NEWS
Allen Martin on Consumer Studies
Allen Martin, PhD, Cal State Northridge, with some helpful resources available to you and your students during these difficult financial times.
Dolores Robles on Consumer Studies
This month, Dolores Robles, Mt. San Antonio College offers some strategies to help your students make their own decisions.
Dolores uncovers the finer details of Student Loans helpful information for your students or college-bound family members.
We welcome a new contributor to the site, Dolores Robles, Mt. San Antonio College. In a page out of Life Management, she got the new semester off to a great start by delving deeper into Procrastination. She includes some ideas to help your students (and perhaps yourselves) tackle it head-on.
Life Management Tool
If you're looking for a quick resource for Life Management with potential beyong the classroom here's Joann Driggers' short review of Dr. Linda A. Smith's "Here's What it Takes to be Healthy, Wealthy and Wise."
Successful Beginnings
Lisa Ledeboer, Mt. San Antonio College offers some timely exercises to start the new semester. No matter the discipline, here are a variety of activities to engage your students.
Credit Card Rules
David Lazarus, Los Angeles Times, writes about how the latest credit card legislation will affect the consumer.
The Incredible Shrinking Containers
A piece from Jerry Hirsch, Los Angeles Times, looks at the stealth-like practice of today's manufacturers. How is it that many food and other consumer product containers are shrinking but the prices aren't?
Not Surviving Paycheck to Paycheck?
"Payday Lenders and the Middleclass" by Kim Christensen, Los Angeles Times, explores and cautions the growing market for payday lending services.
Consumer Advocacy at a Crossroads
David Lazarus, Los Angeles Times, takes a look at the futrure of consumer advocacy as one of its leaders, Joan Claybrook, steps down as leader of Public Citizen.
CURRICULUM
Consumer Studies (formerly known as Life Management) curriculum is designed to prepare students for a variety of entry level jobs and career advancement. Students can also prepare for transfer to a four-year institution with a Family and Consumer Sciences or related major. Those students not pursuing a certificate or a degree can select courses within the Consumer Studies (Life Management) Program to provide knowledge and skills that enhance the quality of life.
For more information on Consumer Studies/Life Management Curriculum, please see the Consumer Studies Chapter of the recently updated FCS Program Plan 2009 or follow this link to the complete Program Plan 2009, featuring an Introduction, a chapter on Articulation and a Directory of Professional and Trade Organizations.
"Surviving in Difficult Times" Recap
Consumer Studies Professional Development Workshop was held Friday, November 6 in Pasadena. Here are some of the presentations you may have missed:"Making Every Dollar Count" and "Money Talks" from Karen Varcoe, UC Riverside Cooperative Extension; "Credit, Debt and Credit Reports" from Eduardo Martinez at Clearpoint
2009 Consumer Handbook
Syndicated columnist, Lew Sichelman, highlights the newly available and free the 30th Edition of the Consumer Action Handbook, a great resource for all disciplines.