Proposed Closing Of Nevada College Of Agriculture – A Time For Assessment
By: Doug Busselman, Executive Vice President
President Lincoln is given a great deal of credit for his support for the establishment of the Land Grant University System. As detailed in Wikipedia the 1862 and 1890 versions of the Morrill Act provided the framework for this system…
On March 1, 2010 the University of Nevada, Reno (Nevada’s Land Grant University) put forward the recommendation for continued review the proposal to dispose of the College of Agriculture, Biotechnology and Natural Resources. The move comes on the heels of the 6.9 percent budget cutbacks made by the Nevada Legislature in their February Special Session and the proposed actions are aimed at accomplishing UNR’s $11 Million required reduction in base funding. In essence University officials need to get their priorities in alignment and Nevada agriculture isn’t included in those priorities.
The actual set of proposed plans, provided to us by Marc Johnson, UNR Provost, are as follows…
In response to the proposed actions by the University of Nevada, our state’s agricultural organizations and the farm and ranch families that they represent need to evaluate the needs and wishes of production agriculture. Comparisons of these needs with possible changes in light of the University’s plans could take us down various paths, including the potential of seeking inclusion of the industry’s needs in the reorganization process. The response could also include putting greater levels of attention on alternative sources.
We would invite your ideas and input, offered by way of comments here…
President Lincoln is given a great deal of credit for his support for the establishment of the Land Grant University System. As detailed in Wikipedia the 1862 and 1890 versions of the Morrill Act provided the framework for this system…
"The Morrill Acts funded educational institutions by granting federally controlled land to the states for the states to develop or sell to raise funds to establish and endow "land grant" colleges. The mission of these institutions as set forth in the 1862 Act is to focus on the teaching of agriculture, science and engineering as a response to the industrial revolution and changing social class rather than higher education's historic core of classical studies.[1]"
On March 1, 2010 the University of Nevada, Reno (Nevada’s Land Grant University) put forward the recommendation for continued review the proposal to dispose of the College of Agriculture, Biotechnology and Natural Resources. The move comes on the heels of the 6.9 percent budget cutbacks made by the Nevada Legislature in their February Special Session and the proposed actions are aimed at accomplishing UNR’s $11 Million required reduction in base funding. In essence University officials need to get their priorities in alignment and Nevada agriculture isn’t included in those priorities.
The actual set of proposed plans, provided to us by Marc Johnson, UNR Provost, are as follows…
- Close the College of Agriculture, Biotechnology and Natural Resources as a separate college resulting in personnel and operating savings.
- Close the Department of Animal Biotechnology and associated positions and operating expenditures. Move one position to fill a vacancy in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences to sustain range ecology and management.
- Close the Department of Resource Economics and associated positions and operating expenditures. Retain the Center of Economic Development in the Business Services Group or Extension and make one position whole in the Department of Sociology to sustain the Applied Statistics Program.
- Merge the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences into the Department of Biology in the College of Science, retaining Experiment Station and Extension investments.
- Merge the Department of Nutrition into the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, retaining Experiment Station and Extension investments and reporting to the College of Science.
- The curricular review proposal is released Monday, March 1, 2010
- Units respond to proposed program closing by Friday, March 26, 2010
- Colleges respond and vote on the proposal by Friday, April 9, 2010
- The Faculty Senate reviews the proposal and other supplied information and makes a recommendation to the President and Provost by May 7, 2010.
- The President and Provost make their final decisions and propose appropriate program closures to the Board of Regents by May 14, 2010.
- The Board of Regents decides on program closures in early June.
- Employees related to closing programs are notified of their termination by June 30, 2010 and provided with rights of reconsideration and notification.
- Degrees granted
- Enrollment in the major
- Student Full Time Equivalent production
- Scholarship productivity
- External scholarship grant award and expenditure performance
- “Connectedness” or importance to the fulfillment of other programs at the University
- Centrality to mission
- National and international uniqueness of the program
- Other considerations to preserve complementary elements of programs
In response to the proposed actions by the University of Nevada, our state’s agricultural organizations and the farm and ranch families that they represent need to evaluate the needs and wishes of production agriculture. Comparisons of these needs with possible changes in light of the University’s plans could take us down various paths, including the potential of seeking inclusion of the industry’s needs in the reorganization process. The response could also include putting greater levels of attention on alternative sources.
