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Description
This self-evaluation report has been produced for the purpose of reaccreditation of the Utah State University Forest Ecology and Management (FEMA) undergraduate degree program by the Society of American Foresters (SAF). Utah State University has maintained an SAF-accredited forestry program since 1936 and was most recently reaccredited by SAF in 2010.
Utah State University has a long and influential legacy in the forestry profession. Our faculty have led and shaped the profession, and our graduates have become leaders in a variety of state, federal, international, and academic organizations. Our institutional structure, degree program components, and enrollments have changed over time, consistent with national trends, but our program remains strong and is evolving to meet both the needs of today’s students and the needs of today’s society for well-rounded professional foresters. Over the years our program has focused on increasingly diverse forest management goals, including ecological functions and processes, wildlife habitat, recreation, species and structural diversity, and resilience with respect to fire, native and novel insect pathogens, and climate change. Similarly, our program has evolved with respect to content (e.g. increasing emphasis on ecology, geospatial tools and social sciences) and is preparing students for a broader and more interdisciplinary range of career tracks.
Enrollment in the FEMA program has been increasing since 2010, and is at its highest point since 2005. We attribute this trend to increasing forestry-related employment opportunities, an increasing awareness among students about forestry career options, and the increasing relevance of silviculture to ecological and social goals. Since the 2010 reaccreditation, we have seen the retirement of several key faculty in the forestry program, most recently Dr. James Long, the T.W. Daniel Professor of Forestry, SAF Fellow, and recipient of the 2018 National SAF Award in Forest Science. Dr. Long’s retirement was a tremendous loss, but we have several recently- hired faculty members who are bringing new energy and perspectives to the FEMA program. We are excited about the program’s future and its impact on the future of forestry.
Publication Date
2019
Publisher
Utah State University
Keywords
accreditation, USU, Wildland Resources, Society of American Foresters', bachelor of science
Disciplines
Life Sciences
Recommended Citation
Mock, Karen E. and Department of Wildland Resources, Utah State University, "Self-Evaluation Report for Society of American Foresters' Continued Accreditation of Bachelor of Science Degree in Forest Ecology and Management" (2019). Faculty. 2.
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/ua_faculty/2
Comments
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