Competencies Needed by Agricultural Communication Undergraduates: An Academic Perspective

Communication competencies and skills needed by agricultural communication graduates are constantly changing because of the dynamic nature of the technology used by communication professionals. Although several studies have been conducted in recent years that engaged alumni and industry professionals to determine agricultural communication program graduate competencies, no studies were found which sought out these competencies from the perspective of faculty. Determining the communication competencies faculty deem important will help identify gaps between industry needs and academic perceptions. This Delphi study was conducted to determine the competencies agricultural communication faculty believe are needed for agricultural communication program graduates. Nineteen participants from 14 universities came to consensus on 79 statements. The ten statements receiving the highest level of agreement were “Ability to communicate in writing,” “Ability to write clearly, concisely, tersely, and to get to the point,” “Highly developed writing skills,” “Good writing skills,” “Professional competence - able to practice effective communication - write / speak correctly, clearly in a style and form that is expected of the audience, profession they will serve,” “Critical thinking,” “Grammar,” “Ability to communicate, both orally and in writing, ability to understand conceptual thinking and how it relates to communication,” “Ability to find and use information sources both on and off the internet,” and “Ethics.” This study provides additonal information to help address Agricultural Communications National Research Priority Area 4: “What are the skills, competencies, and resources necessary to prepare professional agricultural communicators for success in various aspects of agricultural knowledge management?

College students’ perceptions regarding sensory aspects of conventionally produced and unconventionally produced foods: implications for marketing to the Millennial generation

Consumers vote every day on which products line the shelves of grocery stores, co-ops, and niche markets. Public unrest with regard to the environmental, animal welfare, food purity, and human health impacts of agricultural production practices have led to the rise of unconventionally produced (UP) food products. While the sales of UP foods is increasing, studies regarding the qualities of such products that impact consumer purchases have yielded inconsistent results. This study examined students’ perceptions of sensory aspects of conventionally produced (CP) and UP foods to better understand how sensory aspects impact decisions to purchase. Students reported consistent perceptions regarding the favorability of each sensory aspect of chicken and apples; the UP versions of the products yielded higher mean scores on every sensory aspect. However, students’ perceptions of the sensory qualities of chocolate, milk, and beef were not consistent; for example, they reported more favorable perceptions of the appearance and smell of CP milk, but perceived a more favorable texture and flavor from the UP milk. The results of this study imply that when making purchasing decisions, consumers may value specific sensory attributes over others. One approach to marketing UP products is to focus on valued extrinsic aspects designed to attract consumers to purchase products even though they may have less favorable perceptions of certain sensory qualities

College Students\u27 Perceptions regarding Sensory Aspects of Conventionally Produced and Unconventionally Produced Foods: Implications for Marketing to the Millennial Generation

Every day consumers vote which products line the shelves of grocery stores, co-ops, and niche markets by use of their dollars. Public unrest with regard to the environment, animal welfare, food purity, and human health impacts of agricultural production practices have led to the rise of alternatively produced food products. While the sales of alternatively produced foods are increasing, studies regarding the qualities of such products impact consumer purchases have yielded inconsistent results. This study examined students’ perceptions of sensory aspects of conventionally produced and alternatively produced foods to better understand how sensory aspects impact decisions to purchase. Students reported consistent perceptions regarding the favorability of each sensory aspect of chicken and apples; the alternatively produced versions of the products yielded higher mean scores on every sensory aspect. However, students’ perceptions of the sensory qualities of chocolate, milk, and beef were not consistent; for example, they reported more favorable perceptions of the appearance and smell of conventionally produced milk, but perceived a more favorable texture and flavor from the alternatively produced milk. The results of this study imply when making purchasing decisions, consumers may value specific sensory attributes over others. An alternative approach to marketing alternatively produced products is to focus on valued extrinsic aspects designed to attract consumers to purchase products in spite of their perhaps less valued perceptions of sensory aspects

