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2
The Context for Change
Urgent change is required in agricultural education. To be sure, change
is already occurring—and has been for a number of years—but there is
a need for action in particular directions. The change needed today is a
refocusing on the undergraduate curriculum and student experience so that
the agriculture graduates of tomorrow will have the skills and competences
to meet the needs of a changing workplace and world.
CHANGE IN STUDENTS
Students of the 21st century differ from those of the last century in many
ways, including a demographic change: fewer come from farm or rural
backgrounds. Today, well under 5% of the U.S. population live on farms,
and barely 20% come from rural communities (Dimitri et al. 2005). The
increasingly urban and suburban population poses a particular challenge for
agriculture in that students often lack even basic awareness of agricultural
sciences. For example, a 2006 survey of academic program administrators
found “misconception or image about the agricultural sciences” was the
most important concern affecting the selection of agricultural sciences as a
career by U.S. high-school students (Gonzalez 2006).1
Public understanding of agriculture is poor, and many people are barely
aware of where their food comes from. Their lack of awareness of agri-
cultural products is coupled with an outdated view of agriculture. One
challenge for attracting undergraduate majors to agriculture is therefore to
1The other factors, in decreasing order, revealed by the same survey were lack of knowledge
about employment opportunities, lack of knowledge about fields of study, perceived relevance
to or importance for future careers, lack of fundamental knowledge of mathematics and sci-
ences, and peer and family pressure against agricultural-science studies.
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Transforming Agricultural Education for a Changing World
overcome the public perception that agriculture means farming, even though
agriculture incorporates a wide array of questions and approaches.
Even as the number of college students in all fields of study has increased
over the last several decades, the number of students earning degrees in
agriculture has been relatively stable since 2000 (Figure 2-1). According to
a background paper prepared by Gilmore et al. (2006) for participants in
the Leadership Summit (see Figure C-1 in Appendix C), much of the growth
in the number of baccalaureate degrees in agriculture and natural resources
can be attributed to a small number of disciplines. For example, baccalaure-
ate degrees in natural-resources conservation and research increased by a
factor of about 5 between the 1987–1988 and 2003–2004 academic years.
Degrees in agricultural business and management increased by about 15%,
and in animal sciences by more than 25% in the same period.
Much of the growth in baccalaureate degrees can be attributed to the
increase in the number of women pursuing undergraduate study in agri-
culture and natural resources. Men earned almost twice as many agricul-
ture bachelor’s degrees as women in 1987–1988, but near parity between
120%
Annual Change in Bachelor’s Degree Recipients
Agriculture & Natural Resources
All Fields of Study
115%
110%
105%
100%
95%
90%
1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005
Academic Year
FIGURE 2-1 Annual change in bachelor’s degree recipients for agriculture and natural
resources and all fields of study, 1987–2004.
SOURCE: National Center for Education Statistics (Snyder et al. 2009).
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The Context for Change
the sexes is observed in data from 2003–2004. Moreover, the number of
agriculture bachelor’s degrees earned by men has been decreasing since
1995–1996.
Despite progress toward gender equity, there has been relatively little
progress in broadening the participation of underrepresented minorities in
agriculture. The percentage of Black/African-American, American Indian and
Alaska native, Asian and Pacific islander, and Hispanic baccalaureate-degree
recipients has increased only modestly over nearly a decade (Gilmore et al.
2006). The number of Hispanic graduates now exceeds the number of Black,
non-Hispanic, and Asian and Pacific islander graduates. Racial and ethnic
diversity is particularly important for the future of agriculture as the percent-
age of members of underrepresented groups increases in the United States.
For example, underrepresented minorities made up nearly 40% of K–12
students in 2002; this suggests that the undergraduate population of the next
generation will be much more diverse than that of the past.
