Land-grant Universities Research Articles

Review of Land-grant universities for the future: Higher education for the common good

Review of Land-grant universities for the future: Higher education for the common good

Tenure and Promotion Outcomes at Four Large Land Grant Universities: Examining the Role of Gender, Race, and Academic Discipline

Inclusion and diversity are highly visible priorities at many colleges and universities. Efforts to diversify the professoriate have necessitated a better understanding of career outcomes for current female faculty and faculty of color. We measure risk of leaving without tenure and years to promotion from associate to full professor at four large land grant universities. We model career outcomes as competing risks, and compute cumulative incidence functions to discern differences in tenure and promotion outcomes by gender and race. We find incidence rates vary significantly by academic discipline, and in many instances, show larger effects than gender and racial or ethnic differences. Our examination also indicates that in particular academic fields, females are more prone to leave without tenure, and less likely to be promoted to full professor. We also find that racial or ethnic minorities are less likely to be promoted to full professor in certain areas. The analysis suggests that for universities to address systemic issues of underrepresentation in academe, they must account for department level contexts, and align institutional practices to support the goal of inclusion and diversity.

Social Impact Assessment in the Cooperative Extension System: Revitalizing the Community Capitals Framework in Measurement and Approach

Measuring program impact is continually placed in the forefront of discussions, efforts, and reporting when it comes to outreach and engagement efforts related to Cooperative Extension. However, the diversity of programs represented through program areas, as well as the complexities of local infrastructures present ongoing challenges to effectively addressing needs in community development and vitality. One of the greater hurdles in these efforts is addressing areas of social impact. This article argues for a deliberate attempt to parse out efforts that address social impact, while looking for ways to bring such impact full circle with existing efforts in economic impact. This article answers the following questions: (1) How is program impact defined as it relates to the land-grant university? and (2) How is social impact defined, and what are the common approaches to examining/measuring social impact? Based on this review of the literature, we describe and justify a proposed model approach for overall community diagnostics, directly supporting social impact assessment efforts. Such a proposed model would then have the capacity to lead to two very distinct and applicable outcomes that ultimately lead to measuring and examining program impact. The first is an immediate snapshot of a given community for diagnostic purposes; and the second would create a framework by which longitudinal data could be collected, which can then demonstrate changes and shifts over time. Such data can then provide a more holistic approach to program planning, development, and overall evaluation. Keywords: community development; Extension; needs assessment; program evaluation; social impact

An Appreciative Approach to Assessing Extension Professionals’ Perceptions of Evaluation

Generating timely, honest, and useful feedback is the cornerstone of all extension program evaluation. However, historical evaluation practices, especially in the international agricultural extension context, have relied on models that emphasize external criticism. One model of evaluation that has the potential to shift the focus toward a more collaborative model of evaluation is that of appreciative evaluation. Appreciative evaluation strives towards building on existing strengths rather than criticizing weaknesses with an emphasis on identifying what an organization does well. This research note reviews the results of a recent survey given to a group of extension professionals within a large land-grant institution to examine how extension professionals view the role of evaluation within their programming from an appreciative perspective. Respondents (n = 204) expressed great professional satisfaction in their work delivering programs and a sense of self-worth stemming from the impact they have in their respective communities. Evaluation tools and techniques were enabling forces as they allowed respondents to gather timely data and make adjustments to programs in ways that were reflective of community needs. When asked to identify any structural components of the extension system that improve evaluation practices and procedures, respondents emphasized the importance of both formal and non-formal training opportunities, the development of modular evaluation tools, and collaboration both within extension and their respective community(ies). The results indicated appreciative inquiry methods have the potential to provide valuable feedback about existing programming. Keywords: appreciative inquiry; extension education; program evaluation

An Evaluation of Researcher Motivations and Productivity Outcomes in International Collaboration and Partnerships at a U.S. Research-Intensive University

