Aims and Objectives

The focus and central aims of the Funeral Service Education Program at Mt. Hood Community College are to prepare students for the national board exam and for the complex role in society of funeral service professionals. The practice requires proficiency in legal and business matters, a concentration on providing personalized service, and a need to be familiar and proficient with embalming and its related subjects. Priorities created by the college board, listed in the college mission, are that the curricula of all programs be knowledge-based and that the curricula help students be part of a skilled workforce. This program has always been knowledge based in that it effectively delivers students general and specific knowledge that is necessary and sufficient to pass the national board and begin employment as a skilled member of a funeral home staff at the entry level.

The main activity of the funeral service professional is to provide service to bereaved families, as funeral professionals are members of a human services profession. As human service professionals, they must be sensitive to the psychological, sociological and economical needs of the client-families. Therefore, the funeral service professional must have knowledge of counseling theory, of funeral service law, and of the steps that lead up to final disposition of a dead body. It has often been remarked that funeral service professionals are the individuals with whom bereaved families are likely to spend the most time. They have also had the most education and experience in matters related to death. It follows that funeral professionals are the community experts in death matters and funeralization. They have a responsibility to nurture this expertise through life long education. They should also make this expertise available to the community by their involvement in education and organizations that would benefit from their knowledge.

We emphasize that the funeral professional interacts with other professionals who provide care for the bereaved families. It is important to develop good working relations with these professionals to facilitate the best of care for the bereaved. As a member of the community, the funeral professional is looked upon for leadership in many ways.

We also stress that the funeral professional has an obligation to stay current with and to comply with all relevant federal, state and local regulations. This applies to their personal business operation and to the governmental regulations with which bereaved families must comply. This is part of the expertise for which families seek out the services of a funeral director. An area related to government regulation is ethical consideration of many situations. There are ethical questions on a daily basis in every aspect of funeral service. We emphasize the precept that every client deserves ethically impeccable care.

Besides legal, social, and psychological concerns, the funeral professionals have a responsibility to care for the remains of the deceased with dignity and consideration of public health and safety issues. The goal is to make viewing of the deceased possible, when it desired by the family, through thorough embalming and restoration while protecting funeral home employees and the public from pathogens and chemical exposures. In addition to the technical aspects of embalming and restorative art, the program touches on the subject of cremation both in classroom theory and in internship practice. Cremation is practiced in Oregon, the Northwest and the nation as a whole in ever-increasing numbers. Along with the trend toward cremation is a trend in funeral service of offering families a variety of options and services.

While we are proud that graduates of the program have an excellent record on the National Board Examination, our concern in the education process is that the information and theory has application to the real professional life in Funeral Service. The faculty and supportive administration are constantly looking for ways that we can improve the educational experience of the students.

The Funeral Service Education Program is located on the main Mt. Hood Community College campus, which serves over 20,000 students each year in a wide variety of classes and programs. Funeral Service students take several classes which are open to all students. This opportunity to learn with others in a diverse environment and with resources available helps them become comfortable with the profession they have chosen and their identity associated with it. There are many opportunities for the funeral service students to have conversations where non-funeral service students may ask the range of normal questions about death and funerals. The staff and administration at MHCC feel that well-rounded students will have the greatest chance to compete and succeed in the field.