Revising Agricultural Education Preservice

THEME ARTICLE In the spring of 2000 the Biology Instruction and Agricultural Education (BIAE) Department at Clemson University recognized that our current curriculum was on life support and needed to be redesigned. We had to make drastic changes in our preservice curriculum. Why-- one may ask. Today over 40% of our Agricultural Education students have never been enrolled in a high school agriculture class. The agricultural landscape of South Carolina was changing, accountability standards for high school programs were changing and at the college level we were not. We received permission from our Dean to proceed with building a new curriculum for our Agricultural Education program. He said, I am giving you a blank check, so do it and do it correctly. Our mission was difficult but essential for survival. According to the Committee on Agricultural Education in Secondary Schools Board on Agriculture of the National Research Council (1988), Teacher preparation and in-service education programs must be revised and expanded to develop more competent teachers and other professional personnel to staff, administer and supervise educational programs in agriculture related areas. Colleges ofAgriculture particularly in land-grant universities should become more involved in teacher preparation and in-service education programs, curriculum reform, and development of instructional materials and media,(p.7). Darrow and Henderson stated curriculum that addresses the needs of graduates in the 215 century is an `imperative priority' for faculty and administrators in the colleges of agriculture, (p54). The challenge for colleges of agriculture will be to construct a curriculum that will produce the desired quality product within a reasonable time frame and with the resources that are available to the institution (Bjoraker, 1987 p. 13) Upon beginning the process of redesigning the Agricultural Education undergraduate curriculum at Clemson University, a curriculum committee was formed. The members of this committee consisted of Clemson Biology Instruction and Agricultural Education Faculty, Regional Agricultural Educators, South Carolina Agriculture Field Staff, South Carolina Agriculture Teachers, Agribusiness representatives, the South Carolina Department of Education, and undergraduate and graduate students in the Agricultural Education Program. The Biology Instruction and Agricultural Education Department Chair appointed the Clemson faculty represented on the committee. The entire state staff was on the committee to represent all areas of South Carolina Agricultural Education programs. The agriculture teachers that were on the committee were all Clemson Agricultural Education graduates and were selected by the leaders of the South Carolina Association of Agricultural Educators. The South Carolina Farm Bureau and the Farm Service Agency of South Carolina were chosen to represent agribusinesses because of their leadership and connections with South Carolina agriculture. A representative for the State Department of Education was chosen to assist with teacher certification requirements. The Agricultural Education faculty at Clemson University selected the two undergraduate and two graduate students that served on the committee. After the committee was formed, a two-day planning workshop was held. During this work period the curriculum committee was charged with redesigning the Agricultural Education Undergraduate curriculum at Clemson University. The committee members were encouraged to reach for the sky and, that the sky was the limit. The committee started off with only the general education requirements, then determined the course framework that was needed in order to have a successful curriculum. The committee determined what courses were needed and what they should entail. After the framework was complete, several new courses were built: AG ED 102 - Agricultural Education Freshman Seminar AG ED 103 - Multi-- culturalism in Agricultural Education AG ED 200 - Agricultural Applications of Microcomputers AG ED 202 - Agricultural Education Sophomore Seminar AG ED 203 - Teaching Agriscience AG ED 302 - Agricultural Education Junior Seminar AG ED 303 - Mechanical Technology for Agricultural Education AG ED 402 - Agricultural Education Senior Seminar AG ED 404 - Biotechnology in Agricultural Education For these new courses, course approval forms were completed with a detailed course description, syllabus and outline. …