This paper examines factors that influence faculty at a research-intensive U.S. public land grant university to engage in international collaborations and partnerships. Using a mixed-mode (web, mail, and telephone) survey, we collected data from 764 researchers at Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA, to provide a baseline and current context of demographic characteristics, motivations, barriers, and academic outcomes in relation to international research collaboration. Our results suggest that funding, reduced organizational and institutional barriers, effective institutional support, previous global experience, and research outcomes can encourage faculty to engage in international collaboration. We also found that faculty involved in international collaboration, on average, exhibited higher productivity and a positive correlation with scholarly output, especially through joint publications and student training. The results of this study may provide a reference for research-intensive institutions interested in optimizing their internationalization agendas through partnerships, and examining their policies, strategies, and messaging to increase faculty engagement in collaborative research that promotes co-creation, reciprocity, mutually beneficial partnership, and organizational transformation.

Measuring health care students' attitudes toward interprofessional learning, perceptions of effectiveness as an interprofessional team member, and competence in managing adult cardiac arrest

Background and purposeInterprofessional education can be used to prepare healthcare graduates for teamwork. Simulations, when used with interprofessional education, create realistic clinical situations that promote teamwork. Faculty assessed changes in pharmacy and nursing students' competence in treating adult cardiac arrest and perceived readiness for interprofessional learning and teamwork. Educational activity and settingEighty-three pharmacy students and 57 nursing students participated in a high fidelity simulation focused on adult cardiac arrest as an expectation of their respective courses. This study took place at a single campus College of Health Professions located at a public land grant institution. FindingsThe Readiness for Health Care Students for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS) and Team Skills Scale (TSS) were used to develop a survey administered prepost simulation. A paired t-test indicated statistically significant increases of mean values prepost (p < 0.001) for: teamwork and collaboration, professional identity, team skills, and competence. An independent sample t-test found no differences by gender or degree. DiscussionThis research supports using simulation in interprofessional education to increase competence and promote changes in attitudes toward interprofessional learning and teamwork. SummaryAn interprofessional simulation increased student's perceived competence and positively increased perceptions of learning and working with other health profession students.

62 Program Evaluation of the Georgia Young Cattlemen’s Short Course

Abstract A day-long short course was developed to fill a need for extension programming targeted at producers between the ages of 18 and 40. Faculty from land grant institutions and allied industry personnel were invited to Rocking W Angus Farm in Jefferson, GA, to present and give demonstrations on five topics relevant to young cattlemen. A program evaluation was conducted to 1) Assess demographic characteristics of participants; 2) Evaluate the participant’s experience; 3) Understand the motivation of the participants to get involved in industry activities. The complete evaluation was distributed to course participants at the end of the day. Participants were 47.1% male (n = 16) and 52.9% female (n = 18) with an average age of 22.85 years (range 18–41). Participants were from 19 Georgia counties and 2 South Carolina counties. Twenty-five (74%) were full-time college students while the remainder (26%) represented 11 different professions. Twenty-five participants (75.8%) were current members of Georgia Cattlemen’s Association while 8 (24.2%) were non-members. Fourteen attendees (41%) did not own cattle, but had an interest in owning cattle in the future, and thirteen (38.2) owned cattle at the time of the course. The six (18%) remaining participants identified as interested consumers. A Likerttype scale (1 = “Strongly Disagree” to 5 = “Strongly Agree”) was used to evaluate the experience of short course attendees. The maximum mean from the Likerttype questions was 4.83 and the minimum mean was 3.96. The results suggest a need for more open and frequent communication with the target audience outside of the college student demographic. Also, expansion of communication to young cattlemen outside of North Georgia. The suggestion was made to develop a Young Cattlemen’s email listserv and to rotate the location of the short course each year.

