Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

Samuel Nahashon, Ph.D., Interim Department Chair
108 Lawson Hall

Faculty: A. Aziz, T. Broyles, R. Browning, A. Clardy, S. Comer, J. DeKoff, S. Dennis, C. Dumenyo, E. Dzantor, E. Ekanem, S. Haile, W. Hayslett, P. Illukpitiya, M. Lema, T. Miller, M. Mmbaga, S. Nahashon, D. Nandwani, D. Pitchay, B. Pokharel, C. Reddy, J. Ricketts, G. Smith, Y. Wu, H. Bhavsar, M. Blair, J. Oliver, S. Rakshit, D. Young, S. Zhou, K. Addesso, W. Sutton, J. Li, A. Patras, K. Lim, A. Witcher, F. Baysal-Gurel, A. Khanal, R. Archer, K. Amarasekare, A. Fouladkhah, A. Clement, A. Taheri, F. Tegegne, R. Ravi, Y. Sang and C. Ondzighi-Assoume.

General Statement

The curricula in the Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences are designed to provide both liberal and specialized education for students who seek to advance their education in the field of agriculture. The program in liberal education involves the social sciences, the natural sciences, the humanities, and the arts, and is designed to prepare students to understand and function in a very complex environment. The specialized program is designed to provide understanding and training in the complex scientific field of agriculture. The overall program offers curricula leading to the Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Agricultural Sciences, with concentrations in Agribusiness, Agricultural Education, Animal Science/Pre-Veterinary Medicine, Agricultural Biotechnology, Food Bioscience and Technology, Geospatial Information Systems, and Plant and Soil Science.

No grade less than “C” in any major course (Agricultural Sciences course) will be accepted as credit toward meeting departmental requirements.

Departmental Goals

To maintain a responsive teaching and learning environment
To attract, retain and graduate outstanding students
To advance biotechnology and biodiversity
To ensure the viability of small-scale agriculture
To protect the environment and natural resources
To use innovative technologies in our academic programs

Departmental objectives

To recruit high-quality students, follow their progress through the program, and ensure that they graduate in a timely manner with high levels of achievement;
To produce graduates who have the capability to apply the concepts of the agricultural sciences to solving problems encountered in government, education, industry, and society in general;
To produce graduates who have in-depth knowledge and experience in the agricultural sciences, and expertise in their chosen field;
To produce graduates who are capable of evaluating and defining diverse problems, evaluating and developing feasibility studies, analyzing and interpreting data, and developing, implementing, and evaluating acceptable solutions to professional problems;
To produce graduates who are able to communicate information to diverse groups at all levels of expertise;
To produce graduates who are capable of using computer-based information systems to solve problems;
To produce graduates who understand their responsibility to their profession, to society in general, and to the furtherance of life-long learning;
To produce graduates capable of functioning successfully on multi-disciplinary teams and;
To produce graduates capable of further graduate studies.

Student Learning Outcomes

The capability to apply the concepts in agricultural sciences to solving problems encountered in government, education, industry, and society in general;
In-depth knowledge and experience in the agricultural sciences in general, and expertise in their concentration of choice;
The capability to evaluate and define diverse problems;
The capability to evaluate and develop feasibility studies;
The capability to analyze and interpret data; The capability to develop, implement, and evaluate acceptable solutions to professional problems;
The ability to communicate information to diverse groups at all levels of expertise;

a. The capability to use computer-based information systems to solve problems;

b. An understanding of responsibility to their profession, to society in general, and to the

furtherance of life-long learning;

c. An understanding of and a commitment to personal and professional ethics;

d. The capability to function successfully on multi-disciplinary teams and;

e. The capability to successfully pursue graduate studies.

Upper Division Policy

Students majoring in Agricultural Sciences must gain upper division status before enrolling in any upper division courses (3000 & 4000 levels). Upper division courses taken prior to being given upper division status may not be accepted towards the B.S. degree. Students may be admitted to the upper division after completing at least 60 degree-level lower division credits (as set out in the curriculum) with a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.0. It is the responsibility of the student to submit a formal petition to the department. Such a petition will be reviewed by a departmental committee to ensure that all criteria have been met.

Programs

Major

Courses

Agricultural and Environmental Sciences