI redesigned the course using a social entrepreneurship focus and three graduate students took the course in Fall 2021. In Fall 2022, the PI used her certification as an Entrepreneurial Mindset Facilitator to create a 4-week module that was deployed in her undergraduate FCS 486 / Professional Development for Fashion Careers course. Twenty students took the course and went through the module. Audience: Though 23 students (undergraduate and graduate) were the official audience, learnings from these pilots have been extended to other courses by project team members. The process demonstrated that a social entrepreneurship focus can extend content areas and has wide applications for audiences of faculty and students, across FCS program areas. Execution of Social Entrepreneurship Workshop and FCS Student Body Meeting. In the final year of the project, the team organized a Social Entrepreneurship Workshop in collaboration with the Center of Excellence in Entrepreneurship and Innovation. The full-day workshop was open to NC A&T students of all majors and levels and included: (1) a four-person panel of successful social entrepreneurs based in North Carolina, (2) a 2-hour workshop on problem identification by Center of Excellence partners, and (3) a 2-hour workshop led by the NC SBTDC. The workshop enabled the project team to gauge student interest in social entrepreneurship and offered an opportunity for students to learn from successful entrepreneurs, and experts who have counseled new business owners from conception to business launch. Also in the final year of the project, the FCS Department organized a meeting for all of its majors focused on social entrepreneurship. The Director of the Center of Excellence in Entrepreneurship and Innovation collaborated with the department on the meeting. Audience: Twenty-five students and ten non-students were the audience of the Social Entrepreneurship Workshop. Approximately fifty FCS undergraduate and graduate students and ten faculty were the audience for the FCS Student Body Meeting. Changes/Problems:Problems The project has been significantly challenged, resulting in major changes in achievable outcomes. The first challenge was due to the timing of the project award and the start of the COVID pandemic. There were pandemic-associated delays due to significantly shifted project team member responsibilities in addition to policy decisions that affected new program approval on NC A&T's campus and at the UNC system level. The primary change initiated by this problem were delays in new program submissions and on-campus curriculum review and approval processes. This barrier in achieving Objective 1 created barriers in achieving subsequent Objectives 2 & 3. Once pandemic-associated delays were removed, there was the ultimately insurmountable challenge of obtaining approval to formally establish the M.S. in FCS. First, the program must be identified by the university as one of its target programs for the academic year; only two new graduate programs may be submitted each year by UNC System institutions. The M.S. in FCS that as the subject of this project was successful in being selected by NC A&T for program submission. However, despite significant back-and-forth in feedback, response, and review, the program was not formally established on NC A&T's campus. A description of problems encountered follows: In the first stage of UNC System review, feedback was largely positive, though reviewers expressed concerns under two main areas: Student demand: At the time of the first submission and review (2021), North Carolina Central University offered a M.S. in FCS that boasted high enrollment. Reviewers were concerned that there would be sufficient student demand for another M.S. in FCS in North Carolina. The project team provided a response by showing enrollment data from UNC System schools who offer an undergraduate degree in FCS or one of the proposed tracks of study (child development and family services, fashion, and/or housing) - all of which may be feeder programs. The team viewed this feedback as more of a response about program uniqueness, and therefore articulated the social entrepreneurship focus more strongly in the response. Affordability: The UNC System has been carefully focused on program affordability and debt repayment for students in the last several years. Given relatively low salaries for projected careers for graduates, reviewers noted concern about student debt load and, therefore, program affordability. The project team responded to this concern by providing details of student stipends (included in the budget for this project), tuition remission plans, and ideas for grant submissions to provide for additional student support from project team members. Additionally, the project team provided more information about the wide range of careers (and salaries) for prospective graduates (crossing areas of specialization enabled by the various tracks). Next, reviewers considered these responses in a second stage review. They appreciated the additional data and program information shared, but expressed the following concerns: Market demand for graduates: Reviewers were seemingly unclear about the disciplines that make up the field of family and consumer sciences. There was the apparent expectation that graduates of the proposed M.S. in FCS were to be considered "family and consumer scientists," and they did not recognize some of the provided discipline-specific