By Dr. Fred Mayo, CHE, CHT

The task of departmental leaders involves educating faculty members in the need for change and in the changes to be undertaken. As part of that process, it can be helpful to try out new ideas.

Last month, we reviewed the process of developing curriculum by identifying and involving the key stakeholders in the curriculum. The next task in the process of making significant curriculum change involves developing a sense of the goals for the curriculum and the overall vision for the new curriculum. However, the most difficult task can be the third step—making changes in individual courses.

By John Lawn

Jamie Oliver's "Food Revolution" treats a serious subject, but turns it into reality-show spectacle.

On March 21, Americans with an interest in either child nutrition or reality TV (or both) got the chance to view the first installment of “Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution,” a stunt-driven, 21st century moral tale that will run as a series on ABC in coming weeks. If you missed it, here's a handy synopsis:

A master class at the CAFÉ Leadership Conference this month will lend educators hands-on know-how applying several prevailing menu trends to versatile (and economical) lamb cuts.

Educators signed up for the “Deliver 2010’s Top Menu Trends with American Lamb” master class at the 2010 CAFÉ Leadership Conference at Baltimore International College, Friday, June 25, are in for a treat: The class will be led by veteran educator Frank Terranova, MCFE, assistant instructor at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, R.I.

“Lamb is my favorite meat,” Terranova says, adding that he’s an aficionado of domestically raised lamb, in particular.

Sponsored by the American Lamb Board and working with economical shoulder, leg and ground lamb, as well as the rack, Terranova’s class will address several leading menu trends this year—small delicious plates, street foods migrating indoors, comfort-with-a-twist and exotic ethnic on the cusp of mainstream. What’s more, Terranova will instruct on sous vide with American lamb. Select dishes prepared by class participants will be served at the conference’s welcome reception that evening following the three-hour hands-on immersion.

Courtesy of Christopher Ranch

Media scares over tainted Chinese products have led U.S. consumers to investigate how garlic is produced, resulting in a resurgence of domestic sources—which actually have greater cooking and health benefits.

Garlic is grown globally, and has become a critical flavor component for a variety of international cuisines. China has emerged as the world’s leading source, growing two-thirds of global supply. Even in the United States, where California-grown garlic is available year-round, Chinese garlic amounts to well over half of domestic supply. The International Trade Commission reports that Chinese garlic exports into the United States in 2009 alone totaled 145 million pounds.

Most California garlic production is centralized in Gilroy, Calif., known as “the garlic capital of the world.” Gilroy-based Christopher Ranch has been an industry leader since 1956, when founder Don Christopher started farming garlic with a planting of 10 acres. Today, his son, Bill, oversees cultivation of more than 3,000 acres and shipment of more than 60 million pounds annually, distinguishing the ranch as the nation’s premier grower for the fresh market and the only commercial source of heirloom garlic.

By Dr. Fred Mayo, CHE, CHT

Thinking carefully about who should be involved in revising the curriculum will help everyone know his and her role. It is an important way to move the process forward and collect as many ideas at the beginning and consult about proposals at the end.

In the last two Clinics, we reviewed the challenges of evaluating student performance, a task that is critical for student learning. Another aspect of ensuring successful graduates involves providing the best program for them, which raises the question of how we examine our curricula and make changes to improve courses and whole programs.

In this Clinic, we will discuss overall curriculum revision; in a later one, we shall review making course changes. Having just gone through more than two years of full revision of two undergraduate degrees and three graduate degrees at NYU, I have a lot of empathy for people undertaking the task. However, it can be a creative and insightful activity, and one that makes a real difference in the quality and effectiveness of programs.