Activities of coordinated dietetic program directors compared by educational background

This study was designed to ascertain the activities performed by coordinated program directors, compare current activities with 5-year expectations, and identify differences in importance and time spent on 14 pertinent activities by directors with master's degrees and those with doctorates. Responses were collected by a descriptive survey of 64 directors, all of whom participated. Program directors with master's degrees considered public relations with affiliations, attending faculty meetings, student advisement, and reading professional materials significantly more important (p less than .05) than did directors with doctorates, who considered faculty evaluations and research significantly more important (p less than .01). Directors with doctorates spent significantly less time in teaching (p less than .05) than those with master's degrees. Responsibilities of directors in the 22 submitted descriptions were organized into five categories: program management, curricular affairs, policies impacting on programs, student advisement and counseling, and academic activities. In the ADA Standards of Education, responsibilities of directors include program assessment, planning, and evaluation; in this study, those responsibilities were placed in the program management category. Exhibition of leadership qualities, revision of curriculum, and counseling and recruitment of students were responsibilities most frequently included in the position descriptions; however, those responsibilities were in categories other than program management. The responsibilities could serve as a guide for the development of a position description and as criteria for the role of a coordinated program director.