careers, such as buyers, noted in the program proposal. This limited viewpoint of the FCS field led reviewers to question the market demand for graduates. To respond to this feedback, the project team worked with NC A&T's Office of Strategic Planning and Institutional Effectiveness to request a Hanover Report for market trends. Unfortunately, general "FCS" CIP codes were used in report generation, and the report therefore also excluded many of the in-demand careers spanning child and family services, fashion, and housing. Student demand: In between the first round of program review and the second, the same North Carolina Central M.S. in FCS that created concern for student demand (due to its high enrollment) was eliminated (for reasons unknown to the project team). Given the program elimination of a competing program, reviewers now expressed concern for student demand in a different direction. The project team has long maintained that the proposed M.S. in FCS focus on social entrepreneurship is unique and not directly in competition with any similar programs in the UNC System. The team responded to this concern by highlighting this focus through coursework, thesis and practicum. Affordability: The same concern regarding student debt load persisted through this review stage. The project team had hoped to use Hanover Report data to demonstrate growth trends for strong careers spanning the FCS discipline areas. Unfortunately, the report's focus on one CIP code (general FCS) did not provide data desired. The UNC System ultimately expressed satisfaction that the team had attempted to respond to its concerns. On a final document submitted in 2023, reviewers noted the thoroughness of the team's responses and appeared to indicate that the program was approved. However, there was an internal decision at NC A&T, which the team learned about in 2024, to terminate the program establishment process. Future Plans It is critical to note that though the project team was unsuccessful in program development, the effort is not complete. A new M.S. in FCS is seriously needed as the university pursues designation as a R1 institution by Carnegie classification. Without this level of graduate study, faculty will be ill-equipped to produce research outcomes at the R1 level. In addition, the focus on social entrepreneurship has only gained in its relevance and importance since the time of the original proposal submission. The focus also well-aligns with revised university and college strategic plans - which clearly articulate interest in building student skills in entrepreneurship and contributing to human good. As recently as May 2024, the project team met with new directors of the NC A&T Office of Strategic Planning and Institutional Effectiveness to develop strategy for future submission of the M.S. in FCS program applications. The team will not give up the effort. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The project afforded project team members several opportunities for training and professional development. PI, Center of Excellence in Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program. In 2021, the project PI was selected as a fellow for the NC A&T Center of Excellence in Entrepreneurship and Innovation, allowing her to redesign a selected course to include a stronger entrepreneurial focus. During course development, the PI was able to receive feedback on course design and assignments, which built her capacity for entrepreneurial teaching. Credentialing of Project PI. In 2022, the project PI completed the ELI Mindset training to become a certified Entrepreneurial Mindset Facilitator. Conference Travel. The project provided funds for faculty to attend four workshops at conferences of the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences and the International Textile and Apparel Association. The workshops included training in the history of Family & Consumer Sciences and insights into knowledge and skills required for the 21st century workforce. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Project team members have disseminated project information in several ways: Article: Hopfer, E.N., Lee, S.J., McMillan, V.J., & Giddings, V.L. (2020) Social entrepreneurship and FCS: Partners in Crisis. Journal of Family and Consumer Sciences, 112(4), 61-64, https://doi.org/10.14307/JFCS112.4.61. Presentation: Hopfer, E. (2022, February). Fashioning change [oral presentation]. IP Clinic Series, North Carolina A&T State University Centers of Excellence, Greensboro, NC. Connections with the Center of Excellence in Entrepreneurship and Innovation, College of Business and Economics faculty, and external entrepreneurs: Information about FCS programs in the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences was shared with on and off-campus external partners through curriculum/course development effort and the Social Entrepreneurship Workshop. