School of Health & Human Services
Camosun's Human Services department changes their name
Community, Family and Child Studies is the new name for the department that prepares students to work in the human services sector or to pursue further education in fields like child and youth care, social work and social justice. "We chose our new name to emphasize the scope and focus of the programs we offer, " says department chair Anita Ferriss. "In addition to choosing a name, we identified vision and mission statements to guide us as we develop educational programming to meet the substantial need in our communities." The department's vision is "healthy community"; the mission is "one relationship at a time.” 
CFCS department currently offers seven programs. All are grounded in principles of social justice and focus on self-awareness, interpersonal relations and human development, and include relevant theoretical components. Each program includes hands-on learning opportunities, where students spend time in the community participating in practicum experiences or service learning projects.
CFCS students represent a diverse group in terms of age and cultural background. The department program capacity is 252 students, however, with an additional 15 sections of Health university transfer courses to choose from, there is room for an additional 480 students. These courses are a great choice for UT students looking for a foundation in holistic health and wellness, health promotion and self-care.
The department’s new name is one of the outcomes of a major planning and visioning process that concluded in June, 2009. Under Ferriss's guidance, the year-long process considered thought-provoking input from faculty, staff and community partners. The six priorities the department will address in the next two years are:
- Work on the identity of human services programs, the department and the work that CFCS grads do
- Develop foundation courses in human services to engage prospective students
- Offer innovative scheduling and delivery options
- Contribute to effective societal responsiveness to human need
- Examine departmental recruitment and retention challenges and opportunities
- Share teaching strategies and strengths
"It's an exciting time for the CFCS department, and we look forward to sharing our stories with you in the coming months," says Ferriss.