Assessing Student Demographics in a Non-Land-Grant University Department of Agriculture

Abstract

Core Ideas Agriculture student demographics are shifting away from the farm. Understanding students’ backgrounds is key to providing a quality student experience. Quantifying students’ prior farm experience informs relevant curriculum development. Illinois State University (ISU) Department of Agriculture has experienced 150% growth in undergraduate enrollment since 2007, with a 47% increase between 2012 and 2015. This study seeks to identify characteristics of this student population, and factors influencing enrollment in the ISU agriculture program. Students enrolled in an introductory agriculture course taken primarily by freshmen and transfer students (n = 570) were surveyed over four semesters to determine students’ backgrounds, prior agricultural experiences, demographics, and reasons for enrolling in the ISU agriculture program. Agribusiness accounted for the largest group of respondents (46.6%), with 54.8% of agribusiness majors reporting farm backgrounds. The majority of respondents (64.5%) did not grow up on farms. Prior FFA membership was reported by 34.3%, although 52.3% attended high schools offering agriculture curriculum. Transfer students comprised 51.3% of total respondents; FFA members were more likely to attend a community college as they were to enroll at ISU as freshmen (67 vs. 33%). Students from farm backgrounds were more likely to have held FFA membership and to have transferred from a community college than non-farm students. Enrollment factors most frequently reported included: influence of family/friends with connections to the program, availability of desired academic sequence, and the program's academic reputation. This study highlights characteristics of a rapidly growing student population.