Below are the first 10 and last 10 pages of uncorrected machine-read text (when available) of this chapter, followed by the top 30 algorithmically extracted key phrases from the chapter as a whole.
Intended to provide our own search engines and external engines with highly rich, chapter-representative searchable text on the opening pages of each chapter.
Because it is UNCORRECTED material, please consider the following text as a useful but insufficient proxy for the authoritative book pages.
Do not use for reproduction, copying, pasting, or reading; exclusively for search engines.
OCR for page R1
Committee on a Leadership Summit to
Effect Change in Teaching and Learning
Board on Agriculture and Natural Resources
Board on Life Sciences
Division on Earth and Life Studies
ThE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS
Washington, D.C.
www.nap.edu
OCR for page R2
THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS 500 Fifth Street, N.W. Washington, DC 20001
NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Govern-
ing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the
councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering,
and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the
report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate
balance.
This study was supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the W.K. Kellogg
Foundation, the National Science Foundation, the Farm Foundation, and the
American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture. Any opinions, findings, conclu-
sions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s)
and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Department of Agriculture,
National Science Foundation, or any of the other organizations that provided sup-
port for the project.
This material is based upon work supported by the Cooperative State Research,
Education, and Extension Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under Award
No. 200638837-03642; the National Science Foundation under Grant No. DUE-
0540637; and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation under Award No. P0116528.
International Standard Book Number-13 978-0-309-13221-3 (Book)
International Standard Book Number-10 0-309-13221-5 (Book)
International Standard Book Number-13 978-0-309-13222-0 (PDF)
International Standard Book Number-10 0-309-13222-3 (PDF)
Additional copies of this report are available from the National Academies Press,
500 Fifth Street, NW, Lockbox 285, Washington, DC 20055; (800) 624-6242 or
(202) 334-3313 (in the Washington metropolitan area); Internet, http://www.nap.edu.
Copyright 2009 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
Printed in the United States of America
OCR for page R3
The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society
of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated
to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare.
Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Acad-
emy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific
and technical matters. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone is president of the National Academy
of Sciences.
The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter
of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engi-
neers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members,
sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the
federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering
programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and
recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. Charles M. Vest is president
of the National Academy of Engineering.
The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sci-
ences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the
examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute
acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its
congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, upon its own
initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Harvey V.
Fineberg is president of the Institute of Medicine.
The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sci-
ences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the
Academy’s purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government.
Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the
Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy
of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to
the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The
Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine.
Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone and Dr. Charles M. Vest are chair and vice chair, respectively,
of the National Research Council.
www.national-academies.org
OCR for page R4
OCR for page R5
COMMITTEE ON A LEADERSHIP SUMMIT TO EFFECT CHANGE IN
TEACHING AND LEARNING
JAMES L. OBLINGER (Chair), Chancellor, North Carolina State University,
Raleigh
JOHN M. BONNER, Executive Vice President, Council for Agricultural
Science and Technology, Ames, Iowa
PETER J. BRUNS, Vice President for Grants and Special Programs,
Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, Maryland
VERNON B. CARDWELL, Morse-Alumni Distinguished Teaching
Professor, University of Minnesota, St. Paul
KAREN GAYTON COMEAU, Past President, Haskell Indian Nations
University, Lawrence, Kansas (Retired)
KYLE JANE COULTER, Past Deputy Administrator, U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Washington, D.C. (Retired)
SUSAN J. CROCKETT, Vice President and Senior Technology Officer,
Health and Nutrition, General Mills, Inc., Minneapolis, Minnesota
THEODORE M. CROSBIE, Vice President of Global Plant Breeding,
Monsanto Company, Ankeny, Iowa
