By Brian Ruth
The Scene staff
Funeral Service Education is back on track at Forest Park.
The American Board of Funeral Service Education granted candidacy status to the associate’s degree program earlier this month. The certificate in Funeral Directing, a non-accredited program, was not affected.
“It’s simple,” said associate professor David Coughran. “If we’re accredited (in Funeral Service Education), students who pass the national exam can practice in almost any state in the country.”
The program teaches students about everything from the treatment and handling of bodies to different types of funerals for a wide range of cultures. Students also learn standards of professional conduct.
The program lost accreditation because student scores on the national board exam were too low. Sixty percent of test-takers must pass on the first attempt.
“There are other standards that the program has to meet,” said Vince Featherson, dean of Allied Health, natural sciences and physical education at Forest Park. “But the key indicator, in this case, was the test scores.”
After the program lost accreditation, officials had to stop accepting new students. Candidacy status will allow them to start again this fall.
“I’m glad that we have candidacy now,” said student Dan Schwab, 23, of Freeburg, Illinois. “I was worried. There are no other two-year programs in the area. The closest is at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, and it’s a four-year program.”
Schwab and other students already in the program will continue without disruption.
“We have 22 students enrolled under the previous period of accreditation,” Coughran said. “Now that we have candidacy, these students can graduate knowing that we have an accredited program.”
The road back to accreditation for Funeral Service Education started in January. Board representatives conducted an on-site visit and assessment.
“The on-site visit is pretty intense,” Coughran said. “(To prepare), we did a complete study of the entire program, in accordance with board standards, to evaluate ourselves.”
Board representatives passed on their concerns in early February, and program staff had until the end of the month to address them.
In April, staff went to a conference in Minnesota and appeared before the Committee on Accreditation. That’s where the board approved candidacy.
The program will be eligible for probationary initial accreditation after a year, initial accreditation after three years and full accreditation after six years.
“It’s a process,” Coughran said.
Schwab is one of the 22 students in the Funeral Service Education program. His family has been in the funeral business for 75 years. His six uncles own Renner Funeral Homes in Illinois.
Schwab will graduate in May, then serve a one-year apprenticeship at the Renner Funeral Home in Belleville.
“I have to work at a funeral home full time as an apprentice to satisfy embalming and funeral-directing requirements in order to become licensed,” he said.
At Forest Park, Schwab’s favorite class was Restorative Arts.
“(It) involves embalming, but is more focused on restoring the deceased to a life-like appearance,” he said.
Students who complete the Funeral Service Education program graduate with an associate’s degree of applied science. All must do entry-level apprenticeships in Missouri or Illinois funeral homes.
The Funeral Directing program is more oriented toward the business side of operating a funeral home.
“There are some students who don’t want to be embalmers,” Coughran said.
The associate’s degree program began in 1970, and the certificate was established in 2000. About 500 students have graduated.
Coughran is optimistic that this month’s graduating class will do well on the national exam.
“Right now, our students are taking a capstone course to help them prepare,” he said.
Local funeral homes also have a stake in the program. They depend on it to provide manpower.
“The local industry supports the program,” Featherson said. “We have an advisory committee composed of individuals in the field.”
Reaccreditation will be a top agenda item at the upcoming Allied Health Advisory Committee meeting, according to Featherson. Participants will discuss how to strengthen the Forest Park program.
Current capacity for associate degree program is 24 students. Coughran would like to see it return to historical highs of up to 30 students in the future.
“There are some students that have been hired as a result of proving themselves in the field.” Featherson said. “And we want to improve on that.”
Funeral Services Education offices are in E-Tower, Room 411. Interested students can contact director Steve Smith at 314-664-9266 or associate professor David Coughran at 314-644-9327 for more information.