Student interests and motivations are also changing. Students want
careers that are going to provide a steady income, but they also want to
pursue careers that will be personally and professionally rewarding, provide
an appropriate work–life balance, have the image of a 21st-century profes-
sional, and are aligned with their values and interests. Agriculture faces a
particular challenge in this regard because careers in agriculture may appear
to be outdated, may not pay top salaries, or may not be perceived as offering
sufficient opportunities for creativity. In addition, some fields in agriculture
may be seen as in conflict with students’ values in, for example, environ-
mental stewardship and responsible land management. Many of these claims
have to do with appearance, not substance, but it will be incumbent on the
agriculture community to find mechanisms for attracting the most talented
students to degrees and careers in agriculture.
There is no single kind of student, no single type of institution, and no
simple set of solutions (Taylor 2008). In considering the recommendations
and ideas in this report, stakeholders will need to consider the needs of dif-
ferent populations of students and of individuals. What are the implications
of each change for agriculture majors? Nonmajors? What is the effect of
lifelong learning? Of agricultural literacy in the entire population?
CHANGE IN INSTITUTIONS
The land-grant university system was established by the Morrill Act of
1862 and signed into law by President Abraham Lincoln. The act donated
public land to the states and territories to establish “colleges for the benefit
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Transforming Agricultural Education for a Changing World
of agriculture and the mechanic arts.” The act specifically called for the
establishment of
at least one college where the leading object shall be, without exclud-
ing other scientific and classical studies, and including military tactics,
to teach such branches of learning as are related to agriculture and the
mechanical arts, in such manner as the legislatures of the States may
respectively prescribe, in order to promote the liberal and practical educa-
tion of the industrial classes in the several pursuits and professions in life
[7 U.S.C. 304].
The Second Morrill Act of 1890 expanded the pool of land-grant insti-
tutions to include institutions that enrolled Black students (7 U.S.C. 323).
And 29 tribal colleges and universities were given land-grant status under
the Equity in Educational Land-Grant Status Act of 1994.
Since the establishment of the land-grant university system nearly
150 years ago, the role of higher education in general—and the land-grant
system in particular—has changed dramatically. What were once institu-
tions focused primarily on agriculture and the mechanical arts have evolved
to become world-class universities in which agriculture may be only a small
part of the mission.
The officially designated land-grant universities are supplemented by a
large number of other public and private institutions that offer instruction
in food and agriculture. Sometimes referred to as non-land-grant colleges of
agriculture, these institutions produce a sizeable percentage of the under-
graduate degrees in agriculture. The committee intends to include these
colleges and universities in all of its conclusions and recommendations.
A survey of colleges with agriculture in their names yields an interest-
ing picture of institutional change. Among the states, Rhode Island and
Massachusetts no longer have a college with agriculture anywhere in its
name.2 In the remaining 48 states, 67 colleges have agriculture in their
names, but only about one-third are titled just College of Agriculture. The
other two-thirds have additional names in their titles, clearly identifying an
expanded mission. The most common combinations include agriculture
with natural resources, life sciences, enironment, or food science. Although
focusing on titles may seem trivial, it does show that these colleges have
2Agriculture-associated disciplines are found mostly in the College of Environmental and Life
Sciences at the University of Rhode Island. Massachusetts has two land-grant institutions: the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Massachusetts Amherst; agriculture
itself is found in the latter, in the College of Natural Resources and Environment.
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The Context for Change
embraced a broader mission than traditional production agriculture, and
in fact many are providing research and teaching in a variety of basic and
applied disciplines.
Given the variety of names and missions, it is worth considering which
qualities are shared by all colleges of agriculture. Although the first Morrill
Act of 1862 was created to support education in agriculture and mechani-
cal arts, it was recognized from the start that the colleges had to do more
and not exclude other scientific and classical studies. In 1887, Justin Smith
Morrill, the man behind the act, said the following at the Massachusetts
Agricultural College (Morrill 1887, p. 20):
It would be a mistake to suppose it was intended that every student should
become either a farmer or a mechanic when the design comprehended
not only instruction for those who may hold the plow or follow a trade,
but such instruction as any person might need—with “the world all before
them where to choose”—and without the exclusion of those who might
prefer to adhere to the classics.