LEVON T. ESTERS, Assistant Professor of Agricultural Education and
Studies, Iowa State University, Ames
A. CHARLES FISCHER, Past President and Chief Executive Officer, Dow
AgroSciences LLC, Indianapolis, Indiana (Retired)
JANET A. GUYDEN, Associate Vice President of Research and Dean of
Graduate Studies, Grambling State University, Grambling, Louisiana
MICHAEL W. HAMM, C.S. Mott Professor of Sustainable Agriculture,
Michigan State University, East Lansing
MICHAEL V. MARTIN, Chancellor, Louisiana State University, Baton
Rouge
SUSAN SINGER, Laurence McKinley Gould Professor of the Natural
Sciences, Carleton College, Northfield, Minnesota
LARRY VANDERHOEF, Chancellor, University of California, Davis
PATRICIA VERDUIN, Vice President, Global Research and Development,
Colgate-Palmolive Company, Piscataway, New Jersey
OCR for page R6
STAFF
ADAM P. FAGEN, Study Director
ROBIN A. SCHOEN, Director, Board on Agriculture and Natural
Resources
KAREN L. IMHOF, Administrative Assistant
PEGGY TSAI, Program Officer
NORMAN GROSSBLATT, Senior Editor
i
OCR for page R7
BOARD ON AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES
W. R. GOMES (Chair), University of California, Oakland (Emeritus)
PEGGY F. BARLETT, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
ROGER N. BEACHY, Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St. Louis,
Missouri
HAROLD L. BERGMAN, University of Wyoming, Laramie
H.H. CHENG, University of Minnesota, St. Paul (Emeritus)
RICHARD A. DIXON, Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, Ardmore,
Oklahoma
DANIEL M. DOOLEY, University of California, Oakland
JOAN H. EISEMANN, North Carolina State University, Raleigh
GARY F. HARTNELL, Monsanto Company, St. Louis, Missouri
GENE HUGOSON, Minnesota Department of Agriculture, St. Paul
KIRK C. KLASING, University of California, Davis
VICTOR L. LECHTENBERG, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana
PHILIP E. NELSON, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana
ROBERT PAARLBERG, Wellesley College, Watertown, Massachusetts
KEITH PITTS, Marrone Organic Innovations, Davis, California
HAL SALWASSER, Oregon State University, Corvallis
PEDRO A. SANCHEZ, The Earth Institute, Columbia University, Palisades,
New York
NORMAN R. SCOTT, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
ROGER A. SEDJO, Resources for the Future, Washington, D.C.
KATHLEEN SEGERSON, University of Connecticut, Storrs
MERCEDES VAZQUEZ-AÑON, Novus International, Inc., St Charles,
Missouri
STAFF
ROBIN A. SCHOEN, Director
KAREN L. IMHOF, Administrative Assistant
AUSTIN J. LEWIS, Senior Program Officer
EVONNE P. Y. TANG, Senior Program Officer
PEGGY TSAI, Program Officer
CAMILLA YANDOC ABLES, Associate Program Officer
KARA N. LANEY, Associate Program Officer
ii
OCR for page R8
RUTH S. ARIETI, Research Associate
JANET M. MULLIGAN, Research Associate
KAMWETI MUTU, Research Associate
ERIN P. MULCAHY, Senior Program Assistant
iii
OCR for page R9
BOARD ON LIFE SCIENCES
KEITH YAMAMOTO (Chair), University of California, San Francisco
ANN M. ARVIN, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford,
California
RUTH BERKELMAN, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
VICKI L. CHANDLER, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Palo Alto,
California
MARK D. FITZSIMMONS, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur
Foundation, Chicago, Illinois
LOUIS J. GROSS, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
JO HANDELSMAN, University of Wisconsin, Madison
CATO T. LAURENCIN, University of Connecticut Health Center,
Farmington
JONATHAN D. MORENO, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
RANDALL S. MURCH, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University,
Alexandria
CAMILLE PARMESAN, University of Texas, Austin
MURIEL E. POSTON, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, New York
ALISON G. POWER, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
JAMES REICHMAN, University of California, Santa Barbara (Retired)
BRUCE W. STILLMAN, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring
Harbor, New York
MARC T. TESSIER-LAVIGNE, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco,
California
JAMES TIEDJE, Michigan State University, East Lansing
CYNTHIA WOLBERGER, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine,
Baltimore, Maryland
STAFF
FRANCES E. SHARPLES, Director
JO L. HUSBANDS, Scholar/Senior Project Director
ADAM P. FAGEN, Senior Program Officer
ANN H. REID, Senior Program Officer
MARILEE K. SHELTON-DAVENPORT, Senior Program Officer
INDIA HOOK-BARNARD, Program Officer
ANNA FARRAR, Financial Associate
ix
OCR for page R10
AMANDA P. CLINE, Senior Program Assistant
REBECCA L. WALTER, Senior Program Assistant
x
OCR for page R11
Preface
In April 1991, leaders in the higher education community, business,
industry, and public agencies met at the National Academy of Sciences in
Washington, DC, for a national conference on the changes needed to meet
the challenges of undergraduate professional education in agriculture. The
meeting, “Investing in the Future: Professional Education for the Under-
graduate,” was organized by the National Research Council’s Board on Agri-
culture1 with support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and
its office of Higher Education Programs in the Cooperative State Research
Service, and emanated from a series of discussions of USDA Project Interact:
An Integrated Curriculum Development Action Plan. The proceedings of the
meeting were published by the National Academies as Agriculture and the
Undergraduate in 1992. Although the report did not offer recommendations,
it did contain a large number of ideas that were presented at the conference
and has served as a source of inspiration.