We would invite your ideas and input, offered by way of comments here…
Posted by Doug Busselman at 3/2/2010 8:49 AM 
Categories: Agriculture
Tags: Nevada Nevada College of Agriculture Land Grant University System
Categories: Agriculture
Tags: Nevada Nevada College of Agriculture Land Grant University System
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3/5/2010 6:42 PM
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Agriculture is an essential component of our rural lifestyle. People who farm and ranch are our friends and neighbors. Intelligent, thoughtful livestock management and farming practices are essential for a healthy environment including clean water and abundant wildlife habitat. The College of Agriculture, including our Cooperative Extension Agents, is our primary source for sound, science based agriculture. Closing the College of Agriculture, Biotechnology and Natural Resources would constitute a severe threat to our rural way of life.
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I think Farm Bureau needs to network with other organizations that have an interest in programs normally offered by a "College of Agriculture" such as the Nevada Landscape Association. Also are there any gardening and urban farmers' market organizations who help us. Urban dwellers have started questioning why they can't get any help from their Extension offices. It's no wonder they can't get any help when the horticultural people are the first to go. If you haven't notice these people have either been terminated or have decided to leave before they are terminated. You might be surprised to find that even environmental groups have an interest in their state having a viable, vibrant "College of Agriculture". You really need to soften; the "conservative front" you show to the public and try to win some supporters.
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When we were told that our college of agriculture is to be disbanded and that our whole department's faculty of Resource Economics (as well as the faculty of the Animal BioTechnology department) are to be laid off, it was a real shock. Even by the administration's own accounts, our department's faculty brings in more external funding $$ than we expend, so how could firing us SAVE money? When asked what they expect us to do with the federal research funds we are performing on, we were told 'send it back.' (Not to mention stop doing research on Nevada's issues.) They claim that Nevada's agriculture sector is too small and our undergraduate program is too small; despite the fact that we have about twice as many majors per teaching FTE than comparable programs. We are also award-winning teachers, and despite our small size are ranked in the top 20% WORLDWIDE for research. In sum, the "criteria" listed above appear to mean that UNR will fire their most productive faculty first. What sense does that make for Nevada? But it is not a 'done deal.' You can help: write the Regents and UNR President Glick.
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Very well thought out and said, Maureen! One question (I am saturated with acronyms on a daily basis): please explain "FTE."
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I do believe this is the time for Nevada agriculture to decide what their needs are from UNR and from the Nevada Agriculture Experiment Station. I would encourage the agriculture community to develop a working paper on what their vision of a functional, effective College of Agriculture would look like. I share a few thoughts. I have worked at two land grand universities and have been involved in rangeland research for over 17 years. I believe the Agricultural Experiment Stations associated with any land grant university should have a primary mission of research and education NOT production agriculture. I personally believe the focus of the NV Ag. Experiment Station has primarily been production in order to try and cover the cost of running the vaious facilities. This unfortunately may be necessary (due to budgets) however this does not facilitate research or education. It currently is easier and thus less expensive for me to conduct research on private ranches and therefore that is what I do. I would suggest the faculty (including myself) in the Dept. of Animal Biotechnology and the agricultural community consider a plan to allow the sale of a portion of main station farm while maintaining the livestock handling facilities, the meat lab, dairy hill etc. I would suggest stipulations be attached to the sale such as a percentage of the sale revenues be endowed to CABNR for the purpose of enhancing the research and education component of the NV Ag Experiment Station and for improving the capabilities of the Dept. of Animal Biotechnology. Just some ideas to think about.
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Tamzen, students involved in learning also need experience, whether through the broad spectrum of the curricula or through the Agriculture Experiment Station. There's so much more to college degrees than just "cracking the books." The Agriculture Experiment Station is an integral part of CABNR and not expendable. There need be no sale of real estate, but there does need to be a serious look at the motivation behind recent actions by Glick. I'm very proud of the students for all they're doing to protect and save CABNR!
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I have little specific knowledge of our agricultural curriculum at UNR. However, I know many people that I rely on for our community-based ecosystem conservation advise that come from the departments and schools mentioned at risk. I know the value of timely reevaluations, and would encourage thoughtful coordinated work in that area. My practical experience in resource work tells me we can always do better, but I dislike the idea of doing without our professional agricultural advisers, who have already undergone reduction in numbers. The topics related to sustaining livestock production, open space, wildlife and sensitive species needs, along with expanding human populations, has become a complex challenge requiring more professional partners, not less. Agriculture and farm production is vastly different from the days when the Land Grant College system was envisioned; take a coordinated voice to the reorganization meetings and improve and update agriculture's needs, and the needs of the public, as well.
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