Progress 09/01/05 to 08/31/08
Outputs
After some unexpected faculty hire delays due to the limited number of qualified applicants available to work in remote AK, Drumbeats Round 5 met most of it's goals and objectives and in some areas, exceeded project expectations. Goal 1: To promote rural AK community and K-12 student interest in the food and agricultural sciences through outreach and education. - Workshops, conferences, specialized training sessions and advisory councils have increased awareness of and interest in the USDA sciences in rural AK, as evidenced by community participation in such events. The more targeted marketing and recruitment effort that is underway should add to this interest by reaching a wider audience. Goal 2: To create a career pathway into food and agricultural sciences for AK Natives through the development of 4 new post-secondary certificates and a new Associate of Science Degree. - 2 new certs., one in High Latitude Range Management (HLRM) and the other in Veterinary Science (VTS), and a new Associate of Science degree have been added to the CRCD catalog of offerings. These certificates and degree were not previously available in AK and offer residents new career USDA opportunities that were not available prior to this funding. 2 other certs., Environmental Science (ENVS) and Ethnobotany (EBOT), are expected to complete the academic review process this school year. 32 new specialized courses have been developed and many have been offered, attracting strong student enrollments. 5 new science faculty were hired, enhancing the ability of extended campuses to provide coursework and to engage students in locally-relevant research. Goal 3: To increase the number of AK Natives enrolled in courses leading to a cert. or degree in the food and agricultural sciences. - The student support objectives of Goal 3 have been met during the funding period, particularly for VTS and HLRM. Although the other 2 certs. have not yet been approved, students are enrolling in courses and stating their intention to complete the course of study. Most current students are focusing on the specialized courses; however, some are beginning to complete the GERs required for the cert. Students are being somewhat less successful in these general courses and some must take developmental courses prior to attempting the GERs. The participation numbers in both the courses and in the certs. that have been approved are high relative to the student pool at any one campus. It is likely that local demand is being met at present and that future program growth, or even maintenance, will require recruitment across the CRCD region. Goal 4: Through scholarships, provide access to education for rural Alaskans in the USDA disciplines. - To date, 12 students in VTS and 11 in HLRM have received financial assistance. 7 students at the EBOT summer camp have received funding and Bristol Bay has identified 19 students who are receiving substantial, multi-year support, giving a total of 49 students who are either admitted to or intending to seek admittance to a cert. program. Kuskokwim also supported 18 addt'l students in an EBOT seminar and Bristol Bay funded another 5 students in the ENVS intro course. PRODUCTS: 32 new courses were developed: 8 in High Latitude Range Management, 5 in Ethnobotany, 13 in Veterinary Science, and 6 in Environmental Science. These new courses were developed with a distance delivery model, unique to the rural setting in Alaska. As a marketing/recruitment tool, logos were developed for each of the 4 targeted programs and the consortium as a whole. Posters, fliers, and newspaper ads were created to highlight the 4 programs and showcased the new logos. Kuskokwim Campus began development of a field guide for identifying local flora for use by the community as well as students. Bristol Bay supported 12 students in summer internships with environmental and natural resource agencies in the region. Kuskokwim Campus sponsored a student exchange with Windward Community College in Hawaii. Summer academic camps were conducted by Kuskokwim in 2006 and 2007 to provide 39 college-bound high school students with intensive instruction in mathematics and science. a field guide for identifying local flora for use by the community as well as students. Bristol Bay supported 12 students in summer internships with environmental and natural resource agencies in the region. Kuskokwim Campus sponsored a student exchange with Windward Community College in Hawaii. Summer academic camps were conducted by Kuskokwim in 2006 and 2007 to provide 39 college-bound high school students with intensive instruction in mathematics and science.
DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES: Northwest Campus cosponsored the Reindeer Herders Association meetings to provide an annual forum for on going discussions, disseminating current research findings, and planning new research in reindeer herd and high latitude range management. Bristol Bay Campus hosted the Western Alaska Interdisciplinary Science Conference to promote environmental literacy which involved 183 participants from academic, governmental, tribal and natural resource agencies in Alaska as well as Washington, Montana and Texas. Face-to-face information dissemination has been augmented by print-based materials. The Consortium developed a more aggressive outreach and marketing campaign that is being implemented for the current (2008/09) academic year. New posters and fliers have been created, printed and distributed to each of the villages that the campuses serve. Program ads appeared in all regional newspapers in late August and early September. These new informational materials are directed at the general public as well as specific audiences such as students, parents and K-12 educators. FUTURE INITIATIVES: Continue to market the new certificates/degrees across the CRCD region. Explore ways to simplify cross-campus enrollment and student support. Develop a standard student tracking system that can provide information on student persistence from semester to semester, student progress in both specialized courses and GERs and student success. Where needed, consider providing intensive developmental coursework to speed up student completion of the certificates.
Impacts
1. Rural residents will earn degrees that can lead to much needed employment opportunities and stronger communities in terms of increased self-sufficiency, food security and better animal health care. 2. Rural residents will consider careers in USDA sciences for themselves and/or their children. 3. Students enrolled in USDA training, certificates and degrees will gain knowledge in science and research skills that can be applied to local situations. 4. Students completing USDA certificates will continue on to complete an associate or higher degree. 5. Program completers will seek employment with local agencies and/or develop small businesses based on their skills and knowledge. 6. Graduates of these academic programs will qualify for many local jobs, particularly in the natural resource management field, that are currently held by imported professionals.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 09/01/06 to 08/31/07
Outputs
The Veterinary Science and High Latitude Range Management certificates were approved by the Board of Regents in September, 2007. The importance of this accomplishment should be put in context: because curriculum review committees did not have faculty representatives with experience in these subject areas, they appeared to have difficulty in evaluating the appropriateness of the proposed course content, sequence and materials. As a result, Drum Beats faculty and campus directors spent considerable time working with UAF science faculty to strengthen the proposals, particularly with respect to labs, and then explaining and defending the proposals to the various committees. Although all agree that the resulting certificates are stronger because of this scrutiny, it made for a difficult and even more time-consuming process. Despite the hurdles encountered in the never-before-attempted delivery of science-based coursework by distance to rural Alaska students, 22 students
have taken the sequenced courses in veterinary science and 9 in the HLRM program and have indicated the intention to enroll in the newly-approved certificates. The Environmental Science and Ethnobotany certificates are scheduled for academic review in spring 2008. The AS in General Science has been approved as far as the Curriculum Review Committee; this certificate is expected to be approved by the Board of Regents at the spring 2008 meeting. CES staff assisted two campuses with certificate development and spearheaded the development of a horticulture certificate. USDA Higher Ed website is up and running with information on each of the new certificate programs available to readers at http://www.uaf.edu/outreach/clearinghouse/index.html.
PRODUCTS: Among the products of the project were 8 new courses in Veterinary Science; 2 in Ethnobotany; 9 in High Latitude Range Management and 4 in Environmental Science. Two new certificate programs were approved by Board of Regents: the Veterinary Science program and the High Latitude Range Management Program. There are also four new certificate programs under development/curricular review:Environmental Science/Studies;Ethnobotany;Horticulture; and the Associate of Science. Two Summer Science Camps were hosted at the Kuskokwim Campus and at the Northwest Campus.CD-ROMs were also developed for course delivery enhancement for the Introduction to Veterinary Science course. All Veterinary Science courses have been redesigned for and are being delivered via Elluminate Live! a distance delivery modality that features enhanced communication and posting capabilities. Finally, the project was evaluated by an outside evaluator and results and recommendations shared with the consortium
members (e.g., rural campus directors) in Dillingham, Bethel, Nome, Kotzebue and Fairbanks.