Since 1991, however, a lot has changed. Universities are different,
careers are different and constantly evolving, and even the meaning of
the term agriculture has changed. Moreover, what students expect, what
is expected of them, and the need for a scientifically educated population
have expanded.
Over the last several years, the Academic Programs Section of the
National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges
(NASULGC)—now known as the Association of Public and Land-grant Uni-
1The Board on Agriculture and Natural Resources, which has overseen the present study, is
the successor to the Board on Agriculture.
xi
OCR for page R16
xi Acknowledgments
shaping the content of the meeting and in suggesting topics for inclusion in
the report. Additional thanks go to others who provided information to the
committee to assist in drafting the report, including many of the speakers at
the Summit as well as Patti Clayton, Diane Ebert-May, Christine Pfund, and
Janelle Tauer. Finally, in addition to the original authors of the background
papers (Appendix C and D), Joe Hunnings (University of Vermont) provided
assistance in updating the data in Appendix C for final publication and has
been added to the author list.
This report has been reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen
for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise in accordance with
procedures approved by the National Research Council Report Review
Committee. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid
and critical comments that will assist the institution in making its published
report as sound as possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional
standards for objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge.
The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect
the integrity of the deliberative process. We wish to thank the following
individuals for their review of this report:
George Acquaah, Bowie State University
C. Eugene Allen, University of Minnesota
Carol Balvanz, Iowa Soybean Association
Ellen Bergfeld, American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of
America, and Soil Science Society of America
Alan R. Berkowitz, Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies
Donald L. Cawthon, Tarleton State University
W.R. (Reg) Gomes, University of California (retired)
Larry Gundrum, Kraft Foods (retired)
Robert Haselkorn, University of Chicago
Molly Jahn, University of Wisconsin–Madison
Donald L. Johnson, Grain Processing Corporation (retired)
Neil Knobloch, Purdue University
Karen S. Kubena, Texas A&M University
Gordon E. Uno, University of Oklahoma
Although the reviewers listed above have provided many constructive
comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the conclusions
or recommendations, nor did they see the final draft of the report before its
release. The review of this report was overseen by Melvin D. George, Uni-
versity of Missouri (retired), and Frederick A. Murphy, University of Texas
OCR for page R17
Acknowledgments xii
Medical Branch at Galveston. Appointed by the National Research Council,
they were responsible for making certain that an independent examination
of this report was carried out in accordance with institutional procedures
and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for
the final content of this report rests entirely with the authoring committee
and the institution.
OCR for page R18
OCR for page R19
Contents
SUMMARY 1
1 MOTIVATING CHANGE 13
What Is Agriculture?, 14
The Need for Change, 14
Impact of Changes on Agricultural Education, 18
The Roles of Land-Grant Universities and Other Institutions, 19
Continuing Promise of the Agricultural Education and the
Land-Grant System, 19
The Consequences of Failure, 21
Goals of the Report, 21
Organization of the Report, 23
2 THE CONTEXT FOR CHANGE 25
Change in Students, 25
Change in Institutions, 27
Change in Higher Education, 30
Change in Agriculture, 31
Change in Careers, 32
Implementing Change, 33
3 IMPROVING THE LEARNING EXPERIENCE 35
Skills Development, 40
Case Studies and Problem-Based Learning, 42
Service Learning and Community Engagement, 44
Cooperative and Active Learning, 45
Learning Communities, 46
xix
OCR for page R20
xx Contents
Extracurricular Activities, 47
Undergraduate Research, 48
International Experiences and Perspectives, 48
Instructional Technology, 51
Implementing Change, 53
Adoption of Effective Teaching Methods, 54
Role of Graduate Education, 55
Centers for Teaching and Learning, 56
Faculty Development, 57
Faculty Rewards, 60
4 BREAKING DOWN SILOS IN THE UNIVERSITY 65
Desired Qualities of Graduates, 66
Providing a Problem-Solving Outlook to the Broader
Community Through Extension, 67
Providing Coursework Elements Beyond the College, 68
Connecting with the Rest of the University, 68
