Welcome to the Cosumnes River College Online Dietetic Technician Program

Thank you for your interest in the Cosumnes River College (CRC) Online Dietetic Technician Program (DTP).  This program has been granted Initial Accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Dietetic Education (CADE:  120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2000, Chicago, IL  60606-6995, Phone:  312.899.0040, ext. 5400) of the American Dietetic Association (ADA:  120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2000, Chicago, IL  60606-6995, Phone:  800.877.1600).

The DTP provides you with the course work and field experience necessary to master the scope of knowledge and skills as mandated by CADE.   Upon successful completion of the Dietetic Technician Program, you will earn an Associated of Science Degree in Nutrition and Dietetics.  In addition, a verification statement will be provided and you will be eligible for the registration examination for dietetic technician.   

   
ONLINE DIETETIC PROGRAM

What is a Dietetic Technician Program (DTP)?

The Cosumnes River College Dietetic Technician Program is a 2-year program leading to an Associate Science Degree in Nutrition and Dietetics.  The program offers the course work and 450+ hours of supervised practice (internship) both are necessary to prepare you for the Registration Exam for Dietetic Technician. 

Description of the Dietetic Technician Program

(As described by the American Dietetic Association)

“Dietetics education is a dynamic and complex process that translate the theoretical and ideal into application and practice.  All dietetic education programs should reflect the needs of students and prepare them for current practice and lifelong learning.  Dietetics education programs must provide opportunities, including real-life experiences, for students to acquire the necessary knowledge, skills and competencies for the anticipated level of dietetic practice.  Program graduates should be able to work effectively within their communities to improve the quality and quantity of food and nutrition for all people, both now and in the future.” 

“The Schematic for Dietetics Education encompasses two components required to educate a dietetics professional:

(1)   Didactic education, which provides the foundation knowledge and skills necessary to function in society as a professional and on which practitioner competencies can be built; and

(2)   Supervised practice, which provides the practitioner competencies essential to perform the specialized functions of a dietitian or a dietetic technician.“

“Foundation Knowledge and Skills achieved in didactic education encompass the broad-based studies to

“The dietetic technician program provides for the integration of didactic instruction with a minimum of 450 hours of supervised practice within an academic program leading to an associate degree.”

   Back to top

Description of the CRC Dietetic Technician Program

Our program has been granted Initial Accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Dietetic Education (CADE).  Graduates of the program meet all the requirements to take the Registration Examination for Dietetic Technician offered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR).  The exam is offered at various testing sites across the nation.  (The registration exam is computerized.)   Students passing the registration exam are certified as Dietetic Technician, Registered (DTR). 

Program Mission: 

The Program provides access to interested online students and offers opportunities to master knowledge and skills for professional success in dietetics

Goal 1:  To provide a challenging and stimulating curriculum to foster learning and the attainment of knowledge necessary for the dietetic professional

1.  80% of employers of graduates surveyed will give an overall satisfactory or higher rating in job preparation of the alumni

2.  80% of the graduates working in the field surveyed will give an overall satisfactory or higher rating of job preparation as a result of attending this program

3.  Within one year of completing the program, 80% of the graduates will obtain employment related to the field or have enrolled in an accredited continuing education program

4.  At least 80% of graduates will have passed the DT Registration Exam

5.  80% of preceptors will give the students a rating of satisfactory (competency) in all performance criteria by the end of the semester/ course

6.  80% of the Advisory Board will approve and support the DTP curriculum

Goal 2:  To offer an accessible program that is available online to any interested and qualified student

1.  CRC’s  DTP will meet the educational needs of 75% of all interested and qualified students

2.  DTP will have a retention success of 65% or higher

3.  Students will give a rating of satisfactory or higher on the accessibility and use of Blackboard course manager

Goal 3:  To maintain an intellectual environment and encourage intellectual curiosity to encourage lifelong learning

1.  75% or more of the students will report participation in at least one professional activity annually after graduation

2.  20% of the graduates will pursue further education

Goal 4:  To incorporate new, diverse, and innovative technology to enhance teaching effectiveness and accommodate various learning styles

1.  Evaluation on the ease and use of the online course manager will receive a satisfactory or higher rating from students

