scholarly journals University Student and Faculty Needs, Barriers, and Expectations of International Efforts and Opportunities: A Closer Look at One Land-Grant University’s College of Agriculture

2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stuart Estes ◽  
Maggie Jo Hansen ◽  
Leslie D. Edgar

International academic opportunities have gained increased attention among students, faculty, and administration at American universities. It is important for agricultural students to have an awareness and understanding of agricultural policy and issues in the United States and other countries. Also, faculty who have personal and professional ties internationally are often the link for these students to engage in global experiences. This study used descriptive survey methodology to assess students (N = 773) and faculty (N = 85) at the University of Arkansas about their perceptions of international experiences, as well as what they saw as the most influential barriers and influencers to participating in international experiences. Students noted their parents (M = 3.30) as the most impactful influence for deciding whether or not to engage in an international experience, and cost (M = 3.92) was perceived as the most influential barrier to an international experience. Faculty noted money (84.2%) and time (80.7%) as barriers, and about one-half of the faculty wished to collaborate with institutions in Europe. Faculty perceived that institutional financial support should be provided to both faculty and students (74.1%). This study notes student influencers and barriers and faculty needs and provides recommendations for improving international learning experiences and opportunities for future research.

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 96-110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leslie D. Edgar ◽  
Don W. Edgar ◽  
Olivia Caillouet ◽  
Catherine Dobbins

International programs (IP) continue to grow in importance. There is an increased demand from employers and communities for globally competent individuals, yet only 2.3% of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences (Bumpers College) students studied abroad in an agriculture-related program during the 2014 and 2015 academic year. This study used descriptive survey methods with University of Arkansas undergraduate students enrolled in Fall 2017 Bumpers College courses (n = 1,758) to determine their perceptions of international experiences. These perceptions included identifying the most influential barriers and benefits to participation. The majority of students were interested in short-term faculty-led programs (n = 1,190, 72.1%), followed by international internships (n = 760, 46%). Students wanted to participate in an IP during summer I (n = 1,138, 69%), followed by summer II (n = 839, 50.8%). Based on a 5-point Likert-type scale, students reported “cost is too high” (M = 3.83, SD = 1.10) and being “too busy with school” (M = 3.27, SD = 1.18) as the most influential barriers to participating in an IP. Using the same Likert-type scale, students reported an IP being a “lifechanging opportunity” (M = 4.49, SD = 1.75) and “sets me apart when applying for grad school/jobs” (M = 4.27, SD = 1.90) as the most influential benefits. The fact that 5.5% of the students surveyed had participated in an IP confirms that the Bumpers College requires more immersion in order to meet the University of Arkansas goal for 25% international participation by 2020.


2021 ◽  
Vol 29 (S1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Siti Nor Aisyah Akhwan ◽  
Dharatun Nissa Puad Mohd Kari ◽  
Salleh Amat ◽  
Mohd Izwan Mahmud ◽  
Abu Yazid Abu Bakar ◽  
...  

Every year, thousands of Malaysian students are sent to study abroad by the Ministry of Education Malaysia (MOE) which causes several underestimated stress, especially those faced by the Muslims. This qualitative study aimed to explore the challenges of acculturation among Malaysian Muslim students studying abroad. The researchers adopted a phenomenological design approach to develop in-depth understanding of the topic. The six respondents in the study were former Malaysian students studying in Australia, the United States of America, South Korea, India, Jordan, and the United Kingdom. The respondents were interviewed, and the interview protocol guided the interview until the data reached saturation. The data obtained were analyzed in stages, starting with descriptive coding, topic coding, analytical coding, and themes identification. This process was done using Atlas. ti 8 software. The main findings highlight two research themes: the challenges to expose Islamic identity and practicing the Islamic lifestyle. Findings also suggest that Malaysian Muslim students should consider improving Islamic knowledge as it reflects the impressions of other religions on Muslims as a whole. This study’s findings are important for the student sponsorship and student welfare section of the university in providing an appropriate counselling program for international students dealing with acculturation issues. We also suggest that future research explore acculturation challenges to identify the holistic need of the multicultural counselling service.


2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-85
Author(s):  
Samantha Jordan ◽  
Christopher Stripling ◽  
Christopher Boyer ◽  
Carrie Stephens ◽  
Nathan Conner

Students’ academic-related perceptions, beliefs, and strategies are fundamental elements that influence teaching and learning within colleges of agriculture. This study investigated students’ academic efficacy, academic self-handicapping, and skepticism about the relevance of school for future success at the University of Tennessee’s Herbert College of Agriculture. The students were academically efficacious, rarely self-handicapped, and did not doubt the relevance of their degree. In addition, a low negative association was found between academic efficacy and self-handicapping, a negligible relationship was found between academic efficacy and skepticism about the relevance of school for future success, and a moderate relationship was found between academic self-handicapping and skepticism about the relevance of school for future success. Therefore, instructors are encouraged to move past traditional lecture-based instruction and challenge their students at higher cognitive levels, which will allow students to realistically explore the complexities of agriculture. Furthermore, academic self-handicapping may be an indicator of lower academic efficacy and/or skepticism about the relevance of a student’s degree. Future research should further explore these relationships.  


