Source: UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY submitted to NRP
SUPPORTING MULTICULTURAL SCHOLARS IN AGRICULTURE AT UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY: TOWARDS A DIVERSE AND HIGHLY SKILLED WORKFORCE
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
ACTIVE
Funding Source
OTHER GRANTS
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1031427
Grant No.
2024-38413-41460
Cumulative Award Amt.
$217,678.00
Proposal No.
2023-05719
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Dec 15, 2023
Project End Date
Dec 14, 2028
Grant Year
2024
Program Code
[KF]- Multicultural Scholars
Recipient Organization
UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY
(N/A)
LOGAN,UT 84322
Performing Department
Applied Science Technology & E
Non Technical Summary
The aim of this Multicultural Scholars Program (MSP)is to increase recruitment and retention of underrepresented students who receive baccalaureate degrees and are well prepared for professional and scientific careers in food and agricultural sciences. To address cultural disparities within the workforce, USU will focus efforts on the recruitment, mentoring and training of MSP scholars.Four pillars support the Utah State University (USU) MSPincluding:1. Professional development--professional networking, grow knowledgebase in agricultural science, collegial interactions, and a clear understanding of the impact of agricultural sciences on society.2. Research Skills--collection and analysis of data, running statistics, lab work, disseminating research, etc.3. Sense of belonging--participation with USU cultural clubs and organizations, CAAS week, Connections (i.e., a program that introduces freshmen to college, etc.4. Cultural awarenessistorical foundations in one's culture; exploration, synthesis, and discuss systemic inequity in society for minoritized and underrepresented populations; etc.Human capital is essential to meeting workforce needs, yet today's agricultural employers throughout the U.S. report shortages of skilled workers (Goeker, et al., 2015). This shortage is the result of a training gap that is exacerbated by a higher education participation gap; there is a proportionally lower participation by minority students in higher education than white, non-Hispanic students, particularly those seeking degrees in STEM fields. Enrollments at USU follow this pattern with the proportion of minority students seeking agricultural or food sciences degrees not reflecting the demographics of our local, regional, and national populations. This project seeks to meet workforce demands in agriculture and food sciences by beginning to close the gaps in training and participation in agriculture and food sciences by identifying and recruiting MSP Scholars and by providing resources to promote their success in completing baccalaureate degrees.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
90360103020100%
Knowledge Area
903 - Communication, Education, and Information Delivery;

Subject Of Investigation
6010 - Individuals;

Field Of Science
3020 - Education;
Goals / Objectives
GoalThe aim of this MSP proposal is to increase recruitment and retention of underrepresented students who receive baccalaureate degrees and are well prepared for professional and scientific careers in food and agricultural sciences. To address cultural disparities within the workforce, USU will focus efforts on the recruitment, mentoring and training of MSP scholars through the following objectives.Objectives1.Recruit and select seven underrepresented minority students as College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences (CAAS) MSP Scholars2.Provide scholarships to underrepresented/underserved students pursuing education in food and agricultural sciences.3.Provide MSP scholars pre-professional development and training opportunities through internships and industry experiences.4.Provide opportunities for MSP scholars to engage in research and present their research findings.5.Provide MSP scholars with opportunities for cultural development through engagement in study abroad.6.Provide MSP scholars with opportunities for personal development through participation in campus organizations including Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources & Related Sciences (MANRRS), an organization that promotes academic and professional advancement of minoritized populations in the agricultural sciences.
Project Methods
Borrowing from educational research, MSP at Utah State University (USU) will be following small cohorts of MSP students over their academic years. Students will participate in Four Pillars while taking part in the MSP:Recruitment of ParticipantsThe MSP at USU will be open to any eligible student from a traditionally underrepresented group in the agricultural sciences. These groups include primarily Native Americans (mostly Navajo and Ute) and Latinos. The MSP at USU will be open to any eligible student from a traditionally underrepresented group. We will recruit from 1) high school agricultural science programs and 2) the USU Blanding and Price Campuses. Co-PI's Drs. Sorensen and Burrows both work closely with the school-based agricultural education (SBAE) community in Utah. During their visits with SBAE programs and at state events, they will inform teachers and students about the MSP at USU.Efforts and ActivitiesService learning and professional development through professional organizations and MANRRSEvaluation: Exploring students' learning through personal reflective journaling and short semi-structured interviews/questionnaires following participation in the service learning and/or professional developmento Professional Development and Workshops§ Internships· Evaluation--Student journaling, student performance during the internship (mentor perspective), and students' learning that took place during the internship (student questionnaire and/or short semi-structured interviewso Formal Mentoring§ Evaluation: Examine and code available mentor/mentee meeting notes and required documentso Experiential and Formal Learning in Agricultural Science Programs§ Evaluation: The following information will be collected (e.g., Students' standing, credit hours, and course grades will be collected and taken into consideration as the students' progress through their academic years at USU) and reviewed each academic year to evaluate students' progress through the MSP.Summer Internship Program with Local Agricultural Businesses/IndustriesEvaluation: Review feedback from both the student and the supervisor of the internship assigned to each student, as well as any progress reports or evaluations conducted by said business or organizationso Research and Presentation Skills§ Participate in Undergraduate Research and Creative Opportunities (URCO)· Evaluation: Students will have opportunities to apply and receive grants through the USU Office of Research, as well as opportunities to present their research in the Fall and/or Spring USU Research SymposiumsReports·Assessment Reports for Reporting AgenciesEvaluation: Students' progress through each year of the MSP will be assessed and evaluated--through academic course grades, grade point average, and participation in mandatory/voluntary MSP programming and events (e.g., professional development, experimental learning, conferences, etc.)Program Changes/ModificationsEvaluation: Any needed program changes based on feedback from regular assessments (e.g., questionnaires, interviews)