2.  At least 35% of students enrolled in the program will complete the program within 2 years.

3.  Students will indicate on the teaching evaluation a rating of satisfactory or higher with respect to guidance and support from the program’s faculty/ instructor

4.  Student will indicate on the course evaluation survey a rating of satisfactory or higher with respect to guidance and support from preceptors

5.  75% of all students will maintain a grade of “C” or higher in each of the required courses

6.  Students with poor grades (less than a C) &/or unsatisfactory site evaluation will be identified and a plan of action advised by the following semester of the program

How this program fits into the credentialing process for DTRs

The CRC DT program provides the required Dietetic Technician coursework and at least 450 hours of supervised practice within an academic program leading to an associate of science degree.

Graduates of the CRC DT Program are eligible to sit and write the Commission on Dietetic Registration examination for dietetic technicians.  The registration eligibility process is described in the following flow chart created by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (view it at http://www.cdrnet.org/PDFs/pr-Flowchart-Reg%20Elig.pdf).  Successful completion of the CRC DT program will permit the DT Program Director to begin Step 2 of the flow chart.

Degree and Certificate Program

CRC offers two tracks of the online program for becoming a Registered Dietetic Technician.   The first track is the degree program is considered the traditional route and is for individuals who have graduated from high school and want to pursue a degree.  The second track is a certificate program and is considered the more advance route and is for individuals who have completed a bachelor’s degree in an accredited didactic program in dietetics. For these individual, they only need to complete the supervised practice hours to be able to sit for the registration exam.  Students will received a verification statement.  A certificate will be granted if the student completes 12 units for more at CRC. 

The two tracks are described below.

DTP-  Degree Program is for students with a high school diploma or GED.  This track is considered the more “traditional” route.  Students are required to take the general education courses and a series of Nutrition courses and practicums (The ADA requires a minimum of 450 clock hours for technician programs in supervise practice—the practicums will address these hours).  The nutrition courses will all be offered online.  Students are responsible for taking the other requisite courses (non-nutrition courses) that are not offered online.  Students will need to transfer these courses to CRC if the courses were taken elsewhere.  Upon completion of this program, students will receive an Associate of Science Degree and be eligible to sit for the national registration exam for Dietetic Technician.

DTP-Certificate Program is considered the more advanced program.  This route will draw students who have graduated from a four-year institution with a B.A./B.S. degree from an accredited program in dietetics.  Certificate Program students will be required to take the dietetic practicum courses in the DT Program (to obtain their 450 hours of supervised practice).  The respective courses to the practicum are recommended but not required since they should have taken similar courses in their bachelor’s program.  In addition, the student must provide an official transcript as well as a Verification Statement from a four-year accredited institution.  Upon completion of the practicum hours (supervised practice) and with verification of documents, the Certificate Program student will be eligible to sit for the Registration Exam for Dietetic Technician.  They will not earn an associate degree or a certificate.  This track allows them to complete requirements necessary in order to sit for the national registration exam.    A certificate will be granted if the student completes 12 or more units at CRC.

Students are responsible for finding their own practicum placement for supervised practice (sponsoring site).  Once sponsoring site(s) has(ve) been identified, an agreement must be obtained.  This agreement between CRC and the participating supervised practice site must occur before the students can earn credits for their experience (supervised practice hours or food laboratory hours. 

There may also be the requirement of vaccinations or immunization in order to work at the supervised practice sites.  The vaccines will depend on your site.  Traditionally we have recommended that students get yearly TB screen, MMR titer, chicken pox screen or vaccination, and hepatitis boosters.  The price of these will vary depending on your health insurance or health departments/clinic that you may go to.  Local colleges and universities may also provide these screens at a low cost to the students.  Record of these screens and or results must be forwarded to the DTP director at the start of each new school year (fall semester).   

Students enrolled in the DTP must purchase group liability insurance every year in order to participate in their chosen or assigned supervised practice sites.  Students are responsible for meeting and paying for these requirements.  The program will provide assignments and students will meet these requirements in their practicum sites. 