The inclusive role of land-grant institutions in providing education in
a range of disciplines has meant that many such institutions are among the
nation’s premiere institutions in many areas. In fact, in many land-grant
universities, colleges of agriculture often receive far less attention, more
limited resources, and fewer students than colleges of law, medicine, busi-
ness, engineering, and the liberal arts and sciences.
The federal investment in higher education in agriculture has also gone
through a transformation as the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has
expanded its support of higher education. USDA now invests more than
$100 million a year through 20 national initiatives that support agricultural
and natural-resources colleges both in and outside the land-grant system. It
should be noted that although USDA investments have helped many col-
leges to update their curricula, facilities, and teaching methods, the amount
of resources dedicated to instruction pales in comparison to federal funds
allocated to research and extension. In a time of constrained state budgets,
which play a critical role in supporting many institutions that offer instruc-
tion in agriculture, relatively small amounts of funds from federal agencies
and private sponsors would be especially valuable. Moreover, federal
requirements for institutional cost sharing in a number of programs, includ-
ing graduate student fellowships, further constrain the ability of institutions
to dedicate resources to undergraduate education. The committee hopes
that support available from USDA will be supplemented by resources from
other government agencies, institutions themselves, and other stakeholders
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0 Transforming Agricultural Education for a Changing World
to continue—and accelerate—the process of reform. Extramural support
can serve as an important motivator. Even limited investment or subtle
changes to program descriptions and review criteria to promote change in
curricula and teaching methods can have a powerful impact nationwide.
In addition to the changes in students described above, many faculty
in colleges of agriculture have different backgrounds and experiences from
faculty of the past. Like their students, faculty are less likely to come from
agrarian backgrounds or to have life experiences on the farm. Teaching and
research have shifted from production practices to basic natural and social
sciences and can sometimes be hard to distinguish from research and teach-
ing in colleges of medicine or arts and sciences.
CHANGE IN HIGHER EDUCATION
The land-grant university system operates in the context of American
higher education, which is increasingly concerned with accountability
and efficiency. For example, former U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret
Spellings convened a Commission on the Future of Higher Education in
2005, whose final report highlighted the need for “improved accountability”
and increased transparency about student success; it also recommended the
development of “new pedagogies, curricula and technologies to improve
learning, particularly in the areas of science and mathematics” (U.S. Depart-
ment of Education 2006).
The Voluntary System of Accountability (VSA) has been developed by
the American Association of State Colleges and Universities and the Asso-
ciation of Public and Land-grant Universities to demonstrate accountability
and stewardship to the public, to identify effective educational practices by
measuring educational outcomes, and to compile information to facilitate
comparisons among institutions.3 The VSA will provide consistent por-
traits of higher-education institutions—including information about student
engagement and core educational outcomes—that will be helpful to stu-
dents, institutions, policy-makers, and other interested stakeholders.
Higher education was once available to only a small number of people,
but it is becoming more common and even necessary for all students to
pursue postsecondary education. In many cases, higher education is being
pursued at expanded state universities, where undergraduate enrollment
can measure in the tens of thousands. But postsecondary education is also
occurring in greater numbers at a wider array of institutions, including com-
3See for more information about the VSA.
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The Context for Change
munity colleges, for-profit degree-granting institutions, and online universi-
ties. All those changes have the potential to fundamentally alter the role of
and opportunities afforded by land-grant universities.
CHANGE IN AGRICULTURE
As discussed in Chapter 1, agriculture of today is not the same as it was
a decade or a generation ago—and it is critical that agricultural graduates
are prepared to meet the changing times. The disciplines that make up agri-
culture have changed to incorporate new ideas from the natural and social
sciences and are sometimes hard to distinguish from similar departments
elsewhere in the university.