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Major goals of the project : The project aimed to develop a new M.S. in FCS with a focus on social entrepreneurship. Three objectives framed the project. • Objective 1: Create and gain institutional approvals for the M.S. in FCS curriculum This objective was not achieved, though significant effort and accomplishments were made. The project team went through three cycles of on-campus selection to have the M.S. in FCS identified as one of the two graduate programs that NC A&T submitted for UNC System review. Graduate programs are scrutinized for market and student demand, program affordability for the university and students, and program uniqueness. The M.S. in FCS was twice selected for inclusion in formal program submission. In this process, UNC System reviewed the required Request to Establish documentation. After review, team members provided responses, with data, to address reviewer feedback. Positive feedback about the program included comments about the relevance of social entrepreneurship, program uniqueness and fit for the FCS Department. The project team responded to concerns about the market demand for the program by pulling data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Hanover Report. Unresolved concerns focused on possible reduced student demand given the recent closure of a competing program at North Carolina Central University and the low projected salaries of graduates filling FCS careers. The project team presented strong arguments regarding program uniqueness, the historical inequity in salaries for FCS careers, and possibilities for careers that may yet exist given the program's focus on entrepreneurship. The UNC System responded (in 2022) that the project team had addressed concerns and recommended that the program could be established on campus. However, the university subsequently pulled the program. Additionally, a degree plan was established for the M.S. in FCS. The 30-hour program included thesis and non-thesis options and three tracks in Child and Family Services, Fashion Management and Entrepreneurship, and Housing Studies. Existing FCS courses to support the M.S. were identified and five new courses were created. These new courses expanded options within each of the three proposed tracks as well as provided two comprehensive options to study and apply social entrepreneurship across FCS. • Objective 2: Design and implement a student recruitment plan for the M.S. in FCS, and deliver courses to students This objective was not achieved. In Year 1, the project team met with the campus communications team to understand branding guidelines and to identify marketing consultants for student recruitment planning. The team was advised to hire a consultant after UNC system approvals were obtained. Unfortunately, given the difficulties with this effort, formal marketing and recruitment plans were not created. • Objective 3: Build social entrepreneurship capacity in students across specializations of study This objective was to be met through two avenues: (1) student enrollment in the new M.S. in FCS and course delivery, and (2) student participation in the planned Social Entrepreneurship Institute. Because the program was not approved, student capacity was not built through these original avenues. However, the project team completed several activities that resulted in improved knowledge, awareness, and skills related to social entrepreneurship. Credentialing of Project PI. In 2022, the project PI completed the ELI Mindset training to become a certified Entrepreneurial Mindset Facilitator. The PI has used this credentialing to build student capacity during course delivery, advising, and mentoring. Two course delivery pilots. In Fall 2021, a redesigned FCS 683 / Advanced Interior Design (n=3 students) course was offered to include a social entrepreneurship focus. In Fall 2022, a course module designed using the ELI Mindset approach was deployed in FCS 486 / Professional Development for Fashion Careers (n=20 students). In both courses, 100% of students indicated that their knowledge of social entrepreneurship had improved after course instruction and project completion. Social Entrepreneurship Workshop. In the final year of the project, the team organized a Social Entrepreneurship Workshop in collaboration with the Center of Excellence in Entrepreneurship and Innovation. The full-day workshop was open to NC A&T students of all majors and levels. Attendees learned from entrepreneurship experts and business owners on site and made connections with speakers for further consultation. Forty-five students initially registered to attend the workshop; ultimately 25 participants attended. In a post-event survey, 88% shared that they were extremely or somewhat likely to recommend the workshop to others; 66% indicated that they were extremely likely to pursue efforts to contribute to social good through business creation; and 55% said they were extremely or somewhat interested in pursuing graduate study in the area of social entrepreneurship. Some comments from attendees, demonstrating capacity building were:(P1) This workshop was very informative!; (P2) The information gained was valuable and meaningful to navigate my business in the right direction. Will attend again!! THANK YOU ALL!; (P3) Thoroughly enjoyed the workshop. I am looking forward to many more. I would like to suggest, possibly in the future of workshops, adding a segment where you could possibly work on your business idea with the guest speakers, looking at certain grants, how to create or start a business plan.; (P4) This was an amazing opportunity; I hope for more like this to come! These people are great resources! FCS Student Body Meeting.In the project's final year, the FCS Department organized a meeting to introduce students to the concept of social entrepreneurship using successful FCS-based case studies. The Director of the Center of Excellence in Entrepreneurship and Innovation collaborated with the department on the meeting.