Communication between students and instructor will be conducted via phone, e-mail, fax, or snail mail.  Assignments can be submitted to the instructor via attachments to e-mail or by fax.  Students interested in this online program must have access to a computer and the Internet.  Students should be competent in the use of the computer and be able to maneuver through the Internet.  An introductory computer information course is highly recommended for the first time computer/Internet user.  Currently, CRC offers a six-week “Introductory to an Online Course” class taught by Professor Greg Beyrer.   

What should I do if I am interested?

Begin by contacting us.  You will need to apply for admission to Cosumnes River College (you can do this online by going to our college web page).  You will also need to contact the program director and program counselor.  Once you are admitted, our faculty, counselor, and staff will assist you in planning your course work.  You will need to find a sponsoring site(s) for your field experiences as soon as possible so that an Agency Agreement can be established.  Plan on taking the prerequisite and co-requisite courses at your local college or university.  Transcripts must be transferred and forwarded to the DTP.  If you are not sure if the course will transfer for the equivalent, ask.  Don’t take a course only to find out that it will not transfer for the equivalent.

Where can I find more information and assistance?

Students are encouraged to contact Cosumnes River College and review the additional services offered by the college, admission information, and policies of the college.  Students can view the information on the school's website

Or you can contact the college at:

Cosumnes River College

8401 Center Parkway                    

Sacramento, CA  95823-5799

(916) 691-7410

You can also visit http://www.crc.losrios.edu/Program_Exploration/Dietetics.htm and read the most frequently asked questions.

What does a Dietetic Technician do?

Dietetic Technicians (DTs) are trained in food and nutrition and are an integral part of the health care and foodservice management team.  As a DT, you can practice in acute care, long-term care, public health departments, and food service facilities (schools, senior feeding programs, food service management, etc.).  Many of the work environment requires that DTs be credentialed as Dietetic Technician, Registered.  The Dietetic Technician, Registered may screen patient/clients for nutritional needs, provide some basic diet education under the direction of registered dietitians.  They are also familiar with large food purchasing, production, inventory, cost control, recipe development and food service computer skills. 

What is the salary potential?

According to the American Dietetic Association’s 2002 Membership Benefit Survey Results, the median hourly wage was $14.74 per hour (or $30,660 per year) while 50% of DTR earned more than this.   The variation in salary is associated with years of experience, responsibility, employment setting, and scope of practice.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expects that employment of DTR would grow as fast as the average for all occupations through the year 2005.  This is similar to that for dietitians and nutritionists.  The increase is partially due to the emphasis on preventative care, consumer interest in nutrition, and the aging of our country.  The fastest growth is seen in nursing home and residential care facilities because of the anticipated growth in the aging population.

California Business and Professional Code #2068 defines and includes the role of DTR.  This means that Registered Dietitians, DTRs, and individuals with advanced degree are the legally permitted to practice nutrition therapy in the state of California.  For more information about the California Business and Professional Code, check out the California Dietetic Association's web site.

Back to top

Are Online Classes For You?

Online education can be very convenient, but before you pursue this mode of learning, you need to consider if it is right for you.  To succeed in an online course, you need to have or should develop the following traits:

1.      Time management skills.  We realized that education is not the only focus in your life; you may also have commitment to work, family, personal interests, etc.  Having time management skills means you are able to prioritize your tasks and time to complete everything necessary. 

2.      Self-motivation.  Online courses allow a high level of autonomy and flexibility.  You are not required to attend class at any specific time, but at a time convenient for you.  You must be motivated to log on to the course 2-3 times a week at a minimum to stay on track.  Even with the most supportive faculty and staff, students may fail if they are not self-motivated.  The most successful students are the ones that continuously motivate and push themselves to completion. 

3.      Comfort with technology.  Due to the nature of the program, it is important that you are comfortable with using technology.  You must be comfortable with the use of e-mail, the Internet, common software programs such word processing.  If you are not familiar with using technology, than we suggest taking an introductory course in personal computers and online courses. 

Back to top

 TUITION and ESTIMATED COST

Tuition:  click on "tuition" to see the updated fees and tuition for the college

*Please note, at this time, this program is only open to individuals residing in the United States.

