C O N T E N T S
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COLLEGE NEWS
- What’s in a name: Renaming the college
- Degree in sustainable ag systems proposed
- Ag faculty approve new animal science graduate majors
- ISU, Alabama A&M faculty work on teaching skills
- New web site has creative ag ideas for teachers
- College, university stats on international activities
- March 26 deadline for Leopold Center meeting proposals
- Sign up for ISU Extension awards luncheon March 29
- Dean’s international grants awarded to ag faculty
- Sign up by March 26 for NIH grant workshop
- Deadlines & Reminders
COMMUNICATIONS KIOSK
- ISU ag success stories on the web
INFOGRAZING
- What’s in a name: Trend is to rename ag colleges
- What’s in a name: Many variations on a theme
- What’s in a name: Some colleges of agriculture remain
- What’s in a name: From 1995-2000 strategic plan
EXTERNAL VOICES
- Poor countries make poor markets for U.S. ag products
MARGINALIA
- The Swiss hills are alive with the sound of mooing
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C O L L E G E N E W S
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WHAT’S IN A NAME: RENAMING THE COLLEGE
The next step for renaming the College of Agriculture will be discussion in the Faculty Senate. Last month Dean Topel forwarded to the provost’s office a proposal to rename the college the College the Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. The proposal was the result of surveys and discussion among college faculty during the last few months. Seventy percent of ag faculty agreed the name should be changed. After discussing the results, the college’s Faculty Senate representatives recommended to Dean Topel that the name be changed to College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. They said the new name would better reflect the activities within the college. Also, this name was the one suggested in the college’s last five-year strategic plan. (See related items in Infograzing.)
DEGREE IN SUSTAINABLE AG SYSTEMS PROPOSED
An open meeting will be held March 30 to discuss a proposal for a new interdisciplinary major in sustainable agricultural systems. It would be the first comprehensive graduate program in sustainable agriculture offered in the country. The meeting will begin at 10 a.m. in 142 Curtiss Hall. A draft of the proposal is available on the web: http://www.ae.iastate.edu/SA_Program.html. For more information, or to comment in case you cannot attend: Mike Bell, 4-2129 or mikebell@iastate.edu; Matt Liebman, 4-7486 or mliebman@iastate.edu; or Tom Richard, 4-0465 or tlr@iastate.edu. Or send a query to a listserv (sustag@iastate.edu) set up for the proposal.
AG FACULTY APPROVE NEW ANIMAL SCIENCE GRADUATE MAJORS
College of Agriculture faculty have approved the restructuring of graduate majors in the Department of Animal Science. The changes also have been approved by the university’s graduate catalog and curriculum committee. The proposal next goes to the Faculty Senate curriculum committee, then to the full Faculty Senate and the Board of Regents. Animal science restructured its graduate programs from seven to five majors.
ISU, ALABAMA A&M FACULTY WORK ON TEACHING SKILLS
Thirteen ISU faculty and seven Alabama A&M faculty spent their spring break adding new techniques to their teaching bag of tricks. The faculty participated in a Project LEA/RN introductory workshop March 13-16, sponsored by a USDA Higher Education Challenge Grant. Jan Wiersema and Justin Benna of the College of Education led the workshop, assisted by forestry faculty Jan Thompson, Lita Rule, Joe Colletti and Steve Jungst. Project LEA/RN helps teachers increase student-centered learning activities. Alabama A&M faculty were from the colleges of agricultural and environmental sciences and of education. Participating ISU ag faculty were Gary Atchison, animal ecology; Terri Boylston, Ruth Litchfield and Aubrey Mendonca, food science & human nutrition; Jenni Briggs and Stuart Birrell, ag & biosystems engineering; Clark Coffman and JoAnne Powell-Coffman, zoology & genetics; and Allen Knapp and Mary Wiedenhoeft, agronomy. Faculty who have attended previous introductory LEA/RN workshops can participate in ongoing group meetings and an upcoming advanced workshop. More than 200 ISU faculty are involved with Project LEA/RN. For more information: Steve Jungst, 4-1587 or sejungst@iastate.edu
NEW WEB SITE HAS CREATIVE AG IDEAS FOR TEACHERS
The College of Agriculture is hosting a new Web site that will help Iowa teachers weave agriculture concepts into their curricula. The site, sponsored by the Iowa Agriculture Awareness Coalition, contains curricular ideas and links to IAAC member web sites and agricultural and environmental education sites around the world. The ideas can be integrated into math, social studies, science, nutrition, history and other subjects. IAAC is a nonprofit organization composed of 16 organizations interested in increasing awareness about the importance of agriculture. The web site can be found at: http://www.agaware.iastate.edu/
COLLEGE, UNIVERSITY STATS ON INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITIES
The College of Agriculture has 91 international agreements with 39 countries. In fiscal year 1998, ISU had 154 agreements with more than 50 countries. The college had 163 students participating in study-abroad programs in calendar year 1998. In fiscal 1998, the university had 588 students who studied abroad. (The ISU figures come from a report submitted to the state board of regents on Wednesday.)
MARCH 26 DEADLINE FOR LEOPOLD MEETING PROPOSALS
The proposal deadline is March 26 for the second-quarter conference/workshop and special event support program of the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture. For more information: Rich Pirog, 4-1854 or leopold@exnet.iastate.edu.
SIGN UP FOR ISU EXTENSION AWARDS LUNCHEON MARCH 29
Faculty and staff are welcome to attend a luncheon to honor their extension colleagues. The annual ISU Extension awards luncheon will be held March 29 in the Scheman Building. The cost is $12. To receive a registration form by e-mail, contact Carole Seifert, 4-1400 or x1seifer@exnet.iastate.edu.
