Poultry Majors in North America

Abstract

SINCE the peak enrollment years of the immediate post-World War II period, numerous Poultry Husbandry (Poultry Science) staff members at many colleges and universities have evinced lively interest and considerable concern in the dwindling numbers of students majoring in poultry curricula. The concern has been occasioned by two increasing difficulties: (1) obtaining sufficient undergraduate students to justify many specific poultry subject matter courses and (2) filling graduate fellowships, scholarships and assistantships with students having undergraduate training in the poultry field.Another factor which, to the writer, required most careful evaluation for accurate interpretation, is the large numbers of unfilled employment opportunities which through 1957 at least, have been available for undergraduate poultry majors.College and university administrators and governing boards are already more closely scrutinizing both curricula and subject matter courses with sub-marginal enrollment. This suggests the necessity of at least three possible alternatives or combined actions by organized poultry …