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The Future Soil Science Students (statement or question?)

The Future Soil Science Students (statement or question?). Nick Balster Department of Soil Science University of Wisconsin - Madison. 2007 NRCS NRSS National Conference “Soil Survey — Future Directions in Soil Health and Supporting Productive Lands” June 2007.

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The Future Soil Science Students (statement or question?)

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  1. The Future Soil Science Students (statement or question?) Nick Balster Department of Soil Science University of Wisconsin - Madison 2007 NRCS NRSS National Conference “Soil Survey — Future Directions in Soil Health and Supporting Productive Lands” June 2007

  2. July 2006 “Soil Science Journal” • Baveye and others, 2006 • At Cornell • 1903 – 2 grads PhD in Soil Science • 1909 – Department of Soil Science • Other Departments of Soil Science founded ~ 1900 • In 2006 – faculty voted to eliminate “Soil and Crop Sciences Major”) • < ½ graduate students in soils than 10 years ago • Courses and labs filled with other disciplines • Do other institutions in U.S. and Canada face similar situation? • Is so, how severe? • What appears to be the cause? • Is the decline necessarily bad? • What can be done if viewed as “bad”?

  3. What they found… Baveye et al. 2006 • 1992 – SSSA Education Committee – survey of SS education U.S. and Canada • 2004 – Authors carry out another survey 1.) Significant decline in enrollment 2.) 40% less M.S. and PhD students enrolled 3.) Percentage of Foreigners/Nationals about the same, except for female masters 4.) More females in masters than PhD 5.) More Foreigners in PhD than masters 6.) 10% decrease in Foreign students overall 7.) Greater balance between male and female

  4. - 42% decrease in enrollment from 1992 • Department of Land, Air, and Water Resources • University of California Davis • (23 to 47 students – most in Masters) Baveye et al. 2006

  5. Baveye et al. 2006

  6. Baveye et al. 2006

  7. Possible Causes?? • Departments continue to emphasize agriculture • Previous data argues against better profit-driven disciplines • Our view may be too narrow • Soil viewed by public as having no intrinsic value • Limited training in the fundamental sciences • Failure to promote and market discipline

  8. SSSA Advocacy/Education Task Force • Action Plan: • Summarize Data • Engage Social Scientist with interpretation • Engage SSSA members – e.g. annual meetings • Develop an advocacy action plan (2009) • Need More and Better Data: • Student enrollment trends? • Major issues involving soils in next 10 years? • Recognition of Soil Science as discipline? • Job market? • Introductory soils courses? • Curriculum?

  9. SSSA Advocacy/Education Task Force • Preliminary conclusions: • Student enrollment decreasing • Faculty positions decreasing • Broader application courses • Job opportunities strong • We need help! • NRCS • NSCSS • Other soils related organizations

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