Darr College of Agriculture 2019 Annual Review

Darr College of Agriculture Mission Statement

“To prepare students with professional expertise leading to successful careers in business, government, and vocational

institutions while experiencing fulflled lives and meeting mature responsibilities in a constantly changing society; and

to be a source of agricultural knowledge that is obtained through study and research that may be utilized for the

improvement of the quality of citizens of the United States.”

Introduction The Darr College of Agriculture experienced the frst year of negative undergraduate enrollment this past year. As fewer students are graduating from high schools in Missouri, competition for these students will continue to grow. The Darr College of Agriculture remains committed to growing academically challenging and relevant programs to meet the needs of the future workforce and an ever-growing population dependent on safe and affordable food and fber.

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Darr College of Agriculture Organizational Chart

Mountain Grove Campus

MSU Provost- F

Dean- Ronald D

Springfeld C

Admin Asst. IV- Pam Turner Admin Asst. II- Leslie Akers

Wine & Distillation Manager- Karl Wilker Cellar Technician- C.J. Odneal

Outreach & Vineyard Manager- Marilyn Odneal

Foreman- Michael Matthews Physical Plant- Robert Mosier

Fruit Culture and Fruit Insect Pest Management- Maceij Pszczolkowski

Clinical Assistant- Jennifer Morganthaler Field Management Crew Leaders-

Jeremy Emery, Randy Stout Vehicle & Equipment Mechanic- Steve Turner

Field and Maintenance- Sheila Long and Temp Crew

Center for Grapevine Biotechnology- Wenping Qiu Research Specialist II- Susanne Howard

Midwest Viticulture & Enology- Chin-Feng Hwang Research Scientist- Li Ling Chen

Executive Asst. to the D Admin Asst. II- J

Department- Agri Education & Co

Department Head- A Nichole Bus

Jim B Nathan Jim H

Katelyn M Benjamin On

Christi S

Department- A Department He

Will B Phillip L

Natalie M Lacy Su Beth W

Department- Plant Scienc Department Head- C

Clydette Al Melissa B

Mike Bu Michael G Sarah La

Will M Jennifer Mo

Marilyn Maciej Pszczo

Wenpin Karl W

MSU Provos

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d Campus Asst. to the Dean & Student Services- Jim Bellis

Accounting Specialist- Gwenny Nance

Coordinator, Business Support Services- Michael Klem

Coordinator, Business Management- Jef Gettys

Darr Agricultural Center

Coordinator of Center- Natalie Mook Farm Operations Manager- Justin Sissel

Outreach Coordinator & Admin Asst. II- Carrie Crews

VESTA- MVEC Director- Michelle Norgren

Missouri Coordinator- Cassandra Clark

Journagan Ranch

Manager- Marty Lueck Farm Hands- Russell Driskell, Eddie Massey,

Eric Lueck, Jacob Peterson

Shealy Farm

Manager- Joe Webb

Baker’s Acres

Manager- Justin Sissel

Te Woodlands

Manager- Michael Klem

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Enrollment and Student Success Te College of Agriculture experienced a slight drop in enrollment this past academic year. However, the College continues to hold steady in key areas of enrollment, credit hour generation, graduation and retention. In Fall 2018 there were 674 students enrolled in the College of Agriculture as of the fall census date. Tis was a decrease of 56 students or a 7% decrease compared to the year before. In 2018 the College increased the number of graduate and lower level credit hours generated. Te number of upper division credit hours generated decreased and overall there was a small net decrease in credit hours generated. Table 1 and 2 shows enrollment numbers by major for undergraduate and graduate programs. Table 3 shows credit hour generation by course code. It is important to note the major of Agriculture Communication was ofered for the frst time in Fall 2018. Te addition of the program represents responsiveness to student and employment demand which has been previously unflled by other institutions. Consequently the General Agriculture/Comm option will be phased out.

