I've never heard Eugenics defined in this way. I've only heard it used to mean selective planned breeding (as we do with livestock), but not intentional selective improvement of the parents' DNA.

Hitler got some of his worst ideas from the Eugenics Institute in California. Such as 'humanely' gassing undesirables and 'genetic defectives'. Eugenics, from Galton on, was considered progressive, enlightened, 'scientific' thought at the time.

The common thread in all the examples there is that choice are made for parents for the sake of society or "the race." I'm not familiar with Alien Nations so I can't speak to the OP but clearly not all genetic manipulation or screening is actually eugenics.