New Dimensions in Instruction

The recent evolution of instructional programs in colleges of agriculture has made them more usefu" to society and meaningful to the academic community. Seminars aimed at improving the effectiveness of teaching have also improved the quality of faculty counseling for undergraduates and graduates. For more than 10 years, curricula have been carefully designed with future professions in mind, and courses in the natural resources, such as wildlife and park management, recreation planning, and others, are now included in the curricula of all colleges of agriculture. Flexibility in program planning has resulted partly from an increasing percentage of job-oriented students who want to specialize in particular disciplines. Education for international agriculture has expanded to include study and experience in foreign universities. Statewide instruction accommodates students who cannot major in their chosen field at particular colleges. A major obstacle to broader use of computers for instructional purposes is the lack of familiarity with and understanding of them; one solution would be the retraining of faculty. Interstate college agreements would permit the sharing of expensive facilities and faculty if higher enrollments in specialized courses justified consideration of such arrangements. (WM)