Cornell University College of Human Ecology
Encyclopedia
The New York State College of Human Ecology (HumEc) is a statutory college
at Cornell University
. The college is a unique compilation of studies on consumer science, nutrition
, health economics
, public policy
, human development and textiles, each part of the discipline of human ecology
.
Students at the College of Human Ecology delve into biology and chemistry, economics, psychology, and sociology, applying their expertise in fields such as health, design, nutrition, public policy, and marketing. Studies done by professors and students vary from studying the financial impacts of tax legislation to designing safer workplaces and facilitating healthy growth of premature infants.
For 2007-2008, HumEc has a total budget of $73 million, with $33 million from tuition and $9 million from state appropriations.
The beginnings of the College appeared in the year 1900, when a reading course for farm women was created. In 1907, the Department of Home Economics was created within Cornell's New York State College of Agriculture. In 1919, the Department of Home Economics became a school within the Agriculture College. In 1925, the school was converted to the New York State College of Home Economics, the first state-chartered college of Home Economics in the country.
The focus of the college at the turn of the 20th century was home economics. The field was a critical pathway for women to obtain higher education. From its inception, home economics was multidisciplinary and integrative with an emphasis on science applied to the real world of the home, families and communities. The on-campus program developed in conjunction with Cornell's cooperative extension program that placed extension agents in every county of New York State to teach scientific principles of agriculture and home economics.
Eleanor Roosevelt
played an integral role in the development of the College of Home Economics from the 1920s to the 1940s. As the wife of Franklin D. Roosevelt, the governor of New York from 1928 to 1932, and later as America's First Lady
, from 1933 to 1945 (during her husband's tenure as President of the United States), she employed her fame and influence in ways that resulted in greater financial support for home economics programs and increased publicity for the College. It was with Eleanor Roosevelt's support that in February 1925, that the New York State legislature passed a bill, which made Cornell's School of Home Economics the New York State College of Home Economics.
From 1922 until 1950, Cornell's hotel administration program operated as a department within the college, until it spun off into a separate endowed unit.
In 1949, the College was one of four Cornell statutory college
s included in the State University of New York
to reflect on-going state funding. The New York Legislature changed the College's name in 1969 (coinciding with an administrative reorganization of the College) to its present name — the New York State College of Human Ecology — to reflect a more "modern" focus of the College beyond "domestic arts." The college remains a unit of the State University of New York.
Admission is extremely competitive. Applications for the College of Human Ecology usually run around 1200. About 89% of the entering students are ranked in the top 10% as compared to the average of 85% for Cornell.
The College of Human Ecology comprises several departments:
Cornell’s interior design program in the DEA department is highly ranked on the undergraduate and graduate levels by DesignIntelligence. In its annual edition of "America's Best Architecture & Design Schools" the journal has ranked Cornell’s Bachelor of Design and Environmental Analysis (Option I: Interior Design) program as fourth in the nation in 2010, fourth in 2009, third in 2008, second in 2007, and third in 2006. Cornell’s Master of Art in Design program was ranked as third in 2010, fourth in 2009, fifth in 2008, second in 2007, and third in 2006.
In 2011, US News and World Report ranked Cornell's Sloan Program in Health Administration 14th in the nation.
in one of the following areas:
The college also has programs that lead to the following graduate
degrees, administered by the Graduate School
:
Statutory college
In American higher education, particular to the state of New York, a statutory college or contract college is a college or school that is a component of an independent, private university that has been designated by the state legislature to receive significant, ongoing public funding from the state...
at Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
. The college is a unique compilation of studies on consumer science, nutrition
Nutrition
Nutrition is the provision, to cells and organisms, of the materials necessary to support life. Many common health problems can be prevented or alleviated with a healthy diet....
, health economics
Health economics
Health economics is a branch of economics concerned with issues related to efficiency, effectiveness, value and behavior in the production and consumption of health and health care...
, public policy
Public policy
Public policy as government action is generally the principled guide to action taken by the administrative or executive branches of the state with regard to a class of issues in a manner consistent with law and institutional customs. In general, the foundation is the pertinent national and...