Governance and Innovations in Local Food System Development: A Bottom-Up Approach in North Carolina

Governance is a collaborative and systemic approach to governing that fosters innovation and inclusiveness of a broad combination of actors, processes, and instruments (Jordan, Wurzel, & Zito, 2005). It draws from the energy, expertise, and resources of the collaborative to employ more sustainable, bottom-up policy solutions. The growth in popularity of local foods and community-based food systems as a pushback to the globalization of our food industry has given rise to a network of coalitions, institutions, and actors in North Carolina that are engaging in local food system development and governance to create a place-based local food economy in the state. The case reviews the Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS), a trans­disciplinary, interinstitutional collaboration between the state’s two land-grant institutions, (North Carolina State University and North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University), and the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Sciences, as an active and prominent stakeholder in the process of local food system governance. The Farm to Fork Initiative, now over 10 years in operation, is reviewed to provide both insight into and reflection of a bottom-up approach to creating a local food economy through governance, innovation, and the implementation of community-based food system initiatives.

P127 Correlates of Screened Food Insecurity in Undergraduate Students

Background A growing body of evidence suggests that post-secondary (i.e. college) students in the US are at higher risk of food insecurity (FI) than the general population. However, the accuracy of the common assessment procedures has come into question. Evidence suggests that pairing the 10-item Food Security Survey Module (FSSM) with a brief screener may produce the most accurate estimates, but this protocol has thus far not been adopted in the field to understand correlates of FI among students. Objective The current study aims to estimate behavioral and health-related correlates of FI using the suggested protocol – incorporating a two-item screener with the 10-item FSSM. Study Design, Settings, Participants Undergraduate students, aged 18- to 24-years old and fluent in English were recruited from a land-grant university using digital advertisements. During the cross-sectional study, participating students completed questionnaires and anthropometric data was collected by trained researchers. Measurable Outcome/Analysis Questionnaires assessed FI, perceived stress, diet quality, perceived health, grade point average (GPA), and financial anxiety. Anthropometric data was used to calculate Body Mass Index (BMI). Differences between secure and insecure students were assessed with student's t-tests. Results Among the preliminary sample of n = 74 participants, students were on average 20.2 years old (± 1.4), predominantly male (55%), and 48.7% experienced FI. Food insecure students reported significantly greater perceived personal stress (P = .011), higher financial anxiety (P Conclusion These preliminary findings suggest that students experiencing FI consume poorer quality diets and experience greater stress and financial anxiety when compared with secure students. These results are consistent with some of the previous findings when researchers have used the 10-item FSSM without the screening items. Further research that uses this FI assessment protocol with a larger sample of students from a variety of institutions is warranted. Funding None.

Library services for unaffiliated patrons at Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU)

This study reviewed library websites at Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) to learn more about the services they provide to unaffiliated patrons and how they share this information. This review demonstrated that websites at land-grant libraries affirmed unaffiliated patrons' building access privileges at slightly higher rates and circulation privileges at lower rates than non-land-grant APLUs. Data also revealed that requirements and fees for library privileges varied across APLU libraries as a whole. This research is a first step in identifying how libraries at land-grants and non-land-grant APLUs compare to one another and to different types of institutions in the services they provide to unaffiliated patrons. It also continues the discussion of whether libraries, especially those at land-grant colleges and universities, have an obligation to open their spaces and collections to unaffiliated patrons.

Connecting New Farmers to Place, Agroecology, and Community through a Bilingual Organic Farm Incubator

Renewed public interest in the localized dimensions of food and farming systems offers opportunities for citizens to become more engaged in decision making about how their food is produced, distributed, and consumed, and, for all these actions, by whom. This paper explores an initiative designed to reinvigorate the production components of a place-based, regional food system through connecting diverse aspiring entrepreneurial farmers, nonprofit organizations, land grant university faculty, and food consumers around shared values. The characteristics that distinguish values-based food systems can be sets of values associated with environmentally sustainable production practices, the qualities of the food, the distribution of the food, and/or relationships with particular farmers and places (Ostrom, DeMaster, Noe, & Schermer, 2017). Based on interviews and participant observation, our participatory research with the Viva Farms bilingual farm incubator program explores the role of place, social, and environmental values, and social learning in launching an incoming generation of women, immigrant, and low-income farmers. These themes have not been previously explored in the literature in relation to the success of new entry farmer initiatives. As of 2016, six years into the program, our findings show that 77 percent of past program participants were still farming in the same region, using agroecological farming practices and employing place-based marketing strategies. See the press release for this article.