Table 1- Undergraduate Programs Program Description Fall 2016 Fall 2017 Fall 2018

Agr Bus/Agr Fin & Mgt-BS 43 42 42

Agr Bus/Agr Mkt &Sales-BS 68 73 62

Agr Bus/Enterprise Mgt-BS 29 32 37

Agr Communications- BS 0 0 17

Agriculture Education-BSED 64 56 57

Animal Science-BS 207 212 201

Env Plant Sci/Crop Science- BS 40 37 32

Env Plant Sci/Horticulture-BS 39 36 40

General Agriculture-BAS 32 15 20

General Agriculture/Agr-BS 15 27 21

General Agriculture/Comm-BS 33 23 3

Natural Resources-BS 55 66 48

Wildlife Consrvt & Mgt-AG- BS 73 70 69

Total 746 689 649

Table 2- Master’s Programs Program Description Fall 2016 Fall 2017 Fall 2018

Nat & Appl Sci-AG-Accelerated-MNAS 6 3 1

Natural & Appl Sci-AG-MNAS 16 6 2

Plant Science- AG Dept-MS 18 21 15

Plant Science-AG-Accelerated-MS 8 10 7

Secondary Edu/Agriculture-MSED 0 1 0

Technology Education-BSED 0 0 0

Total 48 41 25

Enrollment is expected to decrease again this year. Starting in the fall 2019, a new college committee will be formed which will utilize a grant from the Provost and President’s Ofce to reevaluate our current recruitment and retention strategies. Activities will include creating a college wide marketing plan, surveying current students to understand efective and inefective strategies, expanding popular alternative programs such as dual credit and Pathways, and enhancing recruitment eforts in both rural and urban areas.

Administration and faculty continue to explore innovative ways to meet the needs of students. Solutions include adding online sections, additional course oferings, interdisciplinary partnerships, and partnerships with other institutions. Further, additional faculty were hired in the last year to help as well.

Recent faculty and staf hired include: Jean Cobban, Administrative Assistant II Natalie Mook, Instructor Animal Science

Recent faculty retirements include: Dr. Martin Kaps, Faculty Emeritus Plant Science Sue Webb, Faculty Emeritus Animal Science

Table 3- Credit Hours Generated Course Group Subject 2016 2017 2018 Graduate AGB 42 27 45

AGE 218 224 197 AGN 23 27 21 AGP 219 243 256 AGR 285 272 330 AGS 69 49 57 Total 856 842 906

Lower Division AGB 756 796 928 AGC 0 51 114 AGN 1,636 1,797 1,548 AGP 266 269 437 AGR 1,690 1,758 1,821 AGS 1,357 1,294 1,233 Total 5,705 5,965 6,081

Upper Division AGB 1,966 2,034 2,081 AGC 0 105 222 AGE 417 273 309 AGN 816 998 916 AGP 2,506 2,313 2,061 AGR 2,457 245 2,231 AGS 1,522 1,909 1,550 Total 9,684 10,085 9,370

Total credit hours generated 16,245 16,892 16,357

Retention Retention has also been high in recent years. In fall 2018 retention rates were higher than fall 2017. Te newly formed committee will also be examining the best strategies to pursue to increase retention across all classes.

Table 4- Retention Rates

% Retained

Academic Period Fall 2015 Fall 2016 Fall 2017 Fall 2018

Student Class

Freshman 78.7% 77.23% 76% 76.6%

Sophomore 89.31% 88.59% 80.29% 91.41%

Junior 88.04% 91.19% 83.8% 87.10%

Senior 91.35% 89.26% 90.84% 89.11%

Masters 75% 79.17% 81.48% 79.63%

Total 87% 87.31% 84.52% 86.51%

Six-year graduation rates are presented in Table 5 showing promising improvement in. Additionally, it is important to note that the cohorts starting in Fall 2012 are just now reaching their sixth year and Fall 2013 cohort still have another year. We expect those graduation rates to improve as extra attention has been given to seniors with only a few courses remaining in an efort to encourage them to complete their degrees.

Table 5- Six-Year Graduation Rates Fall 2011 Fall 2012 Fall 2013

First Time Transfer Cohort 70.31% 71.23% 63.16%

IPEDS First-time College 65.31% 59.74% 65.06%

Te College continues to improve access by expanding Internet, and blended courses through the use of new technologies such as Mediasite recording and Zoom. While traditional courses remain the most popular, Inter-net course enrollment continues to increase. Chart 1 shows credit hour production by type of course.

