Abstract
Colleges of agriculture are being forced to adapt to a changing world. The forces behind these changes affect all departments within the college. In this paper, the place of agricultural economics within the college and within the university is identified, the current situation facing the discipline is outlined, and strategies for responding to the forces of change are discussed. Three alternatives are available: continuation, termination, and metamorphosis. Different departments are likely to pursue different strategies. Some may disappear altogether or may be absorbed into the parent discipline, economics, or into the business school. Other departments may transform themselves into specialized sub-disciplines, such as natural resources or agribusiness departments. Still others may continue with little or no change. Whatever course is followed, strategic planning will surely be necessary.
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Additional information
E. Wesley F. Peterson is an assistant professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics, Texas A&M University. He received his Bachelor's degree from the University of California (Berkeley) in 1967, a masters in public affairs from Princeton University in 1973 and a Ph.D. from Michigan State University in 1981. He taught agricultural economics in France before moving to Texas in 1983.
Fred J. Ruppel is an assistant professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics, Texas A&M University. He received a B.S. in Psychology and an M.S. in Labor and Industrial Relations at the University of Illinois before obtaining his Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Maryland in 1984. For the past four years he has been at Texas A&M where he teaches courses in macroeconomics, agricultural prices and international agricultural trade.
Daniel I. Padberg is professor and department head in the Department of Agricultural Economics, Texas A&M University. He received his Ph.D. from the University of California (Berkeley) in 1961 and has served on the faculties of the Ohio State University, Cornell University, the University of Illinois and the University of Massachusetts. he is past-president of the American Agricultural Economics Association.
The authors wish to thank Steve Fuller, Frank Edwards, Dave Bessler, and Kerry Litzenberg and two anonymous reviewers(Frederick Buttel and Patrick Madden—ed. note) for helpful comments.
All programs and information of the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station are available without regard to race, ethnic origin, religion, sex and age.
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Peterson, E.W.F., Ruppel, F.J. & Padberg, D.I. Assessing agricultural education: Agricultural economics at a crossroads. Agric Hum Values 5, 26–33 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02217645
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02217645