Technical Standards

Upon acceptance into the program, students will be asked to acknowledge their ability to meet these standards with or without accommodations.

Reasonable accommodation will be considered and may be made to qualified students who disclose a disability, so long as such accommodation does not significantly alter the essential requirements of the curriculum and the training program, or significantly affect the safety of patient care.

Students who disclose that they have a disability are considered for the program if they are otherwise qualified. Qualified students with a disability who wish to request accommodation should provide appropriate documentation of disability and submit a request for accommodation to the Office for Academic Accommodations, Cyn Ukoko, Senior Coordinator of Academic Accommodations, 1006 Dykes Library, cukoko@kumc.edu or 913-945-7035, TTY 711.

The Department of Dietetics and Nutrition and the University of Kansas have a commitment to nondiscrimination, access and reasonable accommodation of students with disabilities. Therefore, all students admitted to the program must be able to meet the following requirement and expectations with or without accommodation.

The program prepares students to practice dietetics and nutrition within organizations and businesses. Graduates need knowledge and skills to function in diverse practice settings. Students admitted in the program are able to perform the following:

Communicate: Students must have the ability to use multiple communication techniques (oral, written, nonverbal, group process information technology and esthetic endeavors) that enable them to communicate with clients, teachers, and all members of the health care team. Students must be able to report to members of the team, express accurate information to clients, and teach, explain, direct and counsel people.

Observe: Students must be able to observe lectures, demonstrations, research, and practice situations in the practice of health sciences. Observation is necessary to perform competent health assessments and interventions.

Ethical Standards: Students must demonstrate professional attitudes and behaviors and must perform in an ethical manner in dealing with others. Personal integrity is required and the adherence to standards that reflect the values and functions of the profession of dietetics. Students are required to abide by the professional code of ethics for dietetics and student honor codes.

Psychomotor: Students must have sufficient motor capacities and motilities to execute various tasks and physical maneuvers such as collecting specimens and perform basic tests and physical assessments on individuals, e.g., finger sticks for blood glucose testing, using glucometers, skin fold thickness, blood pressure, and placing feeding tubes; working in institutional and food demonstration kitchens to prepare foods and direct employees involved in food services; and conducting patient visits individually and with health care team members to provide nutrition care.

Intellectual and Cognitive Abilities: Students must be able to measure, calculate reason, analyze, synthesize, integrate, and remember to apply information. Creative problem solving and clinical reasoning required all of these intellectual abilities.

Professional and Social Attributes: Students must exercise good judgment and promptly complete all responsibilities required of the program. They must develop mature, sensitive, and effective professional relationships with others. They must able to tolerate taxing workloads and function effectively under stress. They must be able to adapt to changing environments, display flexibility, and function in the face of uncertainties and ambiguities. Concern for others, interpersonal competence, and motivation are requisites for the program.