Progress 09/15/07 to 08/31/11
Outputs
Target Audience: The target audience for this project are people who currently work within the agriculture industry at both the state and federal level. Offering the GARA program to thesurroundingMississippi Delta andLittle Rock/North Little Rock metropolitan area would make a graduate degree a viable option for working professionals with family obligations. Professionals with a real need for this advanced degree would also lay the foundation for our graduates to be better prepared to make meaningful contributions to our state and nation’s growing agricultural regulatory needs. Agriculture is Arkansas’ largest industry with approximately 20 percent of the state’s workers employed in agriculture related jobs. Both government agencies and private industries require employees that are well educated in this field. Agencies within USDA, Homeland Security and many other local, state and federal government entities have a need to hire employees with agricultural and regulatory expertise on a regular basis. For example, APHIS requires an increasingly proficient investigative work force for agricultural investigation positions. These individuals must have a broad-based, theoretical and conceptual understanding of agricultural science and governmental regulations related to agricultural health and animal welfare issues with the goal of preserving a safe, nutritious and wholesome food supply. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? One of the grant's objectives was toprovide distance learning training for the GARA program faculty, staff and pertinent graduate teaching assistants. Two trainings were provided along with one-on-one training to all interested faculty. Training is also still available and provided upon request by the School of Agriculture, Fisheries and Human Sciences technical resource staff. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? The results of the objectives contained in the grant have been outlined in Regulatory Science Program University of Arkansas Self Study Reports and in the School of Agriculture, Fisheries and Human Sciences "Request for Institutional Change to Offer the Master of Science Degree in Agricultural Regulations." What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
1. Develop a state-of-the-art distance learning classroom at the UAPB Little Rock/North Little Rock campus for the GARA program. The distance education classroom shall meet ancillary uses which include fostering collaborative teaching, adult education and outreach and research efforts with the UAPB Regulatory Science Center. A state-of-the-art distance learning classroom was established at the UAPB Little Rock/North Little Rock campus for the GARA program. The classroom is comprised of three largeformate displays, a Educator MXP Integrator Podium, a Wave II Camera, Tandberg Educator, Sony DVD/VCR combo Unit, Extron VGA DA P/2 DA4xi, VGA switcher, Vaddio ceiling mounted document camera, Polyvision walk and talk interactive panel, Integrated Master/Netlinx Controller, AMX Power Supply, Extron Small footprint amplifier, fourTANNOY ceiling speakers, Touch and Talk Microphone Package with ten microphones,10 multi Use Tables, 10 Spectrum Dual Power Modules, 20 Spectrum Adjustable Height Chairs and miscellaneous cables, connectors and accessories to connect and install all of the equipment.The classroom meets the needs for other collaborative uses in line with the UAPB SAFHS mission and the Regulatory Science Center program offerings. Also, the classroom is available to all appropriate classes that may have need of the distance technology. 2. Ensure efficient simultaneous offering of the GARA program at both the UAPB main campus and the Little Rock/North Little Rock campus. This objective has not been met. Work is currently being undertaken to reach this objective. 3. Provide distance learning training for the GARA program faculty, staff and pertinent graduate teaching assistants. Two trainings were provided along with one-on-one training to all interested faculty. 4. Establish on-line library holdings to supplement graduate lectures and research for the GARA program that can be utilized by all GARA program students at both sites. This objective was accomplished. An example of a database which was aquired by the University library was a campus-wide subscription to Westlaw. 5. Recruit and retain competent diverse graduate students in the Graduate Regulatory Affairs Program and the Agriculture Department. This objective was accomplished. Approximately six students were recruited each year. Recruitment activities are ongoing.
Publications
- Type:
Other
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2007
Citation:
School of Agriculture, Fisheries and Human Sciences. 2007. Request for Institutional Change to Offer the Master of Science Degree in Agricultural Regulations. University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff.
- Type:
Theses/Dissertations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2011
Citation:
Columbus, W. 2011. Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Swine Waste Treatment System on the UAPB Farm. University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Agricultural Department. Pine Bluff, AR.
