Survey of Mathematics and Science Requirements for Production-Oriented Agronomy Majors.

Faculty are regularly appraising the mathematics and science requirements associated with particular majors. As curricular revisions occur, determining math and science requirements in the agricultural curricula need to be reassessed within the context of emerging technology, competing curricular needs, and career goals. The purpose of this paper was to determine the amount of required mathematics and science associated with production-oriented agronomy majors using information supplied by cooperating institutions. A secondary purpose was to determine if curricular requirements vary between land-grant and nonland-grant institutions. Reported mathematics requirements largely centered around college algebra and statistics. Science requirements included inorganic chemistry, one semester of organic chemistry, and biology, generally including plant physiology and genetics. Supporting courses in computer science and courses such as soil fertility augmented the science experience. Land-grant institutions generally require a more rigorous mathematics and science regimen, while nonland-grant institutions generally require a stronger agribusiness orientation. A GRONOMY CURRICULA are frequently structured along ./"\strict discipline lines with options arranged in (i) production, (ii) science, or (iii) agribusiness. Based on catalog descriptions, the science option is usually arranged around the natural and physical sciences, mathematics and computer science, with 20 to 25 semester hours in traditional agricultural courses. Students entering this option generally M. Aide, Dep. of Agriculture, Southeast Missouri State Univ., 1 University Plaza, Cape Girardeau, MO, 63701; and D. Terry, Dep. of Agriculture, Western Illinois Univ., Macomb, IL 61455. Received 24 Mar. 1995. 'Corresponding author (C663asa@semovm.semo.edu). Published in J. Nat. Resour. Life Sci. Educ. 25:66-70 (1996). wish to pursue graduate education. On the other hand, the production agronomy option is less science oriented and usually places a greater emphasis on production courses and, in some cases, agribusiness. Students entering this option generally wish to pursue careers in farming and farm management, agronomy positions with agribusiness, or governmental agencies. The production option remains a viable study program because (i) students desire the careers that the major represents (Terry and Gray, 1990), and (ii) the local farming sector provides sufficient numbers of career positions to maintain a rough equilibrium with the numbers of graduates (Thompson and Massey, 1989). Although agricultural majors had declined during the 1980s and into the 1990s, the declines in student enrollment were greater in the social sciences, leading some investigators to speculate that students are pursuing degree programs with clearly outlined career potentials (Thompson and Massey, 1989; Levine, 1990). Indeed, Terry and Gray (1990) suggest that interest in farming remains strong but that perceptions about its career potential limit student participation. Nelson (1983) addressed the need for production-oriented courses to promote problem solving skills. Concurring with Nelson's study, Johnson and Birkenholz (1990) and Beck (1990) suggested that agriculture courses need to place greater emphasis on the higher order thinking skills. In a review of Utah State University plant science alumni, respondents stressed oral and written communication, computer competence, the basic sciences, and soil science as key areas to be reinforced within the undergraduate experience (Long et al., 1992). The curriculum renewal project at Cook College, Rutgers, placed greater emphasis on cornAbbreviations: IPM, integrated pest management; ARCPACS, The American Registry of Certified Professionals in Agronomy, Crops, and Soils. 66 • J. Nat. Resour. Life Sci. Educ., Vol. 25, no. 1, 1996 puter competence, the out-of-classroom experience, and multidisciplinary colloquia (Merritt and Hamm, 1994). Similarly, plant breeding programs are increasingly stressing biotechnology (Lee et al., 1990; Bubeck, 1990). Hence, curricular change occurs because of assessment, technological advancement, new career opportunities, professional certification, and a need to stress interpersonal skills and ethics. Karnok et al. (1993) surveyed 4-yr turfgrass programs and reported a substantial science and mathematics component: biochemistry (54% of programs), calculus (25%), genetics (54%), organic chemistry (88%), plant physiology (67%), physics (54%), accounting (67%), computer science (79%), and economics (88%). Similarly, Daniels et (1992) reviewed a baccalaureate degree program in environmental science at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University with requirements of calculus, physics, organic chemistry, and geology. Groffman et al. (1991) reviewed environmentally oriented soil science curricula at the Univ. of Rhode Island that included 36 h in the basic sciences with a mathematics requirement of calculus and statistics. Thus, basic science and mathematics continue to be fundamental academic requisites in the life sciences and agriculture. Clearly, mathematics and basic science competency is imperative for the agronomy major. Compelling reasons for addressing the adequacy of the mathematics and basic science requirements for production-oriented agronomy majors include: (i). assessment of the science and mathematics demands of the agronomy discipline, (ii) the increasing implementation of biotechnology in farming enterprises, (iii) preparation for graduate schools and/or mid-career opportunities, and (iv) the assessment of the balance between science and mathematics with written and oral communication skills, ethics, and other career competencies. Land-grant and nonland-grant universities generally have different mission statements to guide the direction and scope of their programs, especially land-grant universities engaged in research and graduate education. Production agriculture, as opposed to agricultural research, is an area of specialization where the orientation of the land-grant and nonland-grant universities might be similar. No recent pedagogical work has shown if the mission statements of nonland-grant and land-grant universities have influenced the relative amount of basic science and mathematics instruction in the production-oriented agronomy major. The purpose of this paper was to develop: (i) a comparison of the requirements of the two institutional categories, that is, land-grant and nonland-grant, and (ii) an assessment of how well course requirements at the various institutions satisfy ARCPACS certification standards.