You Know, the South is a Breeding Ground for Gluttony : A Qualitative Evaluation of Dissonance between Christian Beliefs and Eating Habits

This research is intended to initiate understanding of how obesity in the South persists even though the majority of inhabitants subscribe to a faith that discourages unhealthy lifestyles. Grounded in the Cognitive Dissonance Theory, this study examined Protestant evangelical Christians in the South (N = 11), who participated in semi-structured interviews. The first emergent theme was that, to these Southerners, the purpose of food is for sustenance and survival, as well as for bringing people together. Most participants reported having an average level of knowledge of nutrition and health. Furthermore, participants generally agreed that marketing or educational efforts had little effect on their understanding of nutrition. Another theme emerged when participants provided Biblical references to food or health. “The Body is a Temple” and “gluttony” were the most common Biblical concepts. All participants referred to taste or desirability as the driver of their food selections. Furthermore, most participants claimed habitual gluttony as a personal experience in their lives. This study concluded that subjects employed two modes of “trivializing” as a way of resolving dissonance. Some participants justified their eating habits based on Southern culture, while others explained that their church culture supported unhealthy eating as a means of gathering in fellowship

Agricultural Communications: Perspectives from the Experts

This qualitative research study evaluates the perspectives of agricultural communications (ACOM) according to ACOM experts (N = 25) from across the United States. Respondents represented policy makers, industry leaders, educators, and researchers and averaged about 15 years of experience. However, respondents were unable to identify a consistent definition of ACOM. Skills and characteristics needed by agricultural communicators ranged from general agriculture and policy understanding to technical communications and science knowledge. Audience identification, agricultural and policy knowledge, and targeted message development and delivery were all important skills needed by ACOMRs. Agricultural communicator characteristics focused on being flexible, responsible, gaining trust, and thinking critically. Challenges, sometimes noted as barriers, ranged from knowledge area changes to division and defense and from a non-unified voice to rapid expansion of technology. The discussion of higher education institutions training generalists versus specialists is an important topic based on findings of this study. Recommendations for future ACOM focus and education are discussed

Millennial Alumni Perceptions of Communications: A Look at One Land Grant University’s Media Use

An important aspect of higher education is alumni relationship cultivation, because it keeps alma maters connected to graduates. To assess this relationship, researchers sought to describe Millennial alumni perceptions of media distributed by the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food, and Life Sciences (Bumpers College) from 2012 through 2014. Assessed media included alumni magazines, an e-newsletter, key event invitations, College website, and social media presences. Active and inactive alumni responses were gathered via telephone interviews and qualitatively analyzed for emergent themes. Researchers identified Building the Professional and Interest in Giving Back as themes related to respondents’ connection to Bumpers College. Five additional themes emerged related to assessed media and included Message Relationship, Specialized Content, Communications Medium, Message Barriers, and Need for Promotion. No alumni were dissatisfied with their collegiate experience and favored monetary donations for its convenience. Alumni sought a personable-angle communications media and were drawn by updates about the College’s research and global impacts. Respondents consumed print and digital media differently with engagement based on personal preference and flexibility. Subthemes emerged related to Message Barriers and included time, distance, vague messages, too much information, non-relatable subject matter, technical errors, and outdated information. Finally, there was little brand recognition between Bumpers College and University messaging, and most alumni were unaware of the College’s social media presences

Millennial Alumni Perceptions of Communications: A Look at One Land Grant University’s Media Use

