The following goals and objectives are based on the criteria set by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) for Nutrition and Dietetics Didactic Programs (DPD)—2020
Outcomes are available upon request from the DPD Director at Abilene Christian University (bethany.brady@acu.edu or joness@acu.edu).
DPD Mission: To prepare graduates to enter supervised practice leading to eligibility for the CDR credentialing exam to become Registered Dietitians Nutritionists who serve and lead through exemplary practice in fields of nutrition or dietetics while modeling Christian values.
Program Goal 1: The program will prepare graduates to enter dietetic internships and graduate school.
- At least 80% of program students complete program/degree requirements within 3 years (150% of the program length).
- At least 80% of program graduates apply for admission to a supervised practice program prior to or within 12 months of graduation.
- At least 80% of program graduates are admitted to a supervised practice program within 12 months of graduation.
- The program’s one-year pass rate (graduates who pass the registration exam within one year of first attempt) on the CDR credentialing exam for dietitian nutritionists is at least 80%.
- At least 80% of the responding Supervised Practice Program Directors will rate ACU DPD graduates as adequately prepared or greater for supervised practice.
- At least 80% of responding graduates who complete a dietetic internship will indicate they felt prepared for supervised practice.
- At least 80% of graduates who applied for graduate school were admitted.
Program Goal 2: The program will prepare graduates to have commitment to community and Christian service.
- At least 80% of responding graduates will report they are serving the church or community.
Outcomes: Student Learning Assessment Outcomes for 2020-2022 Cycle
Domain 1: Scientific and Evidence Base of Practice: Integration of scientific information and research into practice
| KRDN 1.1: Demonstrate how to locate, interpret, evaluate and use professional literature to make ethical, evidence-based practice decisions. | 100% of students will score 80% or above on the Research and Evidence-Analysis Library assignment. | |
| KRDN 1.2: Use current information technologies to locate and apply evidence-based guidelines and protocols. | 100% of students will score 80% or above on the Clinical Case Study Assignment. | |
| KRDN 1.3: Apply critical thinking skills. | 100% of students will score 75% or above on the Worksite Wellness Nutrition Intervention Research Paper. |
Domain 2: Professional Practice Expectations: beliefs, values, attitudes and behaviors for the professional dietitian level of practice.
| KRDN 2.1: Demonstrate effective and professional oral and written communication and documentation. | 100% of students will score 80% or above on the Vitamin and Mineral project assignment and presentation. | |
| KRDN 2.2: Describe the governance of nutrition and dietetics practice, such as the Scope of Nutrition and Dietetics Practice and the Code of Ethics for the Profession of Nutrition and Dietetics; and describe interprofessional relationships in various practice settings. | 100% will of students will score 70 % or above on the Code of Ethics assignment | |
| KRDN 2.3: Assess the impact of a public policy position on nutrition and dietetics practice. | 100% of students will score 80% or above on the test questions related to the impact of a public policy position (Ch 6 Assignment Questions)
Updated fall 2020 to: Assignments: Chapter 7 – Public Nutrition Policies Assignment, and Chapter 10 – Public Policy Impact Statement Assignment |
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| KRDN 2.4: Discuss the impact of health care policy and different health care delivery systems on food and nutrition services. | 100% of students will score 80% or above on test questions relating to health care delivery of services.
Updated fall 2020 to: Assignment: Chapter 9 – Health Delivery Systems and Reimbursement for Nutritional Services Assignment |
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| KRDN 2.5: Identify and describe the work of interprofessional teams and the roles of others with whom the registered dietitian nutritionist collaborates in the delivery of food and nutrition services. | 100% of students will score 90% or above on the Vitamin and Mineral project assignment and presentations. | |
| KRDN 2.6: Demonstrate an understanding of cultural competence/sensitivity. | 100% of students will score 80% or above on the cultural sensitivity assignment. | |
| KRDN 2.7: Demonstrate identification with the nutrition and dietetics profession through activities such as participation in professional organizations and defending a position on issues impacting the nutrition and dietetics profession. | 100% of students will score 80% or above on the Community Assessment Project
Updated fall 2020 Assignments: Chapter 1, Part C, The Profession of Community Nutrition Assignment, and Chapter 6 – Defending a Position Assignment. |
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| KRDN 2.8: Demonstrate an understanding of the importance and expectations of a professional in mentoring and precepting others. | 100% of students will score satisfactory on the Professional Responsibilities assignment. |
Domain 3: Clinical and Customer Services: Development and delivery of information, products and services to individuals, groups and populations.
| KRDN 3.1: Use the Nutrition Care Process to make decisions, identify nutrition-related problems and determine and evaluate nutrition interventions. | 100% of students will score 70% or above on all ADIME note assignments. | |
| KRDN 3.2: Develop an educational session or program/educational strategy for a target population. | 100% of students will make a 70% or above on the written nutrition education plan assignment. | |
| KRDN 3.3: Demonstrate counseling and education methods to facilitate behavior change for and enhance wellness for diverse individuals and groups. | 100% of students will score 75% or above on the recorded Individual Counseling Session assignment. | |
| KRDN 3.4: Explain the processes involved in delivering quality food and nutrition services. | 100% of students will score 75% or above on the Food Service Laboratory Notebook assignment. | |
| KRDN 3.5: Describe basic concepts of nutritional genomics. | 100% of students will answer 7 out of 10 of the genomic specific questions correctly. |
Domain 4: Practice Management and Use of Resources: strategic application of principles of management and systems in the provision of services to individuals and organizations
| KRDN 4.1: Apply management theories to the development of programs or services. | 100% will score at least 3 out of 4 on the assignment relating to management theories as part of their group meal project. | |
| KRDN 4.2: Evaluate a budget and interpret financial data. | 100% of students will score 70 % or above on the portion of the exam relating to food service budgets. | |
| KRDN 4.3: Describe the regulation system related to billing and coding, what services are reimbursable by third party payers, and how reimbursement may be obtained. | 100% of students will score 75% or above on the billing and coding webinar with embedded quiz questions. | |
| KRDN 4.4: Apply the principles of human resource management to different situations. | 100% of students will score 3 or above on team presentations. | |
| KRDN 4.5: Describe safety principles related to food, personnel and consumers. | 100% of students will score 75% or above on the ServSafe exam. | |
| KRDN 4.6: Analyze data for assessment and evaluate data to be used in decision-making for continuous quality improvement. | 100% of students will score 3 out of 4 or above on the CQI project and presentation. |
Cost to Students
Tuition and fees change periodically, but this information is readily available through the Student Financial Aid office on campus. Current fliers of this information are given to prospective students by the DPD director. For the 2018-2019 academic year include:
| Application fee | $50 |
|---|---|
| Academic tuition (up to 36 hours block tuition per academic year) | $37,750 |
| Housing and meals | $11,000 |
| Books | $1000 |
| Travel/field experiences | $25 |
| Physical exam and immunization | $50-200 |
| Fingerprint and background check | $50 |
| Drug testing | $30 |
| Professional organizations | $75 |