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Fifty Years of Progress in Teaching Animal Science

Colorado State University, Fort Collins

Abstract

Conclusion: The record of animal husbandry teaching during the past 50 years leaves much to be desired. Granted, there have passed across the stage of time a number of teachers whose service to humanity and agriculture establishes them for posterity as great "Greats". Teaching in general, however, has been treated as an orphan—being always considered secondary to research and other departmental activities. On the other hand, the teaching that has been done has not impressed youth with the value of organized past experience. The entirety of present society—parents and teachers alike— attempts to prolong the juvenile and dependent period of their life, yet our youth are old, very old. Discipline in any form whatsoever is becoming obsolete. Just what manner of pride can teachers feel when they are confronted with news reports of a mob of 2,000 students shouting insults and throwing stones and eggs at their president because of attempting tightening of rules pertaining to boy-girl parties at one of our foremost universities? Animal husbandry teaching in 1958 faces critical problems that cannot be solved by staff and committee actions motivated by the usual complacency of tenure and cooperative "back-scratching". Neither can they be corrected by the current contribution of from 10 to 20% of staff time to the relaxation and dilution of the "coffee-break" (per capita consumption: 1948–18.2 lb.; 1956–15.7 lb.). Energetic and realistic endeavor must soon be forthcoming if animal husbandry, yes, even agriculture is to meet the challenge now being presented to higher learning.

In the opinion of this writer the survival of animal science teaching depends entirely upon service to the public. Animal husbandry departments must correct, and quickly, traditional ideas of organization and curricula. In their stead must be initiated functional areas and procedures to meet public demands. Teachers must be selected, furthermore, on a competitive basis, alumni evaluation being given preference above that of freshmen or student campus organizations. Teachers must be permitted to teach rather than spend their time in endless committee meetings. Teacher's salaries should be comparable to those received by researchers, doctors, lawyers, and other professional people. Lastly, but not least, students must be disciplined and made to understand moral values. Teachers, in that respect, must be qualified and spontaneous in the examples they provide.