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shelby Scott

Gun violence is a central public concern in the United States, annually leading to the deaths of 36,000 individuals and the non-fatal injuries of 85,000 others. It has been called an epidemic and a public health crisis. In May of 2019, a diverse group of researchers participated in a workshop at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. This workshop was sponsored by the Center for the Dynamics of Social Complexity (DySoC) and the National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis (NIMBioS). The objectives of this workshop were to review the existing approaches on the mathematics and modeling of gun violence, identify and prioritize areas in the field that require further research, develop cross-disciplinary collaborations to gain new perspectives, and suggest research and data collection that could assist evidence-based policy recommendations. The purpose of this report is to present some of the responses to the mentioned objectives and to suggest areas of future research .


Author(s):  
Janette Wheat ◽  
Patricia Shavers ◽  
Marilyn Bailey

Domestic minor sex trafficking (DMST) is modern-day slavery of children and the commercial sexual abuse of children through buying, selling, or trading their sexual services.  DMST is a form of child abuse.  The victim can be any person of nationality, age, socioeconomic status, or gender. In America, throughout college campuses, a lot of students are not informed of domestic minor sex trafficking. When thinking about domestic minor sex trafficking, most people do not think that this crime happens in our country, better yet our state of Arkansas. The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of college students attending the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff on domestic minor sex trafficking in our country and in our state of Arkansas (a crime that is growing aggressively in the United States). Fifty participants who were students attending the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff participated in the study. Participants consisted of male and female students between the ages of 18 to 25 (N = 30 Females; N = 20 Males). Survey data were analyzed using Microsoft Excel software. Participants responded to ten yes or no descriptive questions about domestic minor sex trafficking (e.g., Questions like: have you heard about domestic minor sex trafficking; and do you think child sex trafficking is an organized crime). The data yielded both quantitative and qualitative results. Results showed that female students were more knowledgeable and were more aware of DMST than males. Implications for interventions will be discussed. Further research also is suggested.


HortScience ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
pp. 876e-876
Author(s):  
Danielle Williams ◽  
Teddy Morelock ◽  
Eddy Stiles

There are four southernpea breeding programs left in the United States: USDA-South Carolina, Louisiana, Texas and the largest at University of Arkansas. Selected breeding lines from these programs are grown in the Southernpea Cooperative Trial along with industry standards as checks. The yield trial is conducted in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Texas. Each location collects yield data; at the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville samples are also canned at the Department of Food Science Pilot Plant Facility. The process we use for canning southernpeas is similar to that used in the industry. Dry weights are recorded then soaked overnight in water. Imbibed weights are recorded after the peas are drained, blanched, and cooled. A weighed amount of peas are placed in each can; prepared brine (water, salt, and preservatives) is poured to the top of the can. The cans are sealed then cooked in a retort. The cans set a month before the tasting evaluation. For the tasting evaluation we use a minimum of 10 individuals for a consumer panel. Panelists rate pea color, liquor color, wholeness, texture, flavor, and the general appearance on a scale of 1–10, 10 being best. The industry standards are included, these are used as checks. This allows breeders to see how their lines look and taste as a canned product.


HortScience ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 495A-495 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matt Stephens ◽  
Melody Gray ◽  
Edward Moydell ◽  
Julie Paul ◽  
Tree Sturman ◽  
...  

The University of Delaware Botanic Gardens (UDBG) is at a critical juncture in its development. Momentum of shared interest at the University of Delaware and the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources favors the Gardens' advancement as an institution. Having identified endowment planning as a critical and immediate need for UDBG, the goal of this research was to gather pertinent institutional knowledge from select university-based public gardens throughout the United States that had already created an endowment. Key staff were interviewed during the summer of 2005 at Cornell Plantations, JC Raulston Arboretum, Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, and the State Botanic Garden of Georgia. Valuable insights into the procurement and management of endowments within a university-based garden environment were gained through these interviews. Utilizing these results, as well as input from an advisory Task Force, specific recommendations for the University of Delaware Botanic Gardens were made from within the following topic areas: Organizational Structure, Planning, Current Strategies, The Endowment, and The Donor.


2020 ◽  
pp. 205699712097165
Author(s):  
Andrew Hansen

The task of moral formation has long been an important purpose of higher education in the United States. However, pluralism and lack of moral consensus within secular universities present significant challenges to accomplishing this task. One possible solution is Christian study centers, which offer thick moral cultures that can form students at secular universities within the Christian tradition. Anselm House’s Fellows Program at the University of Minnesota illustrates such a context and suggests avenues for future research.


Author(s):  
Katy Lane ◽  
Theresa Murphrey

Implementation of international experiences for students has increased. Anecdotal evidence suggests that these experiences enhance the quality of students upon graduation. However, a synthesis of literature related to the benefits of international experiences was lacking. We rooted the study’s conceptual framework in the concept of high-impact activities/experiences and related inputs, processes, and outcomes with a focus on the benefits of student participation in an international experience. Our purpose was to establish a benchmark documenting research conducted related to the benefits of an international experience and to identify research gaps. The rigorous literature review process identified 108 articles published across 55 unique publications for inclusion. Documentation of benefits was grouped into four categories: personal growth, international knowledge, cultural awareness, and additional skills. Further, the literature revealed a litany of reasons that students chose not to participate and a wide range of guidance for program planning. We conclude that research has documented specific benefits of students’ participation in international experiences; however, many of these studies are based on data collected immediately following the experience rather than longitudinal data. Our research synthesis provides a summary of benefits and program strategies for utilization by researchers in planning future research and by practitioners in planning future international experiences. Keywords: study abroad, international experience, benefit, cultural understanding, benchmark


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document