In addition to the tuition fees and other payment, the other estimated cost for Degree Program is listed:

Fall Semester 1 (18 units):

* Check with your health insurance for coverage.  Local health departments offer low cost vaccinations. 

Spring Semester 2 (14 units):

Fall Semester 2 (12 units):

Spring Semester 3 (16 units):

Estimate of total additional cost beyond tuition and fees for 4 semesters:

Other additional cost may include the purchase of a home computer, Internet hookup, fax, and/or postage.   

Back to top

Liability, Travel, and Health Insurance

 Liability insurance provides protection to students from any injury they may cause or allegedly have caused to others.  Since this programs requires that you work closely with a preceptor, the likelihood of something like this happening is very small, if at all.  Students will be participating and gaining field experience by working in supervised practice.  It is important to realize that you, as the student, need to be protected.  Thus, students enrolled in the DTP practicum courses are required to purchase at least $1,000,000 worth of liability insurance.  CRC have contacted Seabury and Smith as one source of where such liability insurance may be purchased.  CRC has no relationship with Seabury and Smith or any other liability insurance company.  CRC does not receive any monetary payback from Seabury and Smith or any other company.  However, it is important to protect you.  Application forms for liability insurance are available from the Nutrition and Foods Department.  Fee for the maintaining this liability insurance is approximately $20.00 a year. 

The student will be required to have proof of immunization as required by the site.  The common immunization are:

PPD, TB, proof of Rubeola and Rubella antibody or titer and Hepatitis B series, completed no earlier than 3 month before the student plans to begin the DT program. The Hepatitis B series should have the second injection completed by the start of the program.

The immunization record should be returned to Dana Wassmer, Program Director.  This form must be completed prior to the first day of supervised practice.   The forms will be kept on file for two years, then discarded.

·         Since some facilities want to have a copy of the Health Form, please duplicate your completed form, so that you will have a copy, should one be necessary. 

·          Students may also be required to undergo a drug test, cost is usually assumed by the facility requesting the test. This test needs to be completed before the student can start the supervised practice.

·         Some site may also require a background check.  The cost may be covered by the facility requesting the check or by the student.  Please check with your site. 

LIABILITY INSURANCE

All Distance Education DT students have malpractice insurance (from Seabury and Smith).   Proof of this policy is given to the student and kept on file in the Area office on campus.   Information on Professional Liability Insurance offered to ADA members can be found online at Seabury and Smith.  The limits of liability for students are:  $1,000,000 each incident or $3,000,000 aggregate. 

MEDICAL INSURANCE

Students are responsible for the cost of all personal medical care which is needed during the DT Program; therefore, it is strongly advised that each student carry adequate medical insurance. Some facilities require the students to carry medial insurance.

MEDICAL INJURY

The site shall provide first-aid treatment to the student needing such care, but shall not be obligated to furnish any other medical or surgical treatment.

LIABILITY FOR TRAVEL

Students are also responsible for their own transportation to and from their supervised site/area.  Individual travel insurance is strongly recommended.  It is the responsibility of each student to provide his/her own travel to and from the site.  Every student must sign the Agreement to Participate and Waiver/Assumption of Risk (on file in the college area office) before he/she can participate in the practicum experience.  The student voluntarily assumes all risks associated with participating in this practicum experience.  

  Back to top

CURRICULUM

  What subjects are studied in this program?

Along with the nutrition courses, you are also required to take the general education courses in order to obtain an associate degree (for ).  The prerequisite courses emphasize the science to provide a foundation to apply nutrition.  Chemistry, anatomy, biology, and psychology are also required.  These courses are helpful in understanding food (science), nutrition, nutrition therapy, and literature reviews of scientific articles.  In addition, there are courses on food preparation, food service, nutrition during the lifecycle, nutrition therapy, advanced nutrition, and the supervised practice. 

Display of Proposed Sequence:

Suggested Sequence of Courses and Offerings-Degree Program-Nutrition and Dietetics with the minimum requirements for an Associate of Science Degree  

*Includes lab or practicum.

**G.E. = General Education courses or its equivalent

A total of 486 supervised hours

The G.E. (general education courses), CHEM, BIOL, Math and/or PSYC courses can be taken in the summer to lighten the load during the regular school year. 

