Editor’s Corner

Carol A. Schwab

Three years ago when we first conceived the idea for The Forum for Family and Consumer Issues (FFCI), we simply wanted a means to bring people back to our home page. A quarterly periodical seemed to be a good plan. The early success of FFCI persuaded us that it should be bigger than a departmental publication, so last year we decided to take it national. As a result of that decision, we now have a national Editorial Board with representatives from 23 different universities or governmental agencies.

Since “going national,” we have received a number of questions about what sort of articles FFCI is interested in publishing. The answer to this question defines who we are, how we are different, and what we want to achieve.

Who Are We?

The Department of 4-H Youth Development and Family & Consumer Sciences at N.C. State University is 100 percent Cooperative Extension. FFCI‘s Editorial Board members have Extension appointments, a background in Extension, or a working understanding of Extension. Cooperative Extension’s mission is “Helping individuals, families, and communities put research-based knowledge to work to help improve their lives.” Extension in all 50 states is the “bridge” between the universities and the people.

How Are We Different?

Land-grant universities have three major components — teaching, research, and extension. Teaching faculty’s primary responsibility is to teach university students. Research faculty’s primary responsibility is to investigate phenomena in order to expand the knowledge base. Extension faculty’s primary responsibility is to put research findings to use in homes, businesses, and communities. FFCI reflects Extension faculty’s responsibility in its mission statement which describes FFCI as a “publication designed to integrate, apply, and transmitknowledge about issues of current interest in Family and Consumer Sciences.”

What Do We Want to Achieve?

Our goal is to make FFCI a publication where lay people and professionals alike can obtain reliable information on issues of current interest in Family and Consumer Sciences. To further that goal

• We want to publish articles that are readable, reliable, and rich in practical application.
• We want to make FFCI a publication that people will read because it addresses their questions, concerns, and curiosity.
• We want to make FFCI a publication that professionals will read because it provides cutting edge information in their field of study or in related fields of study.
• We want to make FFCI a publication that Extension field faculty will read because it provides
  • substantive information in their areas of responsibility,
  • programming ideas, and
  • updates on research, trends, and issues.
• We want to make FFCI a publication that gives Extension faculty an outlet for publishing refereed articles that reflect Extension’s mission of “helping people put knowledge to work.” Articles from non-Extension faculty are also welcome.
• Finally, we want FFCI to reflect the value of Cooperative Extension to the public.

For more details about the guidelines for submitting manuscripts, refer to About The Forum.

If you have any questions, please feel free to e-mail me at carol_schwab@ncsu.edu.

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