Publications
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Progress 03/01/22 to 02/28/23
Outputs
Target Audience:This project's originally intended audience were the graduate students targeted for enrollment in the Master of Science in Family and Consumer Sciences that was to be developed, in addition to the students who were projected to participate in the Social Entrepreneurship Institute alongside the planned master's program. As previously reported, there have been significant hindrances to this project due to issues with program approval; as a result, the audience impacted thus far has been limited to what has previously been reported. Twenty-three students (3 GR, 20 UG) have been indirectly impacted by thisproject through training and instructional effort in Fall 2022 by the project lead and an adjunct faculty utilizing the project lead's material. Details for this impact are included in the "Accomplishments" portion of this report. A summary of effort for this reporting period includes: - In April 2022, the group submitted documentation to the UNC system to strengthen the case for the proposed master's program approval, focusing on student demand, projected careers, and salaries. Unfortunately, the system granting approval has expressed ongoing concern about two areas: (1) market saturation for this type of degree in North Carolina, and (2) projected salaries for anticipated careers (and the impact on debt repayment). - To address concerns, the project team solicited several comprehensive career and salary reports, notably one from Hanover, to provide additional support for program development. The team received these reports in late Summer 2022 and reviewed collectively in September 2022. Unfortunately, during this time, the window for UNC system program review and approval passed, requiring that the program move through on-campus routing processes once more. As there are limits to the number of graduate programs that can be proposed each year, this project was negatively impacted in Fall 2022 due to the selection of alternate programs for instutitional development to the UNC system. - The team is now developing an alternate strategy to finish this project, focusing on two areas: (1) Exploratory discussions are being held in January 2023with the on-campus Center of Excellence in Entrepreneurship and Innovation to identify possible program collaboration ideas as well as to strengthen the case for program uniqueness and student demand. (2) The team is moving forward to finish up the project this year with the final NCE application (in process of submission). The team will execute a multi-pronged forum that will take the place of the projected Social Entrepreneurship Institute. The goal is to expose the campus broadly to social entrepreneurship, as well as center the forum around the historical and potential role of family and consumer science professionals in this field. There is also a plan to engage with state-level professional associations to discuss the opportunities for social entrepreneurs to move the family and consumer sciences field further in addressing some of society's most pressing concerns in health and wellness. Changes/Problems:The project continues to experience significant challenges with the approval of the proposed Master's of Science in Family and Consumer Sciences. In April 2022, the team received word from the UNC system that the program approval would be delayed due to previously noted concerns with student and program demand, projected careers and salaries. The team spent the months that followed attempting to collect data to strengthen the proposal and respond to system concerns. Unfortunately, by the time additional data was received, the university had already selected its maximum number of institutional graduate program applications for the submission period. Thus, the team was pushed back, again, with the submission of the program application and will now have to try to meet the upcoming cycle's submission calendar. A final NCE has been requested with the goal of making as much progress toward program resubmission as possible, as well as making final strides with an on and off-campus social entrepreneurship forum/campgaign. The team now plans to pivot toward accomplishing as much of the spirit of the project as possible, using the vast learnings of the past few years. We have not given up yet. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The project lead sought out credentialing from ELI Mindset to become an Entrepreneurial Mindset Facilitator. With this training - which uses the 8-step Ice House program as a backbone - the project lead gained practical insight into the reason that most successful entrepreneurs are successful: theyhave identified a problem affecting people, and attempted to solve that problem through process, product, or other innovation. The major takeaway from this training was further support for the value and importance of the socially-focused entrepreneurial mindset.The training was also used to guide instruction in the project lead's Professional Development for Fashion Careers class, which is taught at the undergraduate level. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?
