Location
Cheatham 212
Event Website
http://www.cpe.vt.edu/cuenr/index.html
Start Date
3-27-2010 9:00 AM
End Date
3-27-2010 9:30 AM
Description
As a result of its setting in the semi‐arid Intermountain West where forests are confined largely to montane environments, Utah State University (USU) has historically had relatively low undergraduate enrollments in forestry compared to other natural resource disciplines and compared to other institutions in the U.S. also offering a broad range of natural resource degrees. As a result of this history, coupled to the national trend over the past two decades of proportionally lower enrollments in forestry compared to other natural resource disciplines, undergraduate enrollment in forestry at USU currently constitutes less than 4% of total enrollments in natural resources. This situation makes it difficult to justify the offering of forestry courses and the hiring of faculty with forestry degrees, which in turn is a challenge to the maintenance of professional accreditation in forestry. Our response to this challenge has been to create a solid professional core of courses that is basic to the science and management of terrestrial ecosystems and is taught by faculty from a wide array of natural resource disciplines, coupled to a modest component of specialization in forestry in the third and fourth years of study. This approach, while perhaps disadvantageous from the standpoint of professional accreditation under current standards, provides our forestry majors with a broad background in the science and management of terrestrial ecosystems and in some ways anticipates current discussions at the national level regarding the accreditation of broader programs in natural resources.
Included in
Challenges to Professional Accreditation of Forestry Degree Programs with Low Enrollments: The Utah State University Experience
Cheatham 212
As a result of its setting in the semi‐arid Intermountain West where forests are confined largely to montane environments, Utah State University (USU) has historically had relatively low undergraduate enrollments in forestry compared to other natural resource disciplines and compared to other institutions in the U.S. also offering a broad range of natural resource degrees. As a result of this history, coupled to the national trend over the past two decades of proportionally lower enrollments in forestry compared to other natural resource disciplines, undergraduate enrollment in forestry at USU currently constitutes less than 4% of total enrollments in natural resources. This situation makes it difficult to justify the offering of forestry courses and the hiring of faculty with forestry degrees, which in turn is a challenge to the maintenance of professional accreditation in forestry. Our response to this challenge has been to create a solid professional core of courses that is basic to the science and management of terrestrial ecosystems and is taught by faculty from a wide array of natural resource disciplines, coupled to a modest component of specialization in forestry in the third and fourth years of study. This approach, while perhaps disadvantageous from the standpoint of professional accreditation under current standards, provides our forestry majors with a broad background in the science and management of terrestrial ecosystems and in some ways anticipates current discussions at the national level regarding the accreditation of broader programs in natural resources.
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cuenr/Sessions/Cirricula/2
Comments
Citation: Sharik, T.L., D.H. Ranglack. 2010. Challenges to professional accreditation of forestry degree programs with low enrollments: the Utah State University experience. UENR Biennial Conference, Session Curricula and Assessment, Paper Number 2. http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cuenr/Sessions/Cirricula/2/