OUTCOMES: One of the most important outcomes of the project has been the entry of Alaska Native students into science-based programs. This outcome relates to both the science programs themselves, but also to the necessary math and English required to be successful in the programs since, in many cases, students enter college testing at a developmental level in both these subjects. Student interest in new science-based programs has helped students persist through these diffucult courses and has resulted in the following unduplicated numbers of students in certificate-related courses over the year: 71 in Veterinary Science; 11 in High Latitude Range Management; 12 in Environmental Science; and 8 in Ethnobotany.
DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES: 1. Continued sponsorship and participation in UAF Science Education Outreach network which received 110,240 hits between September 2006 and August 2007. http://www.uaf.edu/outreach/clearinghouse/index.html 2. Completion of USDA Drumbeats Project newsletter in spring 2006. Newsletter available on UAF USDA Drumbeats website: http://drumbeats.uaf.edu/ . Website includes blog for USDA personnel to share information.
FUTURE INITIATIVES: Futrue initiatives of the project include, as mentioned above, the utlimate approval of the Environmental Science, Ethnobotany, Horticulture and Associate of (General) Science through the Board of Regents. Furthermore, the Veterinary Science certificate will be expanded to create an Associates degree through the development and offering of 200-level VTS courses which will, in turn, pave the way for students wishing to continue their studies even as far as Veterinary School. The future of the Drumbeats Higher Ed project beyond the funding period consists of the availability of these highly relevant, science-based certificates for regional and cross-regional students indefinitely. These science-based certificate programs will provide place-based educational opportunities to promote employment in the areas of food and agriculture small business development, animal care, resource management, and other pursuits long after the conclusion of funding. Of critical
importance is the fact that these certificates lay the groundwork for students to pursue associates, bachelors and higher degrees if their needs and interests so require. In other words, students graduating with any of these four science-based certificates will be positioned to move forward into higher degrees without delay or wasted coursework. All courses developed under this initiative will become a permanent resource of the developing campus; such activity strengthens the institution through ongoing tuition income and helps ensure its relevance and viability for years to come.
Impacts
1. Students completing new science-based certificates are expected to be better prepared for local employment in resource management, tribal administration, and veterinary care and to create new, local small businesses. 2. Students will be better prepared and more likely to undertake completion of associate, bachelors and higher degrees after completing the new science-based certificates. 3. Students completing new science-based certificates will reduce non-local hire in rural Alaska in the areas of resource management, tribal administration, and veterinary services. 4. The rural campuses are now better aware of the resources, programs and expertise available at each other's campuses and faculty are working cooperatively to develop distance-delivered courses that will benefit all rural students embarking on a science-based certificate. 5. Availability of highly relevant, science-based certificates for regional and cross-regional students into the indefinite future. 6.
Positive impacts on future employment, efficacy of local action in the areas of resource management and sustainability of resources and on local self-determination. 7. Due to the strenuous academic review to which the new certificates have been subjected, CRCD and Fairbanks science faculty have had many more opportunities for extended discussions, joint curriculum planning and course delivery. These relationships have both expanded CRCD's ability to offer rigorous science-based certificates and have also increased Fairbanks faculty knowledge of the strengths and challenges of rural program delivery.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 09/01/05 to 08/31/06
Outputs
All objectives are on schedule or completed: VTS AS program is scheduled for presentation to BOR approval fall 2006. 22 students are enrolled in the proposed VTS certificate as of fall 2006. Four E-Live courses were developed and will be offered fall semester. Environmental Science AAS program scheduled for academic review fall 2006. Ethno-botany certificate objective on schedule. High Latitude Range Management certificate objective on schedule for acedemic review fall 2006 with nine students in pipeline. AS in General Science approved through Curriculum Review and ready for continuation toward approval. Curriculum development workshop hosted for faculty by CES 4/06. CES staff provided technical assistancevwith certificate development to two campuses. USDA Higher Ed website up and running with information on each of the new certificate programs available to readers (http://www.uaf.edu/outreach/clearinghouse/index.html).
