Students enrolled in the recently merged departments of the College of Family and Consumer Sciences won’t need to worry about curriculum or degree changes.

Mary Gregoire, professor and chair of apparel, education studies and hospitality management, said the merger will not disrupt student’s programs of study in the department.

Apparel, Educational Services and Hospitality Management, approved by the Board of Regents in their June meeting, is the merger of three departments: Family and Consumer Sciences Education and Studies; Hotel, Restaurant, and Institution Management; and Textiles and Clothing.

Gregoire said the new department houses nearly 560 undergraduates and 70 graduates, making it equal to or greater in size than the two other departments in the college, Food Science and Human Nutrition, and Human Development and Family Studies.

There are approximately 300 undergraduates in the apparel program, 200 in the management program and 60 in the education and studies program. Each has almost an equal number of graduate students, she said.

Facing two years of budget cuts allowed the college to explore different ways to achieve the college’s desired outcomes, Gregoire said. She said the merger allowed for reduction in the administrative costs of running three smaller departments and it preserved funding to support faculty salaries.

“The merger brings together programs within the [college] that focus on consumer and industry services, and allows the [college] to strategically position programs to better meet the increased demand for graduates [in the newly merged departments],” Gregoire said.

Students will benefit from the combined expertise of faculty members in the varied disciplines, she said.

Program curricula will remain the same, as will the degree options offered before the merger.

Courses will be taught as they have been in the past, but Gregoire said several new elective courses will be offered that meet the needs of students in different programs.

“The merger provides more breadth in their education; it gives more options in their department,” said Carol Meeks, dean of the College of Family and Consumer Sciences.