Nothing Reported
What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?A final NCE has been requested. The team is now developing an alternate strategy to finish this project, focusing on two areas: first, getting as far as possible with program development and approval and second, providing exposure on-campus and off for the impact and opportunity for social entrepreneurship in family and consumer sciences. Details on plans for the final year include: (1) Exploratory discussions are being held in January 2023with the on-campus Center of Excellence in Entrepreneurship and Innovation to identify possible program collaboration ideas as well as to strengthen the case for program uniqueness and student demand. Based on these discussions, the team will request an additional Hanover report and make a final effort with a rebranded program submission for UNC system approval consideration. In order for progress to be made, our revised/rebranded program will have to be selected by the university to be included as one of the institutional graduate program applications. It will likely not be possible to move through all channels of program submission and approval in this final year, but the team will make smart, careful and strategic progress toward the ultimate goal. (2)The team will execute a multi-pronged forum that will take the place of the projected Social Entrepreneurship Institute. The goal is to expose the campus broadly to social entrepreneurship, as well as center the forum around the historical and potential role of family and consumer science professionals in this field. Undergraduate and graduate students across majors will be invited to participate in the forum, which will include speakers and activities. There is also a plan to engage with state-level professional associations to discuss the opportunities for social entrepreneurs to move the family and consumer sciences field further in addressing some of society's most pressing concerns in health and wellness.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Objective 1: The team spent the first part of the past reporting period responding, again, to UNC system concerns regarding program approval. The system expressed specific concern about: (1) Market saturation for this type of degree in North Carolina and (2) Projected student careers using the proposed degree program. To address concerns, the project team solicited several comprehensive career and salary reports, notably one from Hanover, to provide additional support for program development. The team received these reports in late Summer 2022 and reviewed collectively in September 2022.It is the project team's opinion that there is ongoing confusion about the family and consumer sciences field as a whole, and the career opportunities within specializations of child and family services, housing, and fashion merchandising and design. As a result, the team has been advised to rebrand and revise the program application one final time. Objective 2: Nothing to report given that the program does not exist. Objective 3: In the previous reporting period, the project team lead created a revised course in interior design that employed a social entrepreneurship focus for the final project. During this reporting period, an adjunct faculty member taught the course again, utilizing the social entrepreneurship focus for her instruction as well. Feedback from her indicated that students (n=3) felt the user-centered focus on solving interior design challenges provided a strong value-based learning opportunity and gave them a chance to realize the importance of design decisions in users' lives. In addition, the project lead's certification as an Entrepreneurial Mindset Facilitator allowed her to focusinstruction in her Fall 2022 Professional Development for Fashion Careersclass, which is taught at the undergraduate level, on pillars of socially-focused entrepreneurship. Students enrolled in the course (n=20), though not directly impacted by this project effort, were able to benefit from the training and research done by the project lead through this project.
Publications
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Progress 03/01/21 to 02/28/22
Outputs
Target Audience:Though the M.S. in FCS will ultimately fill insitutional programmatic gaps, the effort this reporting period has not had the expected reach to graduate students and fully community, business and industry partners. This is because the program proposal is still currently in review by the UNC System. Effort this period has centered on Response and resubmittal of UNC System paperwork to gain approval for program development. As part of this process, the project team has worked together, in consultation withinstitutional administrators, to collect information about cost of attendance program competitiveness and uniqueness in the system, and career prospects. The program documentation is currently being evaluated by the system. Design of a pilot test for course revisioning using social entrepreneurship models. In June 2021, the project team undertook a major course revision of an existing course, FCS 682/Advanced Interior Design using concepts of social entrepreneurship. The course supports current graduate level programming in our existing MAT program, but will also be one of the supporting courses for the proposed M.S. in FCS. The course was redesigned into four distinct modules, which included focused content on the social entrepreneurship - specifically giving students an opportunity to execute interior design projects that are centered on human needs and improvement of quality of life. Three graduate students were enrolled in the course, and thus went through the social entrepreneurship-focused content. Changes/Problems:The project has continued to experience delaysdue to a UNC system-wide decision to halt program approvals and due to Covid-19 pandemic-related delays. As a result,the proposed master's program has yet to be formally approved by the UNC System and can therefore not recruit or admit students.Throughout the funding period, the project team has moved through all but the final stages of approvals. We hope to make significant progress through Objectives 1 and 2 in the last year (Feb. 2022-Feb. 2023), for which a no cost extension has been granted. Though the team may not be able to fully accomplish Objective 3, there is great achievement if the program can be established (Objective 1) and students recruited (Objective 2). What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?