Suggested Sequence of Courses and Offerings-Certificate Program- Nutrition and Dietetics

*Practicum or supervised experience hours = 486 hours

For graduation requirements click here:  GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS

Click here to read the  CATALOG DESCRIPTION OF THE DTP COURSES

Back to Top

SPONSORING SITE (AGENCY)

Where can I find a sponsoring site?

Are you currently employed in a health care setting?  Are there registered dietitians or DTR’s employed there?  Will your employer allow you to fulfill your supervised practice experience at your site?  These are key questions to ask.  Many times your current employer will support you in your quest for further education and licensure.  Your employer would be the first place to ask.  If you are not employed in a health care setting, contact the nearest hospital, nursing home, or health department to you.  Make sure that there is either a registered dietitian or a DTR on staff who can serve as your preceptor.  A site or Agency Agreement must be obtained before credit can be given for the field experience.   Once a sponsoring site and a preceptor are identified, please contact the program director so that we can begin the Agency Agreement paperwork. 

What does a sponsoring site have to do?

The sponsoring site is allowing you to obtain field experience at their facility.  The course supplies the assignments and the site will provide the environment for you to complete the assignment in. 

What does a preceptor do?

A preceptor can be a registered dietitian, a DTR or a food service supervisor for the food service practicums.  Students may have different preceptors for different field experiences (courses).  The preceptor is responsible for supervising and evaluating student’s work at the facility. 

A copy of the preceptor's resume must be forwarded to the Program Director or NUTRI faculty.  The director of the DTP will review each preceptor’s resume and confirm the eligibility of the preceptor for the student and supervised practice experience.  Since the program is an online program, it will be very difficult for the director to physically evaluate each individual site.  Paper/electronic/web sites review of the site will be conducted by the faculty.  However, the student evaluation will be based on the preceptor’s evaluation.  Thus, it is important to verify the preceptor’s credentials.  Once a preceptor is identified and approved, the preceptor will determine the appropriateness of the facility (supervised practice site) in meeting the competencies for the student.    The preceptor will work with the NUTRI faculty in determining the best approach if a certain function/task/activity is not available.

  Back to Top

Requirements for the clinical site:

The site can be either a long-term or an acute care facility.  Students need to have exposure with working with patients and a variety of diagnoses.  Students also need to have access to patient’s chart for assessment and charting.  Examples of appropriate clinical sites are:  skilled nursing homes, health care centers, and hospitals 

Activities that you will need to be able to complete and/or be exposed to include:  interactions with patients and health care providers, access to patient’s medical charts, obtain food preferences, conduct nutritional screening and nutritional assessment, provide one-on-one and small group nutrition education, work with other health care providers as a team, conduct a case study, develop a nutritional care plan, implementation of the nutrition care plan, evaluate the effectiveness of nutrition care plan, conduct calorie counts, perform tube feeding calculations, menu checking for diabetic diets, low sodium diets, cardiac diets, high/low fiber diets, regular diets, renal diets, and other specialty diets. 

Preceptors for this site shall have one or more of the following credentials:

Back to Top 

Requirements for the community and/or wellness site:

The facility must be accustomed to providing nutrition classes to their clients. 

Examples of community/wellness site:  local health department, department of education, out patient clinics, rehabilitation centers, WIC departments, and Industry and Business health and wellness center. 

 Activities that you will need to be able to complete and/or be exposed to include:

Interaction with clients, access to client’s file, conduct nutritional screening and nutritional assessment, perform anthropometrics (e.g., height and weight) measurements, classroom/group education, perform a need assessment, develop a nutrition education tool (based on the need assessment), evaluate the effectiveness of the tool, and marketing strategy. 

 Preceptors for this site shall have one or more of the following credentials:

  Note: all of these requirements can be met by one site. 

Please contact the Program Director for a copy of the Agency Agreement.

Back to top

DISCIPLINARY / TERMINATION PROCEDURE 

Dietetic students are regularly informed regarding their progress within the Distance Education Dietetic Supervised Practice Program. The Program Director and NUTRI faculty reviews the academic and supervised practice progress of all students at the end of each course or rotation. If a student fails to meet the criteria for satisfactory performance in the supervised practice, the student may be placed on probation at the discretion of the Program Director.