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Progress 09/15/08 to 09/14/09
Outputs
The Master of Science Degree Program in Agricultural has made progress in several areas since the initial report in September 2007. We have enrolled 14 students into the graduate program. We have pursued and received program accreditation from the North Central Higher Learning Commission. We have created recruitment brochures and a display to be used at scientific meetings and recruitment events. We have recruited students at the 2008 National Society of Black Engineers National Meeting and other local recruitment events. Radio advertisements have also been run. We have approximately 98 percent of the graduate classes approved and on the schedule. We are currently in the process of installing distance education equipment at the North Little Rock site. teh initial location of the distance site changed and this caused a slight setback. A graduate student has been funded from this project and is nearing the completion of his graduate tenure. Membership in the National Association of Educational Procurement was purchased so as to facilitate the purchase and installation of the distance education equipment on a non-bid basis. PRODUCTS: We currently have 14 graduate students enrolled in the program. This number is higher than the projected level at this point in time. We also have 98 percent of the projected courses approved and on the graduate course schedule at this time. We are also in the the process of installing the distance education class room at a satilite campus and we are dealing with the change in venue of the distance site. The program graduated its first M.S. student in May 2010. OUTCOMES: With in the next five years we fully expect to graduate three to five graduate students per year with as much as half of those graduate students completing the program from the satilite site. We also expect to produce well trained master's level graduates, and meaningful agriculturally based master's level publications that will be of use to our stakeholders. DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES: We have disseminated information about the program through recruitment events, news articles, radio and presentations at scientific meetings. FUTURE INITIATIVES: We estimate that the distance education class room will be complete within a half-year and that we will have advertisements in key sites such as local malls and regional magazines which advertise the distance option.
Impacts
Potential students continue to inquire about the possiblity of taking graduate level courses at the North Little Rock site. Many of these potential students work full-time with state and federal government in an agricultural field and would benefit greatly from a M.S. in this field offered at the North Little Rock site. Utilizing our distance learning classroom at the main UAPB campus along with the distance learning class room proposed for the Little Rock/North Little Rock campus is a prime example of enhancing the effectiveness of new program delivery and instruction with limited resources. There is high demand for Master's level graduates with backgrounds in agricultural regulatory affairs with local, state and Federal agencies and businesses. Relatively few USDA agency personnel have Master's degrees in their field. This proposal will provide technology that will allow this graduate program to be offered in a market which has a real need for this training and eliminate program duplication in the process. The anticipated impact of this project will be increased numbers of highly trained agricultural regulatory affairs professionals.
Publications
- Columbus, W. and E. R. Buckner. 2010. Evaluating the effectiveness of a swine waste treatment system on the UAPB farm. USDA-NIFA Water Quality Conference, North Carolina. (Graduate Student Poster Presentation).
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Progress 09/15/07 to 09/14/08
Outputs
The Master of Science Degree Program in Agricultural has made progress in several areas since the initial report in September 2007. We have enrolled 10 students into the graduate program. This number is four (4) above the projected level for the first year of operation. We have pursued and received program accreditation from the North Central Higher Learning Commission. We are in the process of creating recruitment brochures and display to be used at scientific meetings and recruitment events. We have recruited students at the 2008 National Society of Black Engineers National Meeting and other local recruitment events. We have approximately 80 percent of the graduate classes approved and on the schedule. We are currently in the process of installing distance education equipment at the North Little Rock site. PRODUCTS: We currently have 10 graduate students enrolled in the program. This number is four more that the projected level at this point in time. We also have 80 percent of the projected courses approved and on the graduate course schedule at this time. We are also in the the process of installing the distance education class room at a satilite campus. OUTCOMES: With in the next five years we fully expect to graduate three to five graduate students per year with as much as half of those graduate students completing the program from the satilite site. We also expect to produce well trained master's level graduates, and meaningful agriculturally based master's level publications that will be of use to our stakeholders. DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES: We have disseminated information about the program through recruitment events, news articles and presentations at scientific meetings. FUTURE INITIATIVES: We estimate that the distance education class room will be complete within a year and that we will have advertisements in key sites such as local malls and regional magazines which advertise the distance option.
Impacts
Utilizing our distance learning classroom at the main UAPB campus along with the distance learning class room proposed for the Little Rock/North Little Rock campus is a prime example of enhancing the effectiveness of new program delivery and instruction with limited resources. There is high demand for Master's level graduates with backgrounds in agricultural regulatory affairs with local, state and Federal agencies and businesses. Relatively few USDA agency personnel have Master's degrees in their field. This proposal will provide technology that will allow this graduate program to be offered in a market which has a real need for this training and eliminate program duplication in the process. The anticipated impact of this project will be increased numbers of highly trained agricultural regulatory affairs professionals.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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