Experience with and Thoughts about a University Education

Experience with and Thoughts about a University Education in Consumer Sciences MARIE J. LACHANCE CONSUMER SCIENCES UNIVERSITÉ LAVAL, QUEBEC CITY Academic Consumer Interest Research (CIR) in Policy Development: Strengthening a Canadian Network Victoria University in the University of Toronto September 30, 2012

In Canada Université Laval Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences Certificate and B. A. M. Sc. Agricultural Economics, with major in Consumer Studies University of Guelph College of Management and Economics M. Sc. Marketing and Consumer Studies

Outside Canada Many programs in USA and UK Consumer Sciences/Studies /Affairs/Economics Few in France o o Master’s degree at Université de Haute Alsace (Eucorem) Combined M. Sc. (Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, Poland) Denmark (Management Consumer Economics) Norway + Sweden + Finland (Center/Institute for Consumer sc. or research; National Consumer Research centre) Asia (Malaysia, Southern Korea, Malaysia) South Africa (Consumer Sciences)

Consumer Sciences at Université Laval Established in 1969, with the rise of the consumer society from which the need to protect consumers arose (consumer perspective) Original program objective: Educate professionals to be able to help consumers take personal responsibility for their actions and guide them in their quest for well-being. Multidisciplinary education Consumer information, education and protection Food, housing, personal finance, clothing and textiles

Necessary Shift in 2000 To improve job opportunities To satisfy and use an emerging societal/market need: quality of service to clients/users Consumer perspective integrated into public- or privatesector organizations: Consumer-organization relationships Knowing and meeting consumers needs and expectations while interacting with them (before, during and after) Current objective Specialized education in consumer affairs focused on knowledge of consumers and their relationships with organizations.

CS B. A. Curriculum at Université Laval Consumerism and consumer society Young consumer socialisation Aging people and consumption Consumer behaviour Consumption and ways of life Consumer law Consumer economics Macroeconomics Program planning in CS Sustainable development in organisations Social medias, consumers and organisations (next fall) Quantitative methods Qualitative methods of research Customer service Consumer satisfaction theories and measures Quality of service mgt (2 courses) Marketing or food marketing Distribution management Commercial environment English (2 courses) Two internships Optional courses

Admission Statistics B. A. 100% increase in admissions from 2001 to 2006 35% increase from 2011 to the present (325 students) Certificate 100% increase from 2011 (59 students) New Master (MSc) 6 graduate students after 2 semesters

What is the problem ? !? Awareness and recognition (employers and academic community) E. g. Consumer Sciences often mixed with “Foods or Dietetic” Academic succession (CS university education and CI research) But: More confidence in finding jobs Still, consumer perspective, into the organisations, includes consumer interest and protection Interest in research and in CI research

Some University Education Issues Influencing CI Research • LOW AWARENESS OF B. A. (MASTER? ) PROGRAMS IN THE JOB MARKET • DIFFICULT ACADEMIC SUCCESSION PLANNING

Low awareness of B. A. and Master programs in the job market Name of the program/diploma not specific enough (multidisciplinarity) Affiliation Qualifications of students/professionals not well known Differences with business or marketing studies? No university education without caring about career opportunities for BA, Master and Ph. D graduates Programs content must attract employers Undergraduate programs must include minimum research training (to arouse postgraduate studies and academic careers)

Difficult Academic Succession Planning Multidisciplinary ≠ any other disciplines Academics without initial training in CS/CI or closely-related disciplines (such as Home Ec. ) may show limited knowledge of the discipline/field of CS/CI; have limited conception of CS university education and of how it might develop; present limited teaching versatility; stick to researchers from their own discipline; leave for positions in their original fields of expertise; not identify with CS (or be negative about it because …); be less concerned with educational development of our programs, the job market and CI research.

A Vicious Circle Few CS/CI undergraduate and Master programs in Canada… and no Ph. D Little or no CS/CI academic succession (teaching and research) Difficult (no) recruitment of Ph. Ds in CS/CI because of few (no) undergraduate and graduate programs No CS scientific conferences in Canada for professors and graduate students Few or no relationships among academics and among (rare) CS graduate students Not a specific field of research for granting agencies Low or no awareness and recognition Mix all and get back to top of the list!

Improving Academic Succession Planning and Enhancing CI research in Canada Create more CS/CI (oriented) Ph. D programs: not only relevant thesis but CS/CI course curriculum Appropriate affiliations or combined Master or Ph. D programs specifically developed and identified appropriately: interdisciplinary and/or involving various universities E. g. EURECA (European Master’s Programme in Consumer Affairs): Aarhus, Warsaw, Munich, Wageningen http: //www. masterstudies. com/Masters-Degree/Business-Economics-and-Administration/Marketing/MSc-in-Consumer. Affairs/Germany/TUM-(Technischen-Universität-München)-Business-School/European-Master's-Programme-in. Consumer-Affairs-(EURECA)/ More CS undergraduate and Master programs: to stimulate future careers and to employ Ph. Ds

Request (committee? ) specific peer committee in national & provincial research funding structures (SSHRC and others) formally recognizing and specify CS/CI field Hold periodical Canadian research conference (peer-reviewed) with publication of extended abstracts (available in electronic data banks) In the USA ACCI (American Council of Consumer Interests), annual conference with published proceedings, Journal of Consumer Affairs ACR (Association for Consumer Research), annual conference with published proceedings (USA and Europe), Journal of Consumer Research In Europe ICSR, International Consumer Sciences Research Conference every 2 years, International Journal of Consumer Studies May be held at Humanities and Social Sciences annual meeting

Thank you HAVE A NICE DAY OF DISCUSSION!