Faculty Recruiting, 70
University-wide Offerings, 71
New Areas of Instruction, 71
The Role of Colleges of Agriculture in Nurturing Liberal
Education, 72
5 EXTENDING BEYOND THE UNIVERSITY: EXTERNAL
PARTNERSHIPS TO EFFECT CHANGE 77
Partnerships with K–12 and Precollege Programs, 78
Partnerships Between Academic Institutions, 84
Involving Undergraduates in Outreach and Extension, 89
Partnerships with Nongovernmental Organizations, 91
Connection Between Academic Institutions and Employers, 94
International Partnerships, 98
6 A CALL FOR CHANGE 99
Need for Institutional Strategic Planning, 100
Agriculture Across the Curriculum, 102
Changes in How Students Learn, 104
Changes in How Faculty Teach, 105
Supporting the Value of Teaching and Learning, 108
Increasing Connections Between Institutions, 109
Increasing Connections with Precollege Settings, 110
OCR for page R21
Contents xxi
Increased Permeability Between Academic
Institutions and Employers, 111
Accountability and Compliance, 113
Implementing Change, 114
Continuing the Conversation, 120
REFERENCES 121
APPENDIXES
A Statement of Task 129
B Leadership Summit Information 131
C Background Paper: Shifts in the Production and Employment of
Baccalaureate Degree Graduates from United States Colleges of
Agriculture and Natural Resources, 1990–2005 155
by Jeffrey L. Gilmore, Allan D. Goecker, Ella Smith, and
P. Gregory Smith
D Background Paper: Rethinking Undergraduate Science Education:
Concepts and Practicalities—A Traditional Curriculum in a
Changed World 169
by Robert T. Yuan
E Questions to Guide the Review of Undergraduate Food and
Agriculture Programs 179
F Committee and Staff Biographies 183
OCR for page R22
OCR for page R23
Tables, Figures, and Boxes
TABLES
C-1 Selected Demographic Characteristics of Graduates in Agriculture,
Natural Resources, and Veterinary Medicine Fields of Study, United
States, 2001–2002, 161
C-2 Main Concerns Affecting U.S. High School Students in Selecting
Agricultural Sciences as a Career Major, 166
C-3 Skill Sets and Abilities that Agribusiness Employers Seek in New
College Graduates, 167
FIGURES
2-1 Annual Change in Bachelor’s Degree Recipients for Agriculture and
Natural Resources and All Fields of Study, 1987–2004, 26
C-1 Number of Baccalaureate Degrees Awarded in Selected
Agricultural and Natural Resources Fields of Study, United States,
1987–2007, 158
C-2 Index of Relative Growth in Bachelor Degrees Awarded in Selected
Agricultural Specialties Compared to All Bachelor Degrees Awarded
at U.S. Institutions 1987–2007, 159
C-3 Gender of Baccalaureate Degree Recipients in Selected Agricultural
and Natural Resources Degree Fields of Study, United States, 1987–
2007, 160
C-4 Number of Baccalaureate Degrees Awarded in Agricultural and
Natural Resources Fields of Study by Selected Ethnic Groupings,
United States, 1995–2007, 161
xxiii
OCR for page R24
xxi Tables, Figures, and Boxes
C-5 Projected Average Annual Employment Opportunities and Available
Graduates in Agricultural and Natural Resources Fields of Study,
United States 1990–2010, 162
C-6 Racial/Ethnic Distribution of Public Schools, Grades K–12, United
States, 1972–2002, 165
BOXES
3-1 Selected Resources for Undergraduate Education in Agriculture, 37
3-2 How People Learn, 38
3-3 Learning by Doing at California Polytechnic State University, 43
3-4 Center for Excellence in Curricular Engagement at North Carolina
State University, 45
3-5 Michigan State University International Programs, 50
3-6 Globalization of the Science Classroom at the University of
Maryland, 51
3-7 Enhancing Graduate Training in Teaching and Learning: Delta
Program at the University of Wisconsin, 56
3-8 National Academies Summer Institute on Undergraduate Education
in Biology, 58
3-9 Project Kaleidoscope Faculty for the 21st Century, 59
3-10 Valuing Teaching for Tenure and Promotion at the University of
Wisconsin–Madison, 62
4-1 The “World Food Problems” Course at the University of
Minnesota, 69
4-2 Michigan Technological University’s Strategic Faculty Hiring
Initiative, 70
4-3 Evolution of Agricultural Economics at Cornell University, 73
5-1 Agriculture in the Classroom, 80
5-2 Virginia Governor’s School for Agricultural Sciences, 81
5-3 Articulation for Business-Education Teachers in Ohio, 86
5-4 Articulation for Teaching Education in Texas, 86
5-5 Midwest Poultry Consortium, 89
5-6 Summer Internships in Extension at the University of Florida, 91
5-7 Opportunities in Community-Supported Agriculture, 92
5-8 Connecting Farmers: Practical Farmers of Iowa, 93
5-9 The Green Lands, Blue Waters Project, 93
5-10 Professional Practice at the Georgia Institute of Technology, 95
OCR for page R25
Tables, Figures, and Boxes xx
5-11 Internships at General Mills, 96
5-12 The Industrial Liaison Program at the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, 97
OCR for page R26