Nothing Reported
How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The PI was an invited speaker at an on-campus workshop in February 2022 to discuss social entrepreneurship as a fashion business opportunity. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The team has a lot of work to complete project objectives. We hope to learn soon whether the M.S. in FCS is approved by the UNC System, ideally before the end of the Spring 2022 semester. It is expected that we will be able to launch the program and admit students starting in Spring 2023.This will satisfy Objective 1. In Spring and Summer 2022, the team will formalize recruitment processes, development recruitment materials, and identify faculty who will be responsible for teaching initial course offerings.The team will launch the Social Entrepreneurship Institute in Fall 2022, which will require planning throughout the remainder of Spring 2022 and Summer 2022. The Institute will host members from the fashion, housing, and child development field in on-campus workshops, panels, and seminars, who will expose the campus community to the concepts and applications of social entreprenership in family and consumer sciences.We plan to use the Institute as a marketing tool that will be used as part of the overall recruitment strategy for the program. In addition to this recruiting tool, the team will market the program at discipline-specific conferences andby sharing recruiting materials with programs offering undergraduate family and consumer sciences, thus fulfilling Objective 2 by the end of December 2022. The project ends in February 2023, and therefore Objective 3 will likely not be fully completed. Students are projected to be admitted with a start date of Spring 2023. During that semester, the Social Entrepreneurship Institute will be offered again, as will the initial courses included as part of the curriculum.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Objective 1 - The team has spent the reporting period responding to UNC System and university-level review comments. Specific effort included collection of data showing the average debt load of NC A&T master's-level graduates, description of competing programs, and definition of competitive advantage. In December, the revised program documentation was submitted to the UNC System for what is hoped to be a final review. Objective 2 - Not formally started. Courses have been developed and approved. Objective 3 - Though comprehensive assessment is not possible for this objective, the pilot course development and delivery provided an opportunity to build social entrepreneurship capacity among students enrolled in an advanced interior design course.
Publications
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Progress 03/01/20 to 02/28/21
Outputs
Target Audience:During this reporting period, the target audience has predominantly remained at the institutional level due to the pandemic situation: (1)The curriculum that was developed and submitted at the end of the last reporting period was officially presented to and approved by the Faculty Senate and Provost's Office in March and April 2020, respectively. (2) To initiate collaboration with faculty from the College of Business and Economics, who will ideally be involved in some course consultation and the Social Entrepreneurship Institute, meetings were held in Fall 2020 with Drs. Thaddeus McEwen and Verona Edmond. Dr. McEwen is the director of NC A&T's Center of Excellence in Entrepreneurship and Innovation.Dr. Edmond is a faculty member who focuses on new venture creation for minorities, women, and small/family businesses. She also has a background in the socioemotional factors influencing and impacted by entrepreneurship. These two faculty were excited about the chance to be involved in the project in the future. (3) The PI of this project (Dr. Elizabeth Newcomb Hopfer) also applied to be a Faculty Fellow in the NC A&TCenter of Excellence in Entrepreneurship and Innovation and was selected as a Fellow in Fall 2020. (4) The project team also met with Dan Nonte, interim director of NC A&T's Agricultural Communications office to discuss potential marketing of the M.S. in Family and Consumer Sciences (once it is approved). He provided great advice but cautioned the team to pause any marketing efforts until program approvals are obtained. Outside of the institution, the program initiation documentation is still residing at the UNC System Level awaiting the final step of approvals. Due to the pandemic and a change in system leadership, there was a delay in program approvals in 2020. The project team has been told that the program approvals for this new M.S. degree will be deliberated during one of the Board of Governor's meetings to be held in the next few months of 2021. Changes/Problems:There were two major issues affecting project progress this reporting period. First, there was a change in UNC System-Level leadership last year. At the time of the new President's hiring, there was a decision to temporarily halt new program/degree approvals. Though the proposed M.S. in Family and Consumer Sciences has gone through all processes and was awaiting the final "stamp" of approval, it could not be approved for implementation during this pause on approvals. The Board of Governors has started approving new programs again within the past two months and the project team hopes this new M.S. degree will be on the docket in the next few months. The second issue affecting the project progress has been, of course, the pandemic. This issue also contributed to delays in program approvals. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?