DEAN’S INTERNATIONAL GRANTS AWARDED TO AG FACULTY
International Agriculture Programs has awarded $30,984 in Dean of Agriculture International Research Grants. Eleven projects were funded for work in 12 countries. The funds were awarded to faculty in nine departments. The grants are given to strengthen research collaborations in other countries. This was the second round of the grants this academic year. Last fall 15 grants totaling more than $40,000 were awarded.
SIGN UP BY MARCH 26 FOR NIH GRANT WORKSHOP
Contact Deanne Brill, 4-2517 or dbrill@iastate.edu, by March 26 if you plan to attend the grantsmanship workshop on NIH funding opportunities, March 30 at the Gateway Holiday Inn.
DEADLINES & REMINDERS
March 20: National Agriculture Day.
March 24: Agriculture Day at ISU.
March 26: Deadline, Leopold Center conference/workshop grants, 4-1854.
March 29: ISU Extension awards luncheon, Scheman Building, 4-1400.
March 30: Open meeting on establishing sustainable agriculture graduate program, 142 Curtiss, 10 a.m., 4-2129.
March 30: NIH Grants, Successful Grantsmanship workshop, Holiday Inn Gateway Center, 4-2517.
April 5: Deadline, ISU Internationalization/Globalization Grants proposals, 4-8802.
April 14: Using the ICN, Brenton Center workshop, 12:10 p.m., 4-1862.
April 19: Gamma Sigma Delta banquet, Great Hall, Memorial Union, 4-5904.
April 22-25: Metabolic Networking in Plants Conference, 4-7978.
April 29: Understanding World Bank Funding Opportunities, Successful Grantsmanship workshop, Memorial Union, 4-2517.
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C O M M U N I C A T I O N S K I O S K
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ISU AG SUCCESS STORIES ON THE WEB
Success stories of several College of Agriculture and ISU Extension programs are on the Web. There are 42 "impact statements" that list benefits to Iowans in areas of preparing graduates, promoting value-added agriculture, providing safe food, encouraging good nutrition, enhancing the environment and promoting economic development and quality of life. They were prepared as part of a national impact reporting process sponsored by USDA. The Impact for Iowans Web site is located at: http://www.ag.iastate.edu/news/impact.html
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I N F O G R A Z I N G
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WHAT’S IN A NAME: TREND IS TO RENAME AG COLLEGES
Many agricultural colleges in the country have changed their name from "College of Agriculture." ISU’s College of Agriculture is suggesting its name be changed to the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources (see College News). Currently, there is only one other college (Nebraska) with that name. Oklahoma State has a Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. Several universities (Maryland, Michigan State, Connecticut, Delaware, Rutgers) have a College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Four (Colorado State, Oregon State, Penn State, Clemson) have a College of Agricultural Sciences.
WHAT’S IN A NAME: MANY VARIATIONS ON A THEME
Thirty-six universities have agricultural colleges with names other than "College of Agriculture." Most include variations of the following words or phrases: agriculture, food, natural resources, forestry, agricultural sciences, life sciences, food sciences, environmental sciences, natural sciences, consumer sciences. Two universities (Washington State, New Mexico State) include home economics in their college title.
WHAT’S IN A NAME: SOME COLLEGES OF AGRICULTURE REMAIN
Besides Iowa State, 16 universities still use the name College of Agriculture: Auburn, Arizona, Georgia, Idaho, Purdue (called School of Agriculture), Kansas State, Kentucky, Louisiana State, Montana State, Nevada, North Dakota State, Ohio State, Tennessee, Utah State, Vermont and Wyoming.
WHAT’S IN A NAME: FROM THE 1995-2000 STRATEGIC PLAN
In March 1995, in its report on the College of Agriculture’s strategic plan for 1995-2000, the College Planning Advisory Committee recommended changing the college’s name to College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. The committee wrote: "The name of the college does not reflect the scope of its contemporary mission or programs and communicates a limited view to the citizens of Iowa, potential students and the world . . . (The) current name does not convey to clientele and students the breadth of services and expertise available from the college."
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E X T E R N A L V O I C E S
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POOR COUNTRIES MAKE POOR MARKETS FOR U.S. AG PRODUCTS
"With regard to agriculture, I can sum up our argument in five words: poor countries make poor markets. And developing countries make much better markets. For example, in 1996, two former aid recipients, South Korea and Taiwan, by themselves bought more agricultural commodities from the U.S. than the cost of USAID’s entire aid program worldwide . . . There is no longer any doubt that the money the developed nations invest in agricultural growth in developing nations leads to expanded export opportunities." J. Brian Atwood, administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, speaking on the value of U.S. foreign assistance programs at Thursday’s Global Agriculture and the American Midwest Conference at ISU. USAID’s funding for agricultural programs rose from $245 million in fiscal year 1997 to $306 million in fiscal 1999.
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M A R G I N A L I A
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THE HILLS ARE ALIVE WITH THE SOUND OF MOOING
A new Swiss law requires cows to be outside 13 days each winter month, a requirement to qualify for government incentive payments. The law, the latest in a series increasing the time cows must spend roaming outdoors, was based on the belief that movement is good for fertility and joint articulation. But no one seems happy with the result. Animal-rights advocates had lobbied for at least four required outings a week. Farmers must grapple with winter conditions or herd their cows across roads. The citizens of one town signed a petition demanding a farmer stop forcing his cattle out in bad weather. The law has clearly changed the Swiss landscape. Suddenly, many more cows dot the winter scene, when before they appeared only in warmer months. (Wall Street Journal, March 5)