Don’t be alarmed if there are some non-traditional students partaking in a family, consumer and nutritional sciences class today.

Arriving in time for lunch at noon in the Adams Hall’s Chandelier Room will be 11 dieticians and physicians from Japan eager to observe and grasp more knowledge of the dietetics program offered at NIU.

“In Japan, dietetics is not as well-developed as it is in this country,” said Ellen Parham, professor and coordinator of NIU’s nutrition, dietetics and hospitality administration program. “In Japan, dieticians are primarily trained in a two-year program and, not unexpectedly, the graduates do not get a lot of respect in the medical community where they function, which limits the contribution they can make.”

During lunch, the visitors will listen to an oral overview of the courses offered in the College of Health and Human Sciences, followed by actually sitting in a senior-level dietetics class, Clinical Nutrition, taught by assistant nutrition professor Judith Lukaszuk. About 30 students are enrolled in the class.

“We chose this class because the timing was right and we feel that they will best relate to the course because it is a required senior-level class,” Parham said.

Abbott Laboratories and its Ross Products Division, which is involved in assisting and encouraging an upgrade of the education and training of dieticians in Japan, are sponsoring the trip. The trek also will include a visit to the American Dietetic Association headquarters in Chicago, as well as several local hospitals, among other trips.

“I hope the visitors will see the thoughtful way we have designed our classes,” Parham said. “I believe that their goal is to see effective programs for professional dieticians and I agree with that goal.”

With classes just beginning, Parham does agree it seems a little strange for visitors to be sitting in on a class already.

“We had no choice on the scheduled visit,” Parham said. “The instructor [Lukaszuk] is planning on being less oral and incorporating more exercises for the group to participate in.”

While the physicians and dieticians will only be on campus for a half-day, Parham thinks they’ll enjoy the visit.

“I think we are very attractive for the group to visit because of all of the programs offered,” she said. “We also have a good reputation because we are a well-established school. We’ve been offering this degree for such a long time that we really know our product.”