Future For Nevada Agriculture Education And Research What Agriculture Will Make Of It
By: Doug Busselman, Executive Vice President
At the recent meeting of the College of Agriculture Advisory Committee, the provost of the University of Nevada, Reno wanted to give those present assurance that the University was not turning its back on the state’s farmers and ranchers. The moves working their way to the closure of the College of Agriculture, Biotechnology and Natural Resources (CABNR) and shutting down two additional departments that have been part of the College were portrayed as being a painful necessity in order for other, more important elements of UNR’s mission, to come out of the downturn in a better position to advance. Dumping agriculture isn’t something that should be taken personally, it’s just an administration decision that had to be carried out for the good of the whole…gaining roughly $4.2 Million in savings from the necessary $11 Million that needs to be cut.
Nevada agriculture can decide that they are victims of this betrayal of the University’s Land Grant mission…there have been any number of examples where the University system and leaders/decision makers have selected the options which resulted in Nevada agriculture being harmed. As is the case with the current circumstances the effort is made to portray the action as not being a rejection of the needs of agricultural producers or responsibilities of the institution. As is the case with the current situation the reality of what University officials have done cuts into the potential of what Nevada agriculture could be.
It comes down to the numbers, UNR can pretend to be a Land Grant University, cloaking the lack of substance with make-believe offerings to agricultural education and research – there’s not enough people who will care to make a stink which will last beyond the initial blow-up…weather the storm, blame the cuts on necessity, cite a commitment that doesn’t need to be carried through with any better than past performance has required, cash in on the lucrative property values of the 1,000 acre Main Station farm in Reno…
Anyone expecting the Nevada University Board Of Regents to stand in the way of the pre-ordained decision need to remember the past support given to the state’s agriculture. Can’t remember when that happened? Well, neither can anyone else…
Choice Of Responses:
Instead of standing by and merely playing the victim role there can be responses that works to implement an action line of attack.
There are probably only a couple of approaches for where to go from here. One option will be to tolerate the situation and attempt to work with UNR officials to make the most of the situation. Perhaps there might be some semblance of a potential arrangement where limited needs can be met by working cooperatively and remaining engaged with the decision-makers for compromised operations to give some assistance to specific and pre-identified approaches.
The other alternative is to go forward without concern for what might happen, understanding that the University isn’t going to be worthwhile for agricultural needs, regardless of what is kept on life support and knowing that further erosion will continue until there is barely a memory of what once was a legitimate Land Grant University in Nevada that did serve the needs of agricultural producers. This approach will continue to advance the cause of preventing the experiment station assets from being sold off for the benefit of UNR. This approach will also need Nevada Legislative action to establish meaningful protection to keep the proceeds from the impending sales in a trust to be used for legitimate agricultural programs. Further, there should be the measures to find ways of decertifying the University as a Land Grant University, requiring the repayment of money’s used to start and support the University of Nevada.
It really doesn’t matter which course Nevada agriculture determines as being the choice of these options…in the end, the lack of meaningful services from the University for agricultural production will be the same.
At the recent meeting of the College of Agriculture Advisory Committee, the provost of the University of Nevada, Reno wanted to give those present assurance that the University was not turning its back on the state’s farmers and ranchers. The moves working their way to the closure of the College of Agriculture, Biotechnology and Natural Resources (CABNR) and shutting down two additional departments that have been part of the College were portrayed as being a painful necessity in order for other, more important elements of UNR’s mission, to come out of the downturn in a better position to advance. Dumping agriculture isn’t something that should be taken personally, it’s just an administration decision that had to be carried out for the good of the whole…gaining roughly $4.2 Million in savings from the necessary $11 Million that needs to be cut.
Nevada agriculture can decide that they are victims of this betrayal of the University’s Land Grant mission…there have been any number of examples where the University system and leaders/decision makers have selected the options which resulted in Nevada agriculture being harmed. As is the case with the current circumstances the effort is made to portray the action as not being a rejection of the needs of agricultural producers or responsibilities of the institution. As is the case with the current situation the reality of what University officials have done cuts into the potential of what Nevada agriculture could be.
It comes down to the numbers, UNR can pretend to be a Land Grant University, cloaking the lack of substance with make-believe offerings to agricultural education and research – there’s not enough people who will care to make a stink which will last beyond the initial blow-up…weather the storm, blame the cuts on necessity, cite a commitment that doesn’t need to be carried through with any better than past performance has required, cash in on the lucrative property values of the 1,000 acre Main Station farm in Reno…
Anyone expecting the Nevada University Board Of Regents to stand in the way of the pre-ordained decision need to remember the past support given to the state’s agriculture. Can’t remember when that happened? Well, neither can anyone else…
Choice Of Responses:
Instead of standing by and merely playing the victim role there can be responses that works to implement an action line of attack.
There are probably only a couple of approaches for where to go from here. One option will be to tolerate the situation and attempt to work with UNR officials to make the most of the situation. Perhaps there might be some semblance of a potential arrangement where limited needs can be met by working cooperatively and remaining engaged with the decision-makers for compromised operations to give some assistance to specific and pre-identified approaches.
The other alternative is to go forward without concern for what might happen, understanding that the University isn’t going to be worthwhile for agricultural needs, regardless of what is kept on life support and knowing that further erosion will continue until there is barely a memory of what once was a legitimate Land Grant University in Nevada that did serve the needs of agricultural producers. This approach will continue to advance the cause of preventing the experiment station assets from being sold off for the benefit of UNR. This approach will also need Nevada Legislative action to establish meaningful protection to keep the proceeds from the impending sales in a trust to be used for legitimate agricultural programs. Further, there should be the measures to find ways of decertifying the University as a Land Grant University, requiring the repayment of money’s used to start and support the University of Nevada.
It really doesn’t matter which course Nevada agriculture determines as being the choice of these options…in the end, the lack of meaningful services from the University for agricultural production will be the same.
Posted by Doug Busselman at 3/13/2010 10:21 AM 
Categories: Agriculture
Tags: University of Nevada Nevada College of Agriculture closing Agriculture
Categories: Agriculture
Tags: University of Nevada Nevada College of Agriculture closing Agriculture
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