Working On The Response To Address College Of Agriculture Closure
By: Doug Busselman, Executive Vice President
The answers to the proposal for closing the University of Nevada, Reno College of Agriculture, Biotechnology and Natural Resources (CABNR) have many possibilities with a variety of degrees of effectiveness. Yesterday, my suggestion was to consider the needs of Nevada agriculture and make the plans for a response in light of attempting to get us to where we need to be.
We should recognize that a fight to the death in defense of the status quo would be an appropriate. Whether the name “agriculture” is in the title for the college or the research organization that’s connected to UNR doesn’t make what has been going on the stuff farmers and ranchers need or necessarily want. Many of the current Nevada agricultural sector attended UNR and the College of Agriculture during the Golden Age of the school and remember the opportunities for the agricultural education that they received. These same alums have been frustrated over the inability of their children, interested in production agriculture, to get the same type of education. For the most part, with few key areas of study, if you wanted a college education in agricultural studies, you have been required to look to some other state and some other institution.
The same has been true in regard to agricultural research. Pursuit of research dollars that didn’t connect to applied agricultural needs has been the focus of the Agricultural Research folks for some time. Again, in some instances there have been specific studies and projects which have retained the practical needs of Nevada farmers and ranchers in mind, but those considerations have not made up the bulk of the research program. The system of Experimental Stations around the state (including the Reno, Main Station) have mostly been used for farming and providing the resources of livestock feed and livestock for other research projects.
How the recommendations under consideration fit the requirements of the Land Grant University criteria is questionable. Having been told that because Cooperative Extension remains and the Ag Research portion will be retained (except for the likely real estate transactions that UNR highups have been drooling over in regard to the Main Station for many years) the question remains what meaningful and significant aspect of being a Land Grant University can we expect to come from the transition that is being considered? If the purpose is to pretend and go through the motions to keep getting the benefits associated with being a Land Grant University – that’s what has been going on for at least the past 20 plus years…let’s quit pretending and stop cashing the Land Grant University checks that are no longer deserved.
While reviewing various other responses that have been offered by others, I couldn’t help but notice the brilliant point observed by one person offering their perspective in the Reno Gazette Journal –
Someone named “ryanw1282 ” wrote:
Whoever you might be “ryanw1282” – I salute you for your insight in pointing out the small detail of what is written in the Nevada State Constitution. I have no doubt that University elites will find a way around that detail and will have some response to mitigate their actions regardless of what ought to be required, but through your alert and public documentation people will know and understand the portrayal for what it is.
The answers to the proposal for closing the University of Nevada, Reno College of Agriculture, Biotechnology and Natural Resources (CABNR) have many possibilities with a variety of degrees of effectiveness. Yesterday, my suggestion was to consider the needs of Nevada agriculture and make the plans for a response in light of attempting to get us to where we need to be.
We should recognize that a fight to the death in defense of the status quo would be an appropriate. Whether the name “agriculture” is in the title for the college or the research organization that’s connected to UNR doesn’t make what has been going on the stuff farmers and ranchers need or necessarily want. Many of the current Nevada agricultural sector attended UNR and the College of Agriculture during the Golden Age of the school and remember the opportunities for the agricultural education that they received. These same alums have been frustrated over the inability of their children, interested in production agriculture, to get the same type of education. For the most part, with few key areas of study, if you wanted a college education in agricultural studies, you have been required to look to some other state and some other institution.
The same has been true in regard to agricultural research. Pursuit of research dollars that didn’t connect to applied agricultural needs has been the focus of the Agricultural Research folks for some time. Again, in some instances there have been specific studies and projects which have retained the practical needs of Nevada farmers and ranchers in mind, but those considerations have not made up the bulk of the research program. The system of Experimental Stations around the state (including the Reno, Main Station) have mostly been used for farming and providing the resources of livestock feed and livestock for other research projects.
How the recommendations under consideration fit the requirements of the Land Grant University criteria is questionable. Having been told that because Cooperative Extension remains and the Ag Research portion will be retained (except for the likely real estate transactions that UNR highups have been drooling over in regard to the Main Station for many years) the question remains what meaningful and significant aspect of being a Land Grant University can we expect to come from the transition that is being considered? If the purpose is to pretend and go through the motions to keep getting the benefits associated with being a Land Grant University – that’s what has been going on for at least the past 20 plus years…let’s quit pretending and stop cashing the Land Grant University checks that are no longer deserved.
While reviewing various other responses that have been offered by others, I couldn’t help but notice the brilliant point observed by one person offering their perspective in the Reno Gazette Journal –
Someone named “ryanw1282 ” wrote:
THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF NEVADA
ARTICLE 11, SECTION 4 Sec: 4. Establishment of state university; control by board of regents. The Legislature shall provide fo...r the establishment of a State University which shall embrace departments for Agriculture, Mechanic Arts, and Mining to be controlled by a Board of Regents whose duties shall be prescribed by Law.
ARTICLE 11, SECTION 8[...] And the Legislature shall provide that if through neglect or any other contingency, any portion of the fund so set apart [for a college for the benefit of Agriculture[,] the Mechanics Arts, and including Military tactics], shall be lost or misappropriated, the State of Nevada shall replace said amount so lost or misappropriated in said fund so that the principal of said fund shall remain forever undiminished[.]
Whoever you might be “ryanw1282” – I salute you for your insight in pointing out the small detail of what is written in the Nevada State Constitution. I have no doubt that University elites will find a way around that detail and will have some response to mitigate their actions regardless of what ought to be required, but through your alert and public documentation people will know and understand the portrayal for what it is.
Posted by Doug Busselman at 3/3/2010 6:31 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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