Students will need to appreciate the systems nature of agriculture,
gaining exposure to the breadth of agriculture and having opportunities
to integrate what they learn in different courses. The systems approach
incorporates not only the disciplines that traditionally comprise agriculture
colleges, but other fields of study throughout the university. Agriculture
now asks questions that cannot be confined to a single discipline: What
is the effect of a given practice on the environment? What resources will
be needed for a plan to be completed? What is the nutritional effect of a
particular genetic modification?
Agriculture, like other sectors, operates increasingly across international
boundaries, with even fresh fruits and vegetables shipped around the world;
this introduces a complex regulatory regime, transportation logistics, and
the need to work with different cultures, laws, and individuals. This inter-
twining of agriculture, culture, regulations, and concerns makes critical the
need for professionals who have international exposure and sensitivities.
As increased demand for resources is met with international supply bases
and more domestically produced products are sold overseas, food and
fiber professionals will need to understand the global implications of their
research, their product designs, their market plans, or their individual growth
potential. Having international experiences early in their training should
broaden the scope of students’ curiosity and prepare them for future work
in an international marketplace.
At the same time as it is becoming international, agriculture is also
becoming local. With a greater focus on locally sourced goods and the inter-
connection of agriculture with the development of rural communities and
environmental stewardships, agriculture graduates will need to appreciate
the ways that agriculture interacts with local environments.
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Transforming Agricultural Education for a Changing World
CHANGE IN CAREERS
A USDA analysis of employment opportunities (Goecker et al. 2005)
summarized by Gilmore et al. (2006) predicts a decrease in the number of
positions available to undergraduate and graduate students with training
in agriculture and natural resources. Strong employment growth in many
management and business occupations is predicted, especially in such
careers as technical sales, accounting and financial management, market
analysis, landscape management, and international business. In contrast,
weaker opportunities for those who provide services to farmers and ranchers
are expected.
In scientific and engineering occupations, the analysis predicts growth in
fields that take advantage of modern scientific advances, such as genomics,
bioinformatics, breeding, biomaterials engineering, nanotechnology, and
environmental sciences (Goecker et al. 2005). Fewer opportunities are
expected in agricultural machinery, wildlife science, and veterinary sci-
ences.4 In agriculture and forestry, growth may be expected in specialty
crops and materials that have use in medical or energy applications, land-
scape planting and trees, turf production, and aquaculture and organic
farms. However, opportunities for producers of traditional commodities
(such as wheat, corn, cotton, soybeans, cattle, and hogs) will continue to
decrease. Finally, the USDA analysis predicts increasing opportunities in
plant and animal inspection, public-health administration, nutrition, and
environmental planning.
Employers of today are emphasizing skill development, not only content
knowledge. For example, a study conducted by the National Food and Agri-
business Management Education Commission asked agribusiness employers
to identify the most important skills, capabilities, and experiences needed
by new college graduates. Topping the list were transferrable competences,
including interpersonal communication skills, critical-thinking skills, writ-
ing skills, and computing skills (Boland and Akridge 2006; see Table C-3
in Appendix C).
Academic institutions will need to alter the focus of their academic
programs and the experiences that they offer to students to keep up with the
changing careers and opportunities available to their graduates.
4A National Research Council report of an assessment of the current and future workforce
in veterinary medicine is expected to be completed in 2009.
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The Context for Change
IMPLEMENTING CHANGE
The committee encourages institutions to engage in serious consider-
ation of and contemplation about the issues discussed and recommendations
offered in this report. It will not be possible for every academic institution
to implement every idea recommended here, and it will be necessary for
universities and other stakeholders to set priorities for their actions. For
that reason, some of the reaction to this report may be a choice not to
do particular things or possibly even to eliminate or consolidate existing
programs. Targeted excellence may be preferable to universal mediocrity.
However, stakeholders should consider how to be sure that every student
has the opportunity to take advantage of a suite of experiences, whether or
not they can be offered by a given institution.
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