Curricular Changes Te 2018-2019 academic year saw an expansion of certifcate programs within the College of Agriculture. Te International Agriculture Leadership certifcate was created to enable international students participating in study away leadership programs at Missouri State completing less than 20 credit hours but at least 12 at MSU to earn a credential. Te certifcate refects the time and efort the students put into their studies at MSU. Further, domestic students are eligible for the certifcate as well with the completion of a signifcant study away experience. Moreover, a certifcate in sustainable food production as well as companion animal management were created based on student demand. Additionally, a minor in ranch management was created. Te College is committed to working with industry leaders and students to ensure the programs ofered at MSU in the College of Agriculture are innovative and able to meet the needs of tomorrow’s workforce.

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2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

Credit Hour Production, Traditional v All Other

Traditional All Other

Publications, Research, and Awards In the 2018-2019 academic year, faculty within the College of Agriculture published three referred journal articles. Tis is less than the previous academic year but refects that a number of faculty were focusing on completing the promotion and tenure process. Further in addition to journal articles the faculty completed numerous poster and conference presentations, interviews, popular press articles, and creative works. Faculty and staf were also heavily involved with service to the university and community. In fscal year the College of Agriculture secured $464,684 in grant funding.

Grants · USDA-NIFA “Establishing Agroforestry Silvopasture Systems in the Missouri Ozark Region” -$126,823- Michael Goerndt, Will McClain, & Melissa Remley · Missouri Department of Conservation “Conservation and Agriculture Demonstrations on Journagan Ranch” -$69,500- Ron Del Vecchio · USDA “Managing Nutrient Inputs to Enhance the Sustainability of Forage-Based Beef Systems” -$8,774- Sarah Lancaster · USDA “Investing the Optimum Planting Date for Garlic in Southwest Missouri” -$1,840- Clydette Alsup-Egbers & Benjamin Onyango · Missouri Wine and Marketing Research Council “Study on Epidemics and Transmission of Grapevine Vein Clearing Virus in Missouri Vineyards” -$14,965- Wenping Qiu · USDA “VitisGen2: Application of Next Generation Technologies to Accelerate Grapevine Cultivar Development” -$14,916- Chin-Feng Hwang · Missouri Grape and Wine Board “Optimization of Chambourcin Grape Breeding Using Molecular Genetic Approaches”-$15,000- Chin-Feng Hwang & Li-Ling Chen

In addition to grants and sponsored research, the College has been successful in securing private gifs as well including approximately $207,916 in fscal year 2019. In October 2018, the College hosted the annual Alumni and Friends Celebration Event. Over the course of the event, the alumni led group has raised over $184,000 to support the College and its students.

Awards - College, Faculty, and Student Two professor emeritus from the College, Dr. Bruce Johnson and Dr. Ben Fuqua were inducted to the Wall of Fame at Missouri State University in 2017 and 2018 respectively.

Dr. Melissa Remley was selected for the Outstanding Tesis Advisor Award at the 26th Einhellig Interdisciplinary Forum at Missouri State University.

Freshman, Gabe Palmer was named an Agriculture Future of America Campus Ambassador.

Senior, Karlene Negus won the 2nd oral prestation award at the MSU undergraduate research fair for her research titled “Jaeger 70 x Vignoles- DNA Marker Identifcation”.

Graduate student Saide Land received the Outstanding Oral Presentation at the 26th Einhellig Interdisciplinary Forum for her research titled “Breeding for Anthracnose Resistance in Black Walnut”.

International Programs Ningxia University Partnership Tis year, the College hosted the fourth group of faculty and students from Ningxia University. Tere were 10 faculty and 50 students in various academic felds including agriculture and wine. Te group arrived in September and participate in language learning courses, specialized sections, and traditional sections in the College. Te partnership will continue next year. Tese students were the inaugural class to receive the newly created International Agriculture Leadership Certifcate in the summer of 2019.

Brazil Tis May marked the ffh annual agricultural exchange between UniCesumar in Margina, Brazil and Missouri State University. Tis year 15 students and 2 faculty traveled from Brazil to Springfeld for a week, while 6 students and 2 faculty from MSU traveled to Brazil. Te faculty members remained with the group for the frst 10 days before returning to the United States. Te students remained in Brazil learning through an immersive experience from the end of May until the beginning of August. Students and our friends at UniCesumar were enthusiastic about the program and planning for the next year has begun.