The Public Land Grant Institution: The Engaged University

The Public Land Grant Institution: The Engaged University

Development and Evaluation of a Higher Education Food Security Toolkit to Provide Ideas of Initiatives for Student Wellbeing: WISH4Campus (P04-049-19)

ObjectivesMany universities are starting initiatives on campus to support food insecure students in receiving nutritious food. However, there is no comprehensive resource of these initiatives to help guide universities in starting a program on campus. The objective of this study is to describe the development and evaluation of a toolkit that can assist higher education institutions in promoting a campus environment, providing adequate resources for food insecure students. MethodsThe toolkit development was guided by the basis of the Normalization Process Theory (NPT) to evaluate factors that could facilitate or inhibit initiative success on campus. A review of literature was undertaken by two independent reviewers to gather all peer reviewed and grey literature on food insecurity programs currently available on college campuses in the United States. Findings were compiled into a toolkit that contained six initiative chapters: food pantries, campus gardens, farmers markets, dining and recovery programs, mobile applications, and policy initiatives. The toolkit was evaluated by experts from land-grant universities who work with food insecurity issues (n = 126). Experts completed a 27-question survey to determine demographics, perceptions of food insecurity and evaluation of specific toolkit components. Descriptive statistics and frequency analyses were performed on quantitative data and content analysis was used to analyze qualitative data. ResultsThirty experts (23.8% response rate) completed the evaluation survey. Evaluation feedback covered four main topics: layout, overall content, initiatives, and application. Eight themes emerged from the coding and categorization of responses. They were visual appeal, organization, value, provoking, comprehensive, barriers, collaboration, and efficiency. Corrections and recommendations were provided for each topic. ConclusionsThe themes derived from expert feedback encompassed the initial objective of the toolkit. This toolkit serves as a comprehensive resource that can be utilized by student leaders, clubs or organizations, campus stakeholders or administrators to begin a food security initiative on campus to promote student well-being. Funding SourcesPrimary funding is from the West Virginia Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station WVA00689 and WVA00721. The first author is supported by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences T32 grant (GM081741).

Land-grant college-admission web pages in the western United States: Analysis of marketing messages for public or private good

The purpose of this study is to describe the marketing messages being communicated to prospective students by marketers at 11 land-grant colleges in the western United States through the collegeadmission web pages. The college-admission web page is an important marketing channel because it acts as the marketing collateral for prospective students to begin their college information search. A qualitative media analysis (QMA) study was conducted recording words and images from the college-admission web pages. Some marketers used words and images that communicated a privategood marketing message depicting the student journey, while others displayed words and images that communicated public-good marketing messages, such as career placement, research projects, faculty projects and the university’s mission. The results showed that marketers used more private-good than public-good marketing messages.

Land-Grant Universities for the Future: Higher Education for the Public Good

Land-Grant Universities for the Future: Higher Education for the Public Good

Fostering farm transfers from farm owners to unrelated, new farmers: A qualitative assessment of farm link services

The transition of farms and ranches to the next generation has generated considerable attention and concern. Over the past 30 years, public and private institutions across the U.S. have introduced policies and programs to help farms without identified family successors achieve successful transfers by connecting them with new farmers through “farm link” services. However, the effectiveness of these services is unclear and assessment is needed. This primarily qualitative study used interviews with program leaders and their responses to a questionnaire to assess the 30 active and closed farm link programs of the 12 states of the U.S. Midwest and Central Plains, resulting in a collection of best practice recommendations. Broadly, these programs target differing audiences and offer various services not limited to the function of linking farm/ranch owners with potential non-family successors. Most programs are located in NGO’s (63%), with the others hosted by state departments of agriculture and land grant university extension systems. Program leaders agree that linking is needed to augment seekers’ and owners’ personal networks. They recommend that farm link services focus on medium-term outcomes, and provide a list of metrics. Program leaders also recommend other, complementary services to support and advance non-family transitions to new farmers, primarily: (1) state-level beginning farmer tax credits; (2) educating farm owners’ advisors, such as lenders and tax preparers, about their clients’ opportunities to transfer to an incoming farmer; (3) case management to facilitate transfers between unrelated parties; and (4) providing discussion spaces online and on social media to build farmer/rancher networks and relations between farm seekers and farm owners.

