Justification

This project will increase significantly the quality of food and agricultural sciences education by producing agriculture and society-ready graduates through an experiential education setting, and increase enrollments of non-traditional and underrepresented students into agricultural science careers. Dispelling long-held myths about food and agricultural careers (i.e., all such careers are farm-based, menial, and low-paying) for non-traditional and underrepresented students will open the doors to attracting highly skilled employees in the agricultural sciences sector. This project will expand the model for achieving employment equity within private sector agricultural employers.

a. Project Justification
Women and minority students are reluctant to enter food and agricultural careers, partly due to misconceptions, but misconceptions alone cannot explain this reluctance. What do high school students in highly populated metropolitan areas know about food and agricultural science careers? What do those students know about educating others about such careers? What factors impact students’ decisions to enter or avoid food and agricultural science careers? When do they make those decisions? Who influences their decisions?

Texas Tech University and its College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources (CASNR) reported slight increases. Though these are not enough to show strong representation to the state. Employment opportunities for college graduates with expertise in the food, agricultural and natural resources systems remain strong (Goecker, Gilmore, Smith, & Smith, 2005). While Goecker et al. projected more than 52,000 annual job openings from 2005 to 2010, only 49,300 qualified graduates are expected to fill these positions. Therefore, the need to produce more qualified employees is becoming increasingly important.

The need (Goecker et al., 2005) exists for recruiting and preparing knowledgeable, skilled, society-ready graduates for future agricultural and societal leadership roles. The National Academy of Science (2009) recently reported (Transforming Agricultural Education for a Changing World) that universities with undergraduate programs in food and agricultural sciences needed to be more proactive in strengthening those programs. The National Academy of Science recommended nine steps, six of which are addressed in this proposal, for achieving programmatic changes in the food and agricultural sciences.