Transforming Agricultural Education for a Changing World (2009) / Chapter Skim
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Appendix C Shifts in the Production and Employment of Baccalaureate Degree Graduates from United States Colleges of Agriculture and Natural Resources, 1990-2005
Appendix C Shifts in the Production and Employment of Baccalaureate Degree Graduates from United States Colleges of Agriculture and Natural Resources, 1990-2005
Pages 155-168
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From page 155... ...
Introduction This paper will highlight some of the major trends characterizing the milieu in which agricultural higher education has operated over the past 15 years, including an examination of the shifts in student demographics, graduation and degree patterns, employment opportunities, college structure and majors, the business and social environment, and consumer preferences. In order to better examine the current state of affairs, it might be helpful to This report draws heavily on material from national data collected by the U.S.
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Since then, there have been a number of developments. In implementing congressional authorities and appropriations, USDA established a National Needs Graduate Fellowships program for scientific human capital development in 1984, and in 1990 USDA initiated the Higher Education Challenge Grants program to modernize food, agricultural, and natural resources curricula, improve instructional delivery systems, stimulate student recruitment and retention, encourage faculty development, and expand student experiential learning opportunities.
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From page 157... ...
It is an exciting and rapidly shifting paradigm requiring careful analyses, visionary thinking, and decisive actions. Trends in Baccalaureate Degrees Awarded by Colleges of Agriculture and Natural Resources Significant growth in the number of agricultural and natural resources baccalaureate degree recipients occurred in the United States between 1987 and 2007.
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to 6,276 in AY 2006–07. Animal Sciences baccalaureate degrees increased from 3,034 to 4,505 during this time, while Agricultural Business and Management degrees rose from 3,542 to 4,010.
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In comparison, baccalaureate degrees awarded in all fields of study in the United States continued to increase throughout the period from 1987 to 2007. Demographic Characteristics of Graduates in Agricultural and Natural Resources Fields of Study During the period from 1987 to 2007, the number of baccalaureate degrees in the agricultural and natural resources fields of study awarded to females rose significantly from 6,284 in AY 1987–88 to 16,262 in AY 2006–07.
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The number of nonresident aliens and American Indian/Alaska Natives has remained constant. 20,000 18,000 Males Females 16,000 Number of Graduates 14,000 12,000 10,000 8,000 6,000 4,000 2,000 0 1987- 1991- 1995- 1999- 2003- 2006 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2007 Year of Graduation FIGURE C-3 Gender of baccalaureate degree recipients in selected agricultural and natural resources degree fields of study, United States, 1989–2007.
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[This figure has been updated to include data made available since the Leadership Summit.] As Table C-1 shows, somewhat greater variations in demographic char acteristics are observed between the degree levels in agriculture, natural resources, and veterinary medicine specializations.
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"Agriculture degree recipients" are the baccalaureate, master's, doctoral, and doctor of veterinary medicine degree graduates generated by colleges of agriculture and natural resources, and by colleges of veterinary medicine. "Allied degree 57,785 60,000 55,000 52,030 48,793 47,918 50,000 45,000 16,177 Number 16,958 40,000 35,000 19,756 20,286 30,000 25,000 20,000 34,454 32,325 15,000 22,604 23,650 10,000 5,000 0 1990-1995 1995-2000 2000-2005 2005-2010 Year Agriculture Degree Recipients Allied Degree Recipients Job Openings FIGURE C-5 Projected average annual employment opportunities and available graduates in agricultural and natural resources fields of study, United States, 1990–2010.
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Agricultural and forestry production occupations: Good job opportunities are projected for producers of fruits and vegetables, growers of specialty crops that provide raw materials for medical and energy products, managers of specialized livestock operations, forest resources managers, growers of landscape plants and trees, managers of aquaculture operations, turf producers, organic farmers, and providers of outdoor recreation. However, as agricultural production units continue to consolidate, there will be fewer opportunities for producers of traditional commodities (e.g., wheat, corn, cotton, soybeans, cattle, and hogs)
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Graduates must deal with increasing market uncertainty, risk analysis, petroleum dependence, niche business opportunities, and global food production and distribution systems.
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with the percentage of Hispanic students increasing from 6 percent to 18 percent over the same time period. While agricultural and natural resources higher education programs have been working to attract more minority students, there have only been very small increases in minority baccalaureate degree recipients from 1995 to 2004.
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Portfolios of faculty and academic resources may or may not be positioned to offer academic programs capable of generating graduates with the high-priority skills and preparation that employers seek. Evolving Higher Education Programs in Agricultural and Natural Resources Agricultural and natural resources colleges have responded to these concerns by consolidating and realigning their offerings with other programs, and by changing their names and structure.
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Associate deans for academic programs at the 1862 land-grant institutions have recently projected the following majors as having the most growth potential: pre-veterinary science, equine/companion animal science, agricultural biotechnology, food science/food safety/nutrition, turf/landscape/urban horticulture, natural resources/environmental science, agribusiness, and families/communities/consumer sciences. In contrast to the above fields of study, other traditional majors are projected to decline, including soil and crop science, entomology, animal science (meat animal)
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From page 168... ...
Trends in University Preparation for Agriculture and the Life Sciences. Presentation at the NASULGC Annual Meeting, Academic Programs Section Workshop.
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