Our Mission & Vision
Our Mission
The mission of the Towson University Department of Family Studies and Community Development is to foster a multidisciplinary and multicultural understanding of families, communities, and service systems throughout the lifespan. We aspire to prepare professionals by increasing students' knowledge of families and communities through a rigorous education grounded in the liberal arts combined with service learning experiences and action-oriented, policy relevant research. Civic responsibility and professional development are emphasized through exposure to classroom content, community engagement and development of competencies such as oral and written communication and critical thinking skills. The curriculum is based on nationally recognized disciplines with established requirements in Family Life Education, Child Life, and Human Services.
Our Vision
The Towson University Department of Family Studies and Community Development will continue to strive toward excellence as:
- A department comprised of a community of educators and scholars who are committed to intellectual rigor, excellence, and collegiality. This community will value open discourse and an atmosphere of mutual respect. All are committed to the advancement of student learning, institution and community service, professional development, and sustained contributions to academic disciplines.
- A reflective group of scholars and educators who continually evaluate student learning outcomes based on department, college, and university goals and provide opportunities for students that are nimble and responsive to change.
- A community of students who take advantage of resources available to them though the department and ultimately achieve more than they originally thought possible. Students’ service learning experiences, exposure to research, and mastery of liberal arts competencies have benefits which extend into the local community both now and in the future.
faculty research
Our faculty members have diverse research interests, including breast cancer's impact on the family, minority health disparities, the strengths and needs of military families, the family relationships of LGBT persons, the impact of international adoption, and the quality of life for families who have children with autism.
Student research
Make Research Your Own
By conducting your own research under the guidance of professors who are experts in their fields, you become a more creative and critical thinker with a greater sense of confidence to pursue your passions.
Teresa Herbert, a Family Studies alumna who studied at TU in Northeastern Maryland had the opportunity to work closely with Dr. Diane Hall on a research project featuring youth with intellectual disabilities. The Institute for Social Inclusion (INSINC) accepted her proposal for a poster presentation and her poster entitled, “Equitable Access for Transitioning Youth with Intellectual Disabilities: Policy Implications and Improvements” will be featured at their 2017 Social Justice & Social Inclusion Conference.
Click here to read more about Teresa's research.