2007 Review—Animal and Dairy Science Teaching

Animal Science undergraduate admissions increased dramatically in 2007 for the third year in a row. Fall 2007 enrollment of 742 students is the highest ever recorded for the department. Large enrollment increases are a ‘good problem’, but stress laboratory space and teaching and advising loads. Placement rates and starting salaries for graduates of animal and dairy science remained strong, with the average starting salary approaching $40,000. New faculty hires in teaching and programmatic developments, such as the Meat Science Minor illustrate the vibrance of the Animal Science department. Major building efforts impacting the teaching program include the opening of the new ISU Dairy in October 2007 and continued planning for a new multi-purpose animal pavilion. These facilities will support excellence in educational programs and will continue the positive enrollment trends

Update from Animal Science Teaching Section

Fall 2011 enrollment in the Department of Animal Science and Iowa State University were at record highs, and the College of Agriculture and Life Science (CALS) surpassed 3,500—an increase of nearly 300 students in one year. Placement of graduates for CALS and the department remained at about 97 percent within six months of graduation. Approximately 170 companies and organizations attended the October, 2011 CALS career fair, another all-time high. A very high percentage of organizations at the career fair also were looking for interns. A second career fair will be held in February based upon demand from companies and organizations. The fund-raising program for the multi-purpose animal pavilion continues to make progress, surpassing the halfway mark in dollars pledged. The department hopes to finish the fund drive during early 2012

Update from Dairy Science Curriculum

Enrollment in the Dairy Science Curriculum remained strong in 2010, but declined from the previous year due to a drop in transfer students this past year. Career placement remained excellent at 100 percent of graduates reporting placement or acceptance to professional schools for continued education. The biggest change in Dairy Science in 2010 was the departure of Ilene Carlson, secretary to the dairy teaching group for 35 years

Update from Animal Science Teaching Section

Animal Science undergraduate admissions for each of the 2005 and 2006 academic years increased dramatically, impacting laboratory space, teaching demands and advising loads. Placement rates and starting salaries for graduates of animal and dairy science remained excellent. Major curriculum revisions were implemented in calendar 2005. The primary result of the curriculum changes is a set of revitalized sophomore and senior species-related courses in animal production and enterprise management. These changes also led to major increases in enrollment from students from other departments in the College of Agriculture. Additionally, the changes increased significantly the number of agriculture majors electing animal science minors. The new ISU Dairy nears completion and planning for a new multi-purpose animal pavilion is in the early stages. It is predicted that each of these building programs will also have a positive impact on enrollment. The college responded to the dramatically increased teaching/advising load in the department by granting increased teaching support for the coming calendar year

Update from Animal Science Teaching Section

Enrollment figures at all levels at Iowa State University continued to increase in 2010. Fall enrollment in the Department of Animal Science and Iowa State University were at record highs and the College of Agriculture and Life Science (CALS) surpassed 3,200 students for the first time in about two decades. Placement of students remained high even in with the challenging economy. In general, placement of students from all majors in the College remained well over 90 percent for the past fiscal year. The fund-raising program for the multi-purpose animal pavilion made significant progress, approaching the halfway mark in dollars pledged. The department hopes to finish the fund drive during 2011

Update from Animal Science Teaching Section

The Teaching Section has not reported in previous Swine Research Reports. It seemed rather obvious; the report was about research. But, to provide a more complete picture of activities in Animal Science, this article briefly summarizes information on recent developments in undergraduate and graduate education. It is in keeping with the 2000–2005 Iowa State University strategic plan that calls for a more seamless integration of the activities in discovery (research), learning (teaching), and engagement (extension)

Update from Animal Science Teaching Section

Placement rates for graduates of animal science remained strong in 2003. The sources of recruits and interests of students continue to shift. Community college transfers and urban high school students have become a larger segment of the animal science student population at Iowa State University (ISU). These students have different needs and interests in education. Transfer students may need to compact most of their animal science courses into two years at ISU, while Urban students tend to have a greater interest in courses in equine and companion animal studies. Times of change should be viewed positively as an opportunity for the animal science faculty to evaluate teaching programs in relation to traditional and new career markets for graduates

Update from Dairy Science Curriculum

Fall 2003 brought great change to the Dairy Science curriculum with closure of the ISU-Ames Dairy Farm after 95 years as a teaching and research unit. But, considerable opportunity came linked to the change. In the next 2 to 3 years, ISU will sell the Ankeny Dairy Farm and use the proceeds to build a state-of-the-art dairy education and research facility near Ames. In the interim, the Ankeny farm will be utilized to continue the teaching, research, and outreach missions. There has been much activity related to dairy education and research in northeast Iowa with the N.E. Iowa Community-Based Dairy Foundation farm opening in conjunction with N.E. Iowa Community College and development of the N.W. Business Partnership in dairy