, human development and textiles, each part of the discipline of human ecology
Human ecology
Human ecology is the subdiscipline of ecology that focuses on humans. More broadly, it is an interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary study of the relationship between humans and their natural, social, and built environments. The term 'human ecology' first appeared in a sociological study in 1921...
.
Students at the College of Human Ecology delve into biology and chemistry, economics, psychology, and sociology, applying their expertise in fields such as health, design, nutrition, public policy, and marketing. Studies done by professors and students vary from studying the financial impacts of tax legislation to designing safer workplaces and facilitating healthy growth of premature infants.
For 2007-2008, HumEc has a total budget of $73 million, with $33 million from tuition and $9 million from state appropriations.
History
The focus of the college at the turn of the 20th century was home economics. The field was a critical pathway for women to obtain higher education. From its inception, home economics was multidisciplinary and integrative with an emphasis on science applied to the real world of the home, families and communities. The on-campus program developed in conjunction with Cornell's cooperative extension program that placed extension agents in every county of New York State to teach scientific principles of agriculture and home economics.
| Martha Van Rensselaer and Flora Rose | 1924-1932 |
| Flora Rose | 1932-1940 |
| Mary F. Henry (Acting) | 1940-1941 |
| Sarah Gibson Blanding | 1941-1946 |
| Elizabeth Lee Vincent | 1946-1953 |
| Helen G. Canoyer | 1953-1968 |
| David C. Knapp David C. Knapp David C. Knapp was an American educational administrator.Knapp was born in Syracuse, New York, in 1927, and received his B.A. in political science from Syracuse University in 1947. He entered the University of Chicago; earning his M.A. in 1948. Knapp served in the U.S. Army's Second Armored... |
1968-1974 |
| Jean Failing | 1974-1978 |
| Jerome M. Ziegler | 1978-1988 |
| Francille M. Firebaugh | 1988-1999 |
| Patsy M. Brannon | 1999-2004 |
| Lisa Staiano-Coico Lisa Staiano-Coico Dr. Lisa Staiano-Coico is the 12th president of City College of New York. She is also a widely published expert in skin cell biology, wound healing and burns... |
2004-2007 |
| Alan Mathios | 2007-Present |
Eleanor Roosevelt
Eleanor Roosevelt
Anna Eleanor Roosevelt was the First Lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945. She supported the New Deal policies of her husband, distant cousin Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and became an advocate for civil rights. After her husband's death in 1945, Roosevelt continued to be an international...
played an integral role in the development of the College of Home Economics from the 1920s to the 1940s. As the wife of Franklin D. Roosevelt, the governor of New York from 1928 to 1932, and later as America's First Lady
First Lady
First Lady or First Gentlemanis the unofficial title used in some countries for the spouse of an elected head of state.It is not normally used to refer to the spouse or partner of a prime minister; the husband or wife of the British Prime Minister is usually informally referred to as prime...
, from 1933 to 1945 (during her husband's tenure as President of the United States), she employed her fame and influence in ways that resulted in greater financial support for home economics programs and increased publicity for the College. It was with Eleanor Roosevelt's support that in February 1925, that the New York State legislature passed a bill, which made Cornell's School of Home Economics the New York State College of Home Economics.
From 1922 until 1950, Cornell's hotel administration program operated as a department within the college, until it spun off into a separate endowed unit.
In 1949, the College was one of four Cornell statutory college
Statutory college
In American higher education, particular to the state of New York, a statutory college or contract college is a college or school that is a component of an independent, private university that has been designated by the state legislature to receive significant, ongoing public funding from the state...
s included in the State University of New York
State University of New York
The State University of New York, abbreviated SUNY , is a system of public institutions of higher education in New York, United States. It is the largest comprehensive system of universities, colleges, and community colleges in the United States, with a total enrollment of 465,000 students, plus...
to reflect on-going state funding. The New York Legislature changed the College's name in 1969 (coinciding with an administrative reorganization of the College) to its present name — the New York State College of Human Ecology — to reflect a more "modern" focus of the College beyond "domestic arts." The college remains a unit of the State University of New York.
Academics
The college enrolls approximately 1,200 undergraduates and 200 graduate students and has approximately 300 faculty members.Admission is extremely competitive. Applications for the College of Human Ecology usually run around 1200. About 89% of the entering students are ranked in the top 10% as compared to the average of 85% for Cornell.