An important aspect of higher education is alumni relationship cultivation, because it keeps alma maters connected to graduates. To assess this relationship, researchers sought to describe Millennial alumni perceptions of media distributed by the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food, and Life Sciences (Bumpers College) from 2012 through 2014. Assessed media included alumni magazines, an e-newsletter, key event invitations, College website, and social media presences. Active and inactive alumni responses were gathered via telephone interviews and qualitatively analyzed for emergent themes. Researchers identified Building the Professional and Interest in Giving Back as themes related to respondents’ connection to Bumpers College. Five additional themes emerged related to assessed media and included Message Relationship, Specialized Content, Communications Medium, Message Barriers, and Need for Promotion. No alumni were dissatisfied with their collegiate experience and favored monetary donations for its convenience. Alumni sought a personable-angle communications media and were drawn by updates about the College’s research and global impacts. Respondents consumed print and digital media differently with engagement based on personal preference and flexibility. Subthemes emerged related to Message Barriers and included time, distance, vague messages, too much information, non-relatable subject matter, technical errors, and outdated information. Finally, there was little brand recognition between Bumpers College and University messaging, and most alumni were unaware of the College’s social media presences

Literature Themes from Five Decades of Agricultural Communications Publications

The discipline of agricultural communications has been developing for nearly two centuries. As the discipline has adapted, professional organizations such as the American Association of `Agricultural College Editors (AAACE) and the Association for Communication Excellence in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Life and Human Sciences (ACE) have published literature representative of the topics and issues that have impacted the discipline through magazines and journals such as the AAACE, ACE Quarterly, and the Journal of Applied Communications (JAC). The purpose of this study was to review the literature published in AAACE, ACE Quarterly, and JAC from 1968-2015 to identify primary and secondary literature themes. There were 13 emergent themes identified. The most prolific primary theme identified was Channel Development, Use or Research while the most prolific secondary theme identified was Educating Professionals. A count of the number of articles classified as “professional development” and “research” revealed a shift in the focus in the journal outlets. In earlier years, the discipline focused mainly on professional development articles (AAACE and ACE Quarterly), but transitioned almost completely to research (JAC). This research acknowledges that the discipline has experienced significant literary shifts and provides a recommendation for further research in audience analysis of the literature coming from the journals of the discipline

Introducing the Academic Discipline of Agricultural Communications to the United Kingdom

Though the academic discipline of agricultural communications is well established in the United States, it does not have a significant presence in the United Kingdom. This is the case in spite of the fact that the profession of agricultural communications is well-established across the country. As administrators at U.K. institutions consider adding curriculum in this discipline, it is important for them to have an understanding of the competencies employers would expect of agricultural communications graduates, as well as an understanding of what students would expect to learn. Empirical data describing such perceptions could further the conceptualization and development of the discipline in the U.K. A total of 22 agricultural communications professionals and 67 agricultural students from land-based institutions in England and Scotland completed the survey. Data demonstrated that agricultural students’ and agricultural communications professionals’ perceptions were generally not statistically different. While many of the competencies that guide agricultural communications curriculum in the U.S. were perceived as important to U.K. professionals and students alike, both groups perceived competencies such as writing skills and general communication skills to be especially important for prospective agricultural communications graduates in the U.K. Future studies should continue to investigate the need for an agricultural communications academic discipline in the communications profession in the United Kingdom and preferences of students, faculty, and potential employers of agricultural communications graduates

Characteristics of U.S. Agricultural Communications Undergraduate Programs

This study characterized agricultural communications undergraduate programs nationwide. A total of 40 undergraduate agricultural communications programs were identified via the National Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow database, Internet searches, and previous academic program research, and their existences were verified via multiple sources. Objectives included creating an accounting of existing programs, describing the programs’ demographics, and identifying top programs. This study employed a census approach and used a descriptive survey design, including both quantitative and structured qualitative questions. The quantitative data were analyzed via descriptive statistics. A total of 26 respondents — faculty representing U.S. undergraduate agricultural communications programs — participated in this study. An increase in the number of academic programs across the U.S. was observed, compared to the last similar study published in 2000, suggesting an increase in popularity and student demand, which is most likely a result of an increase in industry demand for agricultural communications graduates. While programs varied in size and age, most faculty respondents projected an increase in enrollment in their undergraduate programs. Future studies characterizing the discipline should be conducted on a more frequent, standardized schedule, and improved participation in the study should be a goal. National curriculum studies also should be conducted to tie program characteristics and instructional methodologies to program success and to correlate program characteristics and demographics