A typical day at Jacksonville State University holds a variety of tasks and routines. For many students, their daily grind consists of hurrying from class to class, either by bus or on foot, taking notes, reading and listening to lectures. But in the east side of Mason Hall, where the Family and Consumer Sciences Department is located, the everyday student might not fit this traditional mold. Instead, many of the students majoring in Restaurant and Food Service Management spend their days in a kitchen, with their hands chopping, stirring and seasoning food, and their minds processing information about how to properly run a food establishment.

Now, this concentration is receiving a face lift that will strengthen the curriculum by adding even more culinary elements to the mix.

Dr. Debra Goodwin, head of the Family and Consumer Sciences Department, and Dr. Tim Roberts, associate professor, have together decided to revamp the current concentration of Restaurant and Food Service Management, thus changing the name to Hospitality and Culinary Management.

With this change will come a stronger emphasis in culinary science, hospitality and tourism. Goodwin says that the idea to upgrade the concentration came about after the donation of The Victoria to the JSU Foundation. Students in this concentration will be able to acquire hands-on experience while working with The Victoria, which will act as a sort of field school, during their practicum course.

"This change will give students a broader overview of the culinary field in general," Goodwin says. "And we're hoping that with the gain of The Victoria and the updated curriculum, it will be a springboard for this program so that we'll have more students enrolled."

The name of the concentration is not the only aspect that will change. Several classes have been added to the concentration such as Culinary Science, International Foods, Food Safety and Sanitation, Principles of Culinary Management and Practicum in Hospitality and Tourism. Roberts says these are core culinary classes; in time, more specialized culinary classes may be offered.

"This curriculum takes students beyond just preparing menu items," Roberts says. "Our students understand the science behind it, and can run an entire food service operation beginning to end."

The previous concentration focused more on the business side of things, weighing in heavily on how to properly manage and operate a food establishment. Roberts says students majoring in the Hospitality and Culinary Management concentration will still have the strong emphasis in business, and that no classes will be taken away from the curriculum. The change to the new concentration is happening gradually, and the department hopes to offer some of the new classes in the spring. Students already active in the Restaurant and Food Service Management program will not be affected by the change, and will still follow the existing curriculum.

Lindsay Waits, an adjunct faculty member in the Family and Consumer Science Department, will teach several of the new culinary classes in the department.

"We teach things that can't be learned off of Food Network," Waits says. "We will teach students to do it all: front of the house, middle of the house and back of the house."

The department will also continue their Wellness Wednesdays, where the students in the Quantity Food course prepare a nutritious lunch and collaborate with the Health, Physical Education and Recreation Department faculty to deliver a lesson on how to live a healthy lifestyle.

Students majoring in this concentration will have access to the quantity kitchen in the Family and Consumer Science Department, and will not have to pay an additional fee for the food cooked or utensils used. Goodwin says that is included in the fee paid for the class. Both Goodwin and Roberts are excited about the changes to come, and hope that they will inspire students to consider this major for themselves.

"There are great career options in this major," Roberts says. "It is more of a hands-on program, and it takes students beyond the classroom of studying the theories and principles of food. I think that enhances the learning experience for our students."

Julie Skinner, a student writer in the Office of Public Relations, contributed to this article.