RED TAPE IN HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS: UAV POLICY

Abstract. Reports over the past two decades have documented concern that the growth of regulation on research is reducing scientific productivity. While much of the burden comes from mandated standards, institutions increase the burdens when they add elective rules. This study examines regulatory responses in higher education to the implementation of domestic unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the United States of America (U.S.). The variance in UAV policies provides insight into regulatory responses to a controversial emerging technology. All higher education institutions share a common mission of education, research, and service, although the amount of attention given to each varies. UAVs create similar risks across institutions. Moreover, all campuses are subject to identical Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations. For this study, four educational institutions’ UAV policies from all fifty U.S. states were examined. The policies were classified from none to highly restrictive. Consistent with expectations, the stringency of UAV regulations is related to the institution’s structure and mission. Publicly funded institutions, particularly the land-grant universities with relatively more community outreach, had the most restrictive policies. Institutions in states with local government ordinances restricting UAVs also tend to have stricter policies. More stringent UAV rules exist in research-oriented institutions. Neither organizational size nor the existence of an aviation program affects institutional UAV policies. Because some of the policies adopted in higher education go beyond the rules mandated by the FAA, some may label the elective policies as being excessive “red tape” that thwart the institutional mission and stymie research.

Taking a Partnered Approach to Managing Academic Stress: An Undergraduate Study

ABSTRACT The ability to positively adapt to situations of stress and adversity enables student progress, growth, and learning. In the context of undergraduate building and construction education in the United States, little is known about the resources necessary for students to manage stressors associated with their studies. Twenty undergraduate building and construction students from a large, public land-grant university in the United States were interviewed. Inductive thematic analysis was used to explore the antecedents and impacts of academic stress, and deductive thematic analysis was used to identify resilience-building resources using the Resilience at University (RAU) framework. Resources identified to reduce stressor severity were focused on modifying the learning environment and implementing a scaffolded approach to learning and skills development. Resilient-building resources aligned with the six dimensions of the RAU were identified at the student level and the university level. An important contribution is the pivotal role of the student–university partnership in managing academic stress and building student resilience capability, acknowledging both students and the university as key actors. The findings will be of interest to educators and students who can implement a partnered approach to reduce the prevalence of academic stressors together with building students’ capacity to manage stress.

Can Anyone Hear Us? An Exploration of Echo Chambers at a Land-Grant University

Can Anyone Hear Us? An Exploration of Echo Chambers at a Land-Grant University

The Current and Future State of Wood Science Education in the United States

Eleven institutions were asked to participate in a meeting looking at the future of the discipline early in 2018 (Oregon State University, University of Idaho, Mississippi State University, North Carolina State University, Virginia Technology University, Auburn University [AU], University of Minnesota, University of Maine, West Virginia University, Pennsylvania State University, and Michigan Technological University). Efforts were made to invite the department head or a senior representative of each program. All institutions accepted the invitation. Participants were asked to complete a set of questions regarding their individual programs. Each representative then provided a 30-min overview of their programs and the changes/planned changes to occur. Two of the programs involved were new/or being established included AU and Michigan Technological University. Both of these universities previously had wood science programs and are now reestablishing them. It is important to emphasize that of the 11 participating institutions, all are land-grant universities except one. Furthermore, the forest economy is significant to the prosperity of the states represented.