PRODUCTS: 1) New courses developed: Veterinary Science: 8; Ethno-botany: 2; Environmental Science: 4 High Latitude Range Management: 9. 2) New certificate programs to be sent 9/06 for Board of Regents approval: Veterinary Science. 3) 2006 Summer Science Camps hosted: Kuskokwim Campus; Northwest Campus. 4) CD-ROMs developed for course delivery enhancement: Introduction to Veterinary Science.
OUTCOMES: Unduplicated students taking new courses developed as part of science-based certificate programs FY 2006: Interior-Aleutians Campus: Veterinary Science: 80. Chukchi Campus: Veterinary Science: 7. Bristol Bay Campus: Environment Science: 50. Northwest Campus: High Latitude Range Management: 9. Kuskokwim Campus: Ethno-botany: 26.
DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES: 1)Continued sponsorship and participation in UAF Science Education Outreach network which received 142,296 hits between April 2005 and February 2006. http://www.uaf.edu/outreach/clearinghouse/index.html. 2)Completion of USDA Drumbeats Project newsletter in spring 2006. Newsletter available on UAF USDA Drumbeats website: http://drumbeats.uaf.edu. 3)Completion of USDA Drumbeats Project newsletter in spring 2006. Newsletter available on UAF USDA Drumbeats website: http://drumbeats.uaf.edu/. Website includes blog for USDA personnel to share information. 4)USDA Higher Ed Project Advisory Committee Meeting, July 26, 2006. Sharing of evaluation results (see Publications above) with statewide stakeholders.
FUTURE INITIATIVES: The future of the Drumbeats Higher Ed project beyond the funding period consists of the availability of these highly relevant, science-based certificates for regional and cross-regional students indefinitely. These science-based certificate programs will provide relevant, place-based educational opportunities to promote employment in the areas of small business development, resource management, tribal administration and other pursuits long after the conclusion of funding. Of critical importance is the fact that these certificates lay the groundwork for students to pursue associates, bachelors and higher degrees if their needs and interests so require. In other words, students graduating with any of these four science-based certificates will be positioned to move forward into higher degrees without delay or wasted coursework. All courses developed under this initiative will become a permanent resource of the developing campus; such activity strengthens the
institution through ongoing tuition income and helps insure its future relevance and viability for years to come.
Impacts
1)Students completing new science-based certificates will be prepared for local employment in resource management, tribal administration, and veterinary care and to create new, local small businesses. 2)Students will be better prepared and more likely to undertake completion of associate, bachelors and higher degrees after completing new certificates. 3)Students completing certificates will reduce non-local hire. 4)New and significant amounts of coordination, and resource and human resource sharing now occurs between campuses of CRCD. Faculty work cooperatively to develop distance-delivered courses, e.g.,Interior-Aleutians Campus has a developmental science course (Introduction to Science, DEVS F100) and Biology 105X which will be available to any certificate-seeking student at any rural campus. Bristol Bay Campus and the CES have developed Biology 106X likewise available to any certificate-seeking student at any rural campus. Together, these two courses to will
complete the required one-year core biology requirement for students participating in USDA-funded science-based certificate programs. Other collaborations and cooperation of similar kind will develop as this program progresses toward completion. This positive impact was an unexpected outcome of our USDA-funded project. 5)Availability of highly relevant, science-based certificates for regional and cross-regional students into the indefinite future. 6)Positive impacts on future employment, efficacy of local action in resource management;sustainability of resources and local self-determination.
Publications
- An Evaluation of the Higher Education Project Sponsored by the United States Department of Agriculture and the University of Alaska Fairbanks by Edgar J. Boone, Ph.D., August 18, 2006. This document is an evaluation of results achieved during the initial three and one-half years of USDA Higher Education Project funding.
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