Progress 12/15/23 to 12/14/24

Outputs
Target Audience:During the first year of the grant cycle, the population focused on students attending Utah State University in their freshman, sophomore, and junior years and transfer students studying agriculture, including agricultural education, veterinary science, agricultural law, etc. Furthermore, these students included students fulfilling the grant's eligibility requirements, including those from minoritized populations (e.g., race, class, first-generation, etc.). Changes/Problems:On January 1, 2024, the Utah Governor signed into law H.B. 261 Equal Opportunity Act (https://le.utah.gov/~2024/bills/static/HB0261.html), which made it illegal for Utah public post-secondary educational institutions to eradicate diversity, equity, and inclusions on their campuses. Thus, the Multicultural Scholars Program's recruiting and awarding immediately stopped. Dr. Courtney Clausen, the PI for the Utah State University (USU) Multicultural Scholars Program, contacted USU's General Counsel four times to request guidance regarding the grant. During the Summer 2024 semester, Dr. Clausen successfully gained assistance from the General Counsel, and ultimately, the USU Team was allowed to move forward with student recruitment during the Fall 2024 semester. In addition, during the grant's recruitment and awarding efforts, we ended up with two freshmen, three sophomores, and two juniors/transfer students in the program. We had planned on having three freshmen in this program. However, only two freshmen applied and received the award, so we awarded the sophomore a position in the UASP instead of three freshmen. Therefore, the allocated money shifted from a single freshman to one sophomore. This allowed all applicants to grow and thrive in their majors surrounding the agricultural sciences. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Nothing Reported How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Nothing Reported What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Fortunately, during the Spring 2025 semester (Year 2), we have hit the ground running and have created students opportunities meetingGoals 3, 4, & 5with an industry tour, AANRRS/MANRRS events, and introductory conversations about student research. In addition, the MSP team will bring in all of the scholars to discuss their research interests, UASP Scholars will have the opportunity to travel to the MANRRS Region VI 2025 Cluster Conference, and take part in contests.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? During the Year 1 Grant Cycle, the USU team worked diligently to recruit and award students identified as underrepresented and first-generation students working on a degree in the agricultural sciences, including two freshmen, three sophomores, and two juniors/transfer students (Goal 1). These seven students identified as USU Universal Aggies Scholars Program (UASP) were awarded scholarship funding for the Fall 2024 and Spring 2025 semesters (Goal 2). Meeting two goals within the 1st Grant Cycle was not the plan for the MSP. Unfortunately, over six months, the Utah State Legislature passed laws that may have made the MSP Grant illegal based on USU's funding from the State of Utah once the MSP Grant director/assistant directors were permitted to move ahead with recruitment and the awarding of scholars' position within the UASP. As we entered the Year 2 Grant Cycle, we moved ahead with meeting and exceeding our MSP Goals. The 2nd YearGrant Cycle progress report will list these activities and opportunities aligned with Goals 3, 5, and 6.

Publications