The College of Human Ecology comprises several departments:
- Human Development (HD)
- Policy Analysis & Management (PAM)
- Division of Nutritional Sciences (DNS)
- Design & Environmental Analysis (DEA)
- Fiber Science & Apparel Design (FSAD)
Cornell’s interior design program in the DEA department is highly ranked on the undergraduate and graduate levels by DesignIntelligence. In its annual edition of "America's Best Architecture & Design Schools" the journal has ranked Cornell’s Bachelor of Design and Environmental Analysis (Option I: Interior Design) program as fourth in the nation in 2010, fourth in 2009, third in 2008, second in 2007, and third in 2006. Cornell’s Master of Art in Design program was ranked as third in 2010, fourth in 2009, fifth in 2008, second in 2007, and third in 2006.
In 2011, US News and World Report ranked Cornell's Sloan Program in Health Administration 14th in the nation.
Facilities
Since 1933, the college has been housed in Martha Van Renssalaer Hall (MVR), a 171648 sq ft (15,946.6 m²) Georgian Revival style brick building designed by William Haugaard located between the Ag Quad and Beebe Lake. In 1968, a dramatic, cantilevered wing designed by Ulrich Franzen was added to the North side of MVR overlooking Beebe Lake. However, the building was declared structurally unsafe in 2001 and abandoned. In the meantime, a west wing was built to house the human nutrition labs as a link between the main MVR and the north wing, but it opened in 2002, after the north wing was closed. The North wing was demolished in 2006, and construction began in 2008 to replace it with an 88228 square feet (8,196.6 m²) teaching and laboratory building atop a 290 car parking garage. The lead architect is Darko Hreljanovic, a 1977 graduate of Cornell's architecture college. The new building will open in 2012.Degrees
The college's undergraduate programs lead to the B.S.Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
in one of the following areas:
- Biology & Society
- Design & Environmental Analysis
- Fiber Science & Apparel Design
- Human Biology, Health & Society
- Human Development
- Individual Curriculum
- Nutritional Sciences
- Policy Analysis & Management
The college also has programs that lead to the following graduate
Graduate school
A graduate school is a school that awards advanced academic degrees with the general requirement that students must have earned a previous undergraduate degree...
degrees, administered by the Graduate School
Cornell University Graduate School
The Cornell University Graduate School confers most professional and research master's degrees and doctoral degrees in various fields of study for the university. The departments under which instruction and research take place are housed in Cornell's other schools and colleges. The administrative...
:
- M.A.Master of Arts (postgraduate)A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
- M.S.Master of ScienceA Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
- M.P.S.Master of Professional StudiesMaster of Professional Studies is a recognized masters degree concentrated in an applied field of study. The MPS is usually a terminal degree and is often interdisciplinary, frequently offered in substantive areas that do not readily fit into any of the traditional fields in university curricula...
in Human Ecology - M.H.A.Master of Health AdministrationThe Master of Health Administration is a master's-level professional degree granted to students who complete a course of study in the knowledge and competencies needed for careers in health administration, involving the management of hospitals and other health services organizations, as well as...
- Ph.D.Doctor of PhilosophyDoctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
Notable alumni
- Rosemary Avery
- Joan Jacobs BrumbergJoan Jacobs BrumbergJoan Jacobs Brumberg is a social historian and academic. She is a Professor Emerita of Cornell University, and lectures and writes about the experiences of adolescents through history until the present day...
- Urie BronfenbrennerUrie BronfenbrennerUrie Bronfenbrenner was a Russian American psychologist, known for developing his Ecological Systems Theory, and as a co-founder of the Head Start program in the United States for disadvantaged pre-school children....
- Richard Burkhauser
- Stephen Ceci
- Rick Geddes
- Alan Mathios
- Valerie Reyna
- David Sahn
- Ritch Savin-WilliamsRitch Savin-WilliamsRitch C. Savin-Williams, Ph.D, is a professor of developmental psychology at Cornell University who specializes in gay, lesbian, and bisexual research. He is currently the chair of the Department of Human Development at Cornell.-Education:...