Nothing Reported
How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?One article was published in the Journal of Family and Consumer Sciences, linking the Family and Consumer Sciences discipline to concepts of Social Entrepreneurship. While the manuscript did not specifically disseminate research results, it served to establish the project team within this field of study and subtly marketed the proposed program as well. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?It is hoped that the UNC System will formally approve the program within the first quarter of the next reporting period. At that time, the team can move toward program implementation. If the program is approved before April 2021, it is likely that we could accomplish many tasks under Objective 2 in the next reporting peirod, including: developing and using marketing materials, implementing the recruitment and application process, and place course offerings on the Spring 2022 schedule. Regardless of when the formal program approvals are received, the project team has decided to move forward with planning the Social Entrepreneurship Institute for Fall 2020. We have plans to promote the Institute across majors and discipliines on NC A&T's campus, and havediscussed opening up the Institute to external campus parterns (i.e. other 1890s). Therefore, in the next reporting period, it is possible that the team will be able to accomplish Objective 2 and part of Objective 3. It is very likely that the team will pursue a project extension at the end of the next reporting period, to allow for further work toward Objective 3.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Under Objective 1, formal approval for the plan of study and associated new courses was obtained in the first quarter of this reporting period. Faculty within the Family and Consumer Sciences Department, and several outside of the department - have been identified to take part in course delivery and enhancement. None of the items under Objective 2 were addressed due to the delay in receiving final UNC System-Level approvals. Under Objective 3, the project team has started to compile a list of projected speakers, site visits, and agencies/companies to be involved in the Social Entrepreneurship Institute. Given the significant delays in program approval (caused by the pandemic and a change in System President), the team plans to move forward with the Institute in Fall 2021 even if the first class of students has not yet been recruited. The team sees institutional value in the Institute, even apart from the formal M.S. degree.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Hopfer, E.N., Lee, S.J., McMillan, V.J., and Giddings, V.L. (2020). FCS and social entrepreneurship: Partners in crisis. Journal of Family and Consumer Sciences, 112(4), 61-64.
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Progress 03/01/19 to 02/29/20
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience for this reporting period has been institutional and UNC system-level faculty and administration. Efforts taken during the reporting period include: (1) Proposal of new program to on-campus offices - Dean of the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Dean of the Graduate College, and the Provost; (2) Institutional approval for new program development and subsequent preparation of the UNC System-level Request to Plan documentation; (3) UNC system-level approval for new program development and subsequent preparation of the Request to Establish documentation; (4) Curriculum and new course development to support the new program. Through this process, the research team has engaged with: (1) Faculty in the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, insitutional administration, on-campus librarians, external faculty from UNC system schools with competing programs, and UNC system administration in the development of required documentation; and (2) Faculty in the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences as well as insitutional curriculum committees in curriculum and course development, Changes/Problems:The major issue faced during this reporting period has been delays in receiving institutional and system approvals for program development. When the grant proposal was first submitted, the research team had submitted insitutional documentation to create the program. However, changes in administration caused the initial application to be lost, requiring the team to resubmit the Request to Plan in Fall 2019. New program development follows strict procedures and calendars, and committees internal and external to the university meet at specific times. Though the team is making significant progress on the project, work has been delayed due to the time constraints imposed by new program development scheduling processes. These delays have caused the project to spend less than expected during Year 1 of the project (primarily due to the inability to hire and develop marketing expertise). It is anticipated that the team will require some shifting of the total award funds to Year 2 and 3 to accommodate the change in schedule. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Faculty involved in the project have attended 4 workshops at conferences including the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences and the International Textile and Apparel Association. These workshops have focused on curriculum development to address current industry and societal demands and were primarily led by faculty from U.S. institutions who have recently completed curriculum redesign and development. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?