Before the student is placed on probation a verbal and then a written warning will be issued. Justification for a warning can include but not exclusive to an observed undesirable performance including an uncooperative, unprofessional and / or unethical behavior. Instances of this may be insolence, habitual tardiness, refusal to cooperate, leaving the facility before the assigned time, disregard for the attendance policies of the program or academic or supervised practice deficiencies.

The purpose of this procedure is to record a fair and consistent procedure for termination of dietetic students from the supervised practice. Students can grieve (in writing) at any point in the disciplinary procedure.

Step 1: A verbal or electronic warning will be given to the student.

At this time the program director will provide verbal or electronic counseling informing the student of the conduct or performance problem. A performance problem consists of any evidence of undesirable performance, one unacceptable rating or verbal report by a preceptor. (The unacceptable rating is to be noted by the preceptor on the Performance Evaluation form.) The telephone counseling will be conducted from the program directors private office or electronically through personal e-mails. The student will be given the opportunity to give his / her side of the situation. Specific expectations of improved performance or conduct will be outlined for the student. This communication will be documented and kept in the student’s file.

Step 2: If the behavior continues, a written warning will be given to the student.

The program director will give a written warning (may be electronic) to the student after formal counseling. Specific performance or conduct problem(s) and proposed corrective action will be documented in a letter and reviewed with the student. The student will be given the letter and a file copy will be kept in the student's official folder.

Step 3:  A dietetic student may be placed on probation when there is evidence that s/he has difficulty in complying with the corrective action as defined in Step 2. The program director will notify the student on the telephone of his / her probationary status. A letter stating the reason for probation and required behavior, performance requirements and time frames for reevaluation will be specified. The student may be placed on probation for a period of up to four weeks. If after this period there is no resolution it may be necessary to change the preceptor and site. Only one probationary period will be permitted during the supervised practice.   

Step 4:   If after all the above steps are followed and the student again receives an unacceptable rating or verbal report by a preceptor the student will be dismissed from the program. The student may also be dismissed when s/he is unable to satisfactorily complete the program practicum requirements in a one-year period. The student will receive a written notice of termination.

DISTANCE EDUCATION DIETETIC SUPERVISED PRACTICE EVALUATION SYSTEM

Ongoing evaluations of performance in the facility are done by the students themselves and facility preceptor(s).

1.    Evaluation discussions online are held periodically (Faculty, Site Preceptor, and student) to ensure that a student is achieving the core competencies in a timely manner.

2.    Students are regularly informed regarding their progress in the program by having the preceptor complete a performance appraisal form mid semester and review it with the student. Students are also asked to evaluate themselves at mid (and final) semester.  Students are given formal/final evaluation at the end of each semester.

3.    Informal feedback on student progress is given throughout the entire program by the preceptors. The preceptor maintains an open line of communication on at least a biweekly basis to address current or potential problems and/or progress.

4.    The student who is unable to demonstrate competent performance past the completion date for supervised practice is expected to schedule hours in addition to the standard work week for the purpose of performing/repeating the task to demonstrate competence (upon approval by the site preceptor). The student is expected to schedule these hours at a time determined by the preceptor or designated evaluator. If the student does not choose or is unable to schedule additional hours and if the student falls progressively behind in the practicum calendar, it may be necessary for the student to withdraw from the course and repeat it the following year.

ACADEMIC STANDING:

The program director and faculty reviews the academic and supervised practice progress of all dietetic technician students at the end of each semester.  The NUTRI faculty also reviews the student’s grade for all the program required courses.  If any final grade is below a C and/or if a student is rated as less than competent in any one of the required competencies in supervised practice, the student will be dismissed from the program or asked to repeat the course. If, at any time during the professional course, a student's performance is deemed undesirable, a warning will be issued by the program director and the student will be placed on probation until the end of the course. Uncooperative, irresponsible, unprofessional, or unethical behavior, as determined by the faculty or preceptor, may result in probation or dismissal from the program.

  Contact Information

Back to top