Colleges of Agriculture at the Land Grant Universities

Public Service and Public Policy

Editor: National Academies Press
ISBN: 9780309054331
eISBN Pdf: 9780309588935
eISBN Epub: 9780309175791
Lloc de publicació: United States
Any de publicació digital: 1996
Mes: Agost
Pàgines: 139
DDC: 378
Idioma: Anglés

Descripció

Since their inception in 1862, the U.S. land grant colleges have evolved to become the training ground for the nation's and the world's agriculturists. In this book, the committee examines the future of the colleges of agriculture in light of changing national priorities for the agricultural, food, and natural resource system. The effects of federal funding constraints also are examined, as are opportunities for growth presented by developments in science. The committee's preceding volume, Colleges of Agriculture at the Land Grant Universities: A Profile, is a compilation of the data that helped formulate the specific questions to be addressed. Colleges of Agriculture at the Land Grant Univerisities: Public Service and Public Policy is the deliberative report, rating conclusions and recommendations for institutional innovation and public policy. It addresses these and other questions:

What education mission should colleges of agriculture adopt—and what strategies should they use—in light of significant changes in the agricultural complex?
Research in agriculture is expected to respond to consumer demands, environmental concerns, world population growth, and increasing pressure on agricultural lands. Is the century-old structure of land grant university-based research up to the task?
What is the role of extension in light of today's smaller farming communities and larger farming conglomerates?

This volume is the culmination of a landmark evaluation of land grant colleges of agriculture, an American institution. This document will be of value to policymakers, administrators, and others involved in agricultural science and education.

Colleges of Agriculture at the Land Grant Universities
Copyright
Preface
Acknowledgements
Contents
Executive Summary
- THE COLLEGES' CONTEMPORARY CONTEXT
- MAJOR CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
  - Relevance and Accessibility of the LGCA System
  - A New Geography for the LGCA System
  - Reinvigorating the Tripartite Mission
  - Federal Funding: Levels and Guiding Principles
  - Federal Policy versus Institutional Leadership
- SUMMARY
1 Introduction
- UNIQUENESS OF THE LAND GRANT COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE SYSTEM
- THE CHANGING CONTEXT OF THE LGCA SYSTEM AND THE NEW NATIONAL INTEREST
- KEY ISSUES FOR THE FEDERAL SECTOR
  - Methodology Used to Develop This Study
  - Organization of the Remainder of This Report
2 A Land Grant System For Tomorrow: Overarching Themes and Recommendations
- AN EXPANDED AND INCLUSIVE VIEW OF THE MODERN FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL SYSTEM
  - Characteristics of the Food and Agricultural System
    - Consumer Driven
    - Ecosystem Accountability
    - Global Markets
    - Biotechnology's Role
    - Economic Inequities
    - "The Farm": A Changing Perspective
  - Implications for the Future
    - Involving the Stakeholders
    - Working with producers
    - Understanding the Growing Role of Privatization and Developing the Knowledge Base
- A NEW GEOGRAPHY AND NEW PARTNERSHIPS
  - The Case for a New Geography Has Several Foundations and Dimensions
  - Regional Research
  - Coordination Could Create Synergism in Teaching
  - A Market-Based Agricultural Extension System
  - Multifaceted Issues Require New Partnerships
- RENEWING THE TRIPARTITE MISSION: INTEGRATING TEACHING, RESEARCH, AND EXTENSION
  - Linking Teaching to Research and Extension
  - Research-Extension Linkages
- ACCOUNTABILITY AND PRINCIPLES FOR THE USE OF PUBLIC FUNDS
  - Performance Goals and Standards
  - Principles for the Use of Public Funds
3 Teaching
- THE NATIONAL INTEREST IN FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL SYSTEM EDUCATION
- THE FEDERAL ROLE
- CHARACTERISTICS OF STUDENTS, FACULTY, AND ACADEMIC PROGRAMS
  - Students
    - Accessibility and Relevance to Precollege Students
    - Accessibility and Relevance to a Diverse Set of Students
  - Faculty
  - Faculty-Student Contact and Teaching Incentives
  - Academic Programs
    - Problem-Solving Orientation
- OPPORTUNITIES FOR DISTINCTION
  - Environmental Science and Systems Approaches: Programs Built on a "Sense of Place"
  - Service to the University
  - A Marketplace for Ideas
- SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS
4 Research
- THE NATIONAL INTEREST
  - Ensuring a Sustainable High- Quality, Productive System
  - The Federal Role
- STRUCTURE AND PERFORMANCE OF THE CURRENT LAND GRANT RESEARCH SYSTEM
  - Federal Research Funds and Allocation Mechanisms
    - Encouraging Participation and the Potential for Success
    - Revising the Formula
  - The Status of the 1890 Institutions
  - Public-Private Partnerships in Research Funding at LGCAs
  - Alternative Mechanisms for Allocating Competitive Grants
    - Preproposals
    - Chunk Grants
    - Percentage Funding
    - Performance-Based Funding
    - Summary
  - Funding Interdisciplinary and Multidisciplinary Research
- CONCLUSIONS
5 Extension
- THE NATIONAL INTEREST IN PUBLIC ACCESS TO FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL KNOWLEDGE AND RESEARCH
- THE FEDERAL ROLE
  - Important Roles for the Federal Partner
  - Who Is the Federal Partner?
- EXTENSION'S ROLE IN THE MODERN CONTEXT
  - Challenges and Opportunities for the Future
  - Private versus Public Roles in Agricultural Extension
    - Complementarily between Public and Private Extension Providers
    - Roles for which Extension Is Most Qualified
  - Serving Urban, Suburban, and Nonfarm Rural Clientele
    - Federal Mandates
    - Program Evolution
    - The Research Link
    - Rural Economics
    - Conclusions
  - Financing Public Extension
- ALLOCATION FEDERAL EXTENSION FUNDS
- SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS
References
About The Authors
- ABOUT THE STAFF
Index
Recent Publications of the Board on Agriculture
- POLICY AND RESOURCES
- NUTRIENT REQUIREMENTS OF DOMESTIC ANIMALS SERIES AND RELATED TITLES