Nothing Reported
What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?To satisfy Objective 1, the research team will hopefully receive formal system-level approvals for the M.S. in FCS during the early phase of the next reporting period. In addition, the curricula and new courses should be approved in the Provost's office within the first 3 months of the next reporting period. The next reporting period will focus heavily on achieving the goals of Objective 2. This will include hiring a marketing coordinator to collaborate with faculty in the development of marketing materials and approaches. The program will be advertised at other 1890 institutions, through UNC system partnerships, through professional disciplinary-specific associations, and at community agencies working in child and family services, housing, and fashion fields. By the end of the second reporting period, it is hoped that the program will be established and have admitted the first 5 students. This will mean that the first semester of courses will be developed and delivered, and students will be matched with thesis or practicum advisors. In terms of Objective 3, the research team will spend the next reporting period making connections with community and industry partners who can serve as speakers, project coordinators, and field experience sites as part of course delivery and the planned Social Entrepreneurship Institute. The team will work toward formal plans for the Institute, including a schedule of topics to be covered and logistics.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Graduates of family and consumer sciences programs must be able to use technical knowledge in innovative ways to help individuals, families, communities and industry facing societal, emotional, and financial challenges. The purpose of this project is to develop a Master of Science program with a focus on social entrepreneurship in the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences at NC A&T State University. Social entrepreneurship programs are traditionally found in business schools; however, people and customer-focused disciplines such as child development and family studies, housing, and fashion merchandising and design are in a unique position to offer human and entrepreneurial-centered approaches to generate societal good. The three objectives guiding this project, and the accomplishments achieved in this reporting period are: Objective 1: Create and gain institutional approvals for the M.S. in FCS curriculum. Significant goals have been achieved under this objective. Program development was approved through multiple on-campus levels: departmental, college, and Provost's office. The initial Request to Plan documentation was then submitted to the UNC system and approved after deliberation. The Request to Establish documentation has been submitted through upper on-campus administration and will be submitted for UNC system review in the next month. This documenation required a thorough analysis of competing graduate programs, projections for student demand, development of admissions and program requirements, and budget estimates for program establishment and continuation. During this same time, faculty and project leads have created the curriculum that will be used to guide students through the 30-credit hour thesis or non-thesis program options. Five new courses have been developed to support the program. The curriculum and courses have been approved at the departmental level and are currently being evaluated at the college level. After the college level, curricula will be evaluated by the Graduate College and the Faculty Senate before being approved in the Provost's office. Gaining institutional and system approvals is a major step in the new program development process. Once the Request to Establish documentation is approved by the UNC system and curricula have been approved through the Provost's office, the program will be formally established and deliverable. Objective 2: Design and implement a student recruitment plan for the M.S. in FCS, and deliver courses to students. This objective has not been fulfilled. The research team has discussed marketing and recruitment plans, but will wait to move forward in hiring a marketing coordinator once formal system approvals are obtained. Because there are no students enrolled, courses have been designed but not delivered. Objective 3: Build social entrepreneurship capacity in students across specializations of study. This objective has not been addressed, and cannot be addressed until the program is formally approved and students admitted.
Publications
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