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Show THE THUNDERBIRD MONDAY DECEMBER 8, 1986 PAGE 3 Future farmers rally for experimental ag program BY KRIS JOHNSON Farm trucks honked loudly, horses galloped gently and tractors were driven madly around SUSC's campus Wednesday by a herd of frustrated agriculture students along with community farmers and ranchers. An assembly of some 50 people joined together in the fight for the survival of an experimental agriculture program that college officials have carved out of the 1987-8- 8 curriculum due to the effects of Gov. Bangerter's 6 percent budget cut. Students in the agriculture department say they don't want to lose the college's experimental agriculture program which has given those who desire a career in agriculture the opportunity to receive a four-yedegree in biology with an emphasis in agriculture. If the emphasis in agriculture is dropped from the biology major, students will be forced into settling for the traditional one and two-yeprograms in vocational agriculture which have been offered by the college for 73 years, instead of the experimental four-yeprogram which went into effect two years ago. ''We've been led astray. We haven't been told all of the facts," said Gary Gowans, president of SUSC's agriculture club during an interview held before the rally. "We were never told that the program was experimental and would eventually be dropped. Had we had this information earlier, agriculture students would have gone to Utah State to get a four-yeagriculture degree." College officials argue that the experimental program in biologyagriculture lacks sufficient student enrollment and an adequate funding base, thus making its survival virtually impossible, and that they had every belief that the program would, in fact, survive when instituted in 1984. Moreover, an administration report last week addressed to the people of southern Utah noted a concern raised by many within the agriculture community that students were enrolling in the experimental four-yeprogram with the belief that they were receiving the equivalent of a major in ar ar ar agriculture, something the college had never intended. Officials said another major concern about the experimental program is that SUSC is infringing on Utah State University's statewide role assignment for the teaching of agriculture at the bachelor's level, which has been an "exclusive" assignment for the University since 1888. USU's graduate program in agriculture," he said. "The only way we could maintain the program and fulfill the students expectations of making the program the equivalent of an agriculture major is if we got USU to change its exclusive role assignment for agriculture, a change not likely to be achieved. We're not blaming USU, we're simply quoting role assignments that exist," Alger added. Not only are students upset with the four-yeprogram cut, they are also angered about faculty and staff cuts imposed by the administration for the 1987-8- 8 school year in accordance with the state's six percent budget reduction. The cuts, students maintain, have downgraded the program all the more. In effect, said Gowans, students will be left with only one faculty member to represent the entire agriculture department next year. "The two-yeprogram that they're offering in place of the four-yeprogram isn't as adequate as the old one," said Gowans during the interview. "Students won't have the diversity that they need when they're taking different classes in their major "We have talked to various people and professors at USU and they have told us they don't feel SUSC is competing with USU, they think SUSC should have a four-yeprogram to serve those southern Utah students who won't attend USU," Gowans told the gathering. "SUSC can not exceed 30 credit hours in agriculture at a bachelors level because we will be exceeding USU's role assignment," said SUSC Provost Terry D. Alger. "However, SUSC does offer a variety of related options such as the one and two-yeagriculture programs or the agriculture minor which can be accompanied by a biology or business major which would be an excellent prerequisite for those students who want to go on to ar ar ar ar ar ar ar More than 50 people rallied Wednesday to fight for SUSC's bio-a- g program. when they only have one agriculture faculty member representing the entire department. Not only will he have to teach all of the required classes, he'll also have to serve as adviser to all of the agriculture students in the department. Students will also have to go by the sole opinion of that one professor. We need more of a diversity in our education." According to Alger, students in agriculture will still receive the diverse education they are so afraid of losing. The department, he said, plans to utilize other staff and faculty who are more than qualified to teach some of the required courses for the agriculture degree. "This cut is being reviewed as an abandonment of agriculture and it's not," said Alger. "What we're doing is regrouping and redirecting on which direction to go. We're even going to seek added funding from ,he Utah Legislature so that we can bolster the current agriculture programs." Several of the community's ranchers and farmers who have donated money to the program in the past implied that SUSC's entire agriculture program has more or less been put on the back burner and deserves a little more attention than what it has received in the past few years. Met Johnson a local farmer, rancher and owner of the Cedar Livestock Market, told the crowd he was proud of SUSC's agriculture program and promised to support the students in lobbying the administration, legislature and Board of Regents to promote a solid agriculture program at SUSC. "You can't find a better place than Cedar City to have an agriculture laboratory. Everything is here. We live in the heart of agricultural America," said Johnson. "Ninety percent of the businesses in this region are agriculture related. The agriculture program here has more to offer than what most people know about. "My message to you is that we collectively and unitedly solicit your support to create, keep and expand the agriculture program at SUSC," said Johnson. "We know these are tough times for education and no one knows tough times as well as the agriculture industry." Student and government leaders fight for financial support BY ANN HOLLINGER the wake of overwhelming revenue shortfalls and consequential budget cuts across the state, Utah's Gov. Norm Bangerter will announce on Dec. 17 what many are calling a courageous budget plan for education. This plan includes a substantial tax In increase for Utah next yeai. In a memo to the faculty and staff, SUSC President Gerald R. Sherratt said, "Though tax increases are not popular, a substantial tax increase for Utah next year is absolutely essential if we are to preserve our educational system." The governor has already presented his new schools and to the program to the upper-divisio- n general public in form of the ALERT program. ALERT, (Agenda for Leadership in Educational Resources for Tomorrow) the program has two main objectives for higher education. The first goal of Bangerter's plan is to manage the overwhelming growth in the states educational system. The second goal of ALERT is to improve the quality of education. To manage the growth of higher education, the three avenues: 1) open access to the system of education in Utah rather than to each institution, 2) the critical role of community colleges and expansion of enrollments, and 3) the avoidence of overbuilding during periods of growth. The goals of ALERT in improving the quality of 1) to attract and retain higher education are three-folcompetent faculty, 2) train students on modern equipment, and 3) stress quality in the context of each institution's mission. "My own conversations last week with the governor regarding additional taxes and revenues for higher education assure me that a major plan of finance for higher education is forthcoming, " said Sherratt, "I am satisfied, as are the other college presidents, that his budget will meet our immediate needs and establish a base for the future." Essentially, ALERT is a 'grass-root- s' program that is designed to show legislators student and public support for a tax hike earmarked for education. ALERT program gives d: Vice President Mike Anderson said, "The only way we're going to get anything accomplished is to support Gov. Bangerter in his decisions and at the same time to let him know what our specific needs are." Students can support the ALERT program by filling out the 'Student ALERT' cards found at either the student offices or the registrar's office. These cards can be sent directly to the ALERT offices, (Student ALERT, 420 East South Temple Suite 320, Salt Lake City, Utah 341 15) or dropped off at the student offices on campus. The governor's budget will be submitted to the Legislature Jan. 12, and over the following 45 days the Legislature will deliberate, then act on a budget for the '87-8- 8 fiscal year. "We need to insure that the governor's budget is approved so that higher education's critical needs are met," said the president. "With so much at stake for us, our campaign over the next 100 days certainly warrants the support of students and facultystaff," said Sherratt. ASSUSC Administrative |