About FSA

By Deborah Gentry, Ed.D., CFLE 

         The early history of the Family Science Association (FSA) is closely associated with the history of the National Council on Family Relations (NCFR) during the mid-1980s. In 1985, the NCFR Board of Directors changed the status of the Task Force for the Development of a Family Discipline to a section within the organization. Initially called the Family Discipline Section, it was renamed the Family Science Section in 1992, and more recently has become the Advancing Family Science Section.

         During 1987 and 1988, guided and directed by the Family Discipline Section, the first volume of the Family Science Review (FSR), came into print. The articles featured in this inaugural issue focused on the nature and scope of family science as a professional field of study and practice. Close on the heels of this publication, the Family Science Association was founded and quickly assumed formal sponsorship of this new academic, peer-reviewed journal, as well as an annual Teaching Family Science Conference (TFSC) (Bailey & Gentry, 2013). Wes Burr and other leaders within NCFR, particularly the Family Discipline Section, believed topics related to teaching and learning (curriculum, instruction, assessment, evaluation, and more) were being neglected due to overemphasis on traditional disciplinary research and clinical practice. Bringing the Family Science Association, Family Science Review, and Teaching Family Science Conference to fruition was seen as one crucial remedy.

         Since the late 1980s, the publication of Family Science Review has continued under the editorship (or guest editorship) of various persons. For nearly a decade, Robert (Bob) Keim dedicatedly served as Editor-in-Chief. In the early 2000s, with the goal of further emphasizing the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL), the name of the journal changed to the Journal of Teaching in Marriage and Family: Innovations in Family Science Education. At this time, the journal could be accessed online, with hard copy versions available to subscribers. After a short run under this title, the journal’s name reverted back to Family Science Review, yet continued solely as an online publication.

         With consistent regularity, the Teaching Family Science Conference has been held each year since the first one held in Provo, Utah, in 1989. It has been typically scheduled during the month of June. Between 40 and 60 participants attend. In its earliest years, more quaint venues were chosen with the goal of keeping costs down, thus attracting students and new professionals. More recently, a bit more glamorous locations have been chosen. Among the locations chosen over the years are Bloomington, IN; Fort Worth, TX; Woodstock, IL; Fairley Creek, MD; Savannah, GA; Lewes, DE; Gatlinburg, TN; West Yellowstone, MT; Prince Edward Island, Canada; St. Augustine, FL; Park City, UT; Nassau, Bahamas; and Kauai, HI. Whether east or west, north or south, in-country or abroad, conference sessions are presented in single-stream fashion. Each attendee experiences every presentation. Opportunities for Q & A, discussion, and networking are amply provided. 

The Family Science Association has established itself as the premier teaching-centered organization within the discipline of family science and through the publication of Family Science Review, aims to disseminate original disciplinary research, advance the Science of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) within family science, and support family science educators.  The annual Teaching Family Science Conference serves as a benchmark for colleagues,      professional development and inspires innovative and creative approaches to teaching, learning, and practice.

Bailey S.J., Gentry D.B. (2013). Teaching about family science as a discipline. In Peterson G., Bush K. (eds.), Handbook of Marriage and the Family. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-3987-5_35