Additional study away opportunities in development include Kenya and Nepal. However, with this increase in opportunity it can be a challenge to reach the critical mass in all sections. Te College is considering developing a rotation for study away courses.

Recruitment Te College continues to maintain a strong presence at the Ozark Empire Fair, the Missouri State Fair, the Governor’s Conference on Agriculture, the Missouri FFA State Convention, the National FFA Convention, as well as conducting school visits. Additionally, a graduate student in Agriculture Communications was assigned to manage all College social media activity with oversight from her supervisor. Tanks to these eforts our engagement across all social media platforms is at an all-time high.

Tis year marked the third year for the Agriculture Living Learning Community. Located in Wells House, the residence hall director noted it was one of the strongest LLC in terms of building community. Faculty were activity involved throughout the semester. One of the favorite activities for both faculty and students was the Dinner with the Dean, held each semester.

Finally, this year’s Salute to Agriculture event was one of the most successful to date. Tere were over 1,600 area high school students in attendance. Tis year, Tyson sponsored the meal reliving signifcant fnancial pressure for the College in hosting the event. Follow up is currently being planned to conduct school visits with attendees to provide a more personal experience to students.

Facilities

Bakers Acres has been primarily used for the production of hay to supplement production at the Journagan Ranch, the Darr Ag Center and Shealey Farm. New gates were added to the property this year.

The Fruit Experiment Station located in Mountain Grove continues to ofer cutting edge experiences for students in grape genomics. In addition to research and student work, the station ofered a variety of workshops and programs including the wine premiere, pruning, apple grafing, and shrub propagation workshops to teach fruit growers and enable their home and business success. Te Station produced award-winning wines to represent Missouri State with a tangible product, to teach and model grape and wine production and as income generation.

Darr Agricultural Center remains a highly visible piece of the College as well. Classes held at the Bond Learning Center continue to expand as upper division animal science and plant science courses move to the center. New research plots were developed for grapes, wolferries, garlic, okra and green beans. Further, a grinding laboratory was installed in the shop to aid in analysis of samples. At the Bond Learning Center the classrooms and ballroom received updated electronics and audio-visual equipment. Further, new signage was added to the lobby.

Pinegar Arena Classroom spaces in the arena received updated electronics and audio-visual equipment. Additonally, a new back-lit sign for the arena including the Bearhead utilizing LED lightening was installed. Starting in Spring 2019 the University began ofering a shuttle service from campus to the Darr Agricultural Center to increase student accessibility.

Journagan Ranch continues to provide unique learning opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students. Upperclass animal science students spend the weekends during calving season assisting and learning about the process, and numerous tours have used the facilities to learn more about agriculture and cattle production. New fencing, water conservation capture systems and water supplies for livestock and wildlife were installed with the help of the Missouri Department of Conservation. Additionally, pollinator sites were developed at several sites.

The Kindrick Farm was donated to the College in Spring 2017. Te property is currently being developed to allow research, and student and community experiences. A major clean-up of the facility along with painting of the iconic Red Barn was completed. Moreover, a new entrance to the facility was added.

The Woodlands serves as a research hub for forestry and wildlife conservation-centered projects. New trails to enhance accessibility were developed and research plots are now in place. A new security fence, gates and access points were added on the eastern portion of the property.

Shealy Farm’s Horse Arena was remodeled to enable cattle feeding research. Moreover, an outdoor feed lot was developed for research purposes. New fencing, grain bins and water lines were installed on the farm. Finally, the roof and gutters are currently being remodel at the Holos Conference Center.

Karls Hall’s greenhouse was upgraded with a new energy efcient misting system and hydroponic equipment. Laboratory spaces received new equipment for carbon and nitrogen analysis, freeze drying, and -80 degree storage. Additionally, rooms within Karls were upgraded to accommodate ofces for our expanding graduate program.

WILLIAM H . DARR Missouri COLLEGE ot

AGRICULTURE State,.