Enrollment Decision-Making in U.S. Forestry and Related Natural Resource Degree Programs

Abstract

This article investigates enrollment decision-making trends among students currently enrolled in forestry and related natural resource (FRNR) degree programs in the United States. We conducted an online survey administered to all student participants attending the Society of American Foresters (SAF) National Convention in Salt Lake City, UT, in 2014 to obtain our enrollment decision-making data. Students were asked to rank the enrollment factors they considered most important to their decision to enroll, and factors that caused them to hesitate when enrolling in their degree program. We found that the "typical" FRNR enrollee was a person who enjoyed being outdoors and had an affinity toward nature, while being attracted to the idea of working outdoors on subject material that pertained to nature in general. We also found that there were many important differences between the "typical" FRNR enrollee and their minority counterparts. For example, women were found to be significantly more hesitant about enrolling in a FRNR program than males (the dominant demographic of FRNR students). In addition to these differences, we found critical differences between degree program and specialty that also crossed gender lines. We report the results of these findings and discuss the implications for future recruitment efforts geared toward both boosting FRNR enrollment overall as well as increasing FRNR student diversity.

Passion for nature: global student motivations for forestrelated education and career aspirations

“…ANOVA results below a significant value of 0.05 were deemed statistically significant and therefore subjected to a Tukey Post Hoc Multiple Comparisons test to determine which means differ from each other within the groups. Significant values were interpreted as an indication that a relationship between variables is not random (Maier and Winkel 2017, Rouleau et al . 2017).…”

Ice storm impacts on forest health

“…The internet and related technologies gave youth access to games and other indoor activities, and parents began to feel that it was not safe for their children to be left alone Drivers of Change in U.S. Forests and Forestry over the Next 20 Years • GTR-NRS-P-197 outside. We know from national surveys that the main reason high school students decide to matriculate in forestry and related natural resource degree programs is a love of nature or the outdoors (Rouleau et al 2017, Sharik andFrisk 2011). We also know from the work of Kellert (1996) and others that interest in and attraction to nature are developed at a very early age; both the cognitive domain and the affective and emotional domain of learning are involved, while shaping attitudes and values about nature, the outdoors, and natural resources.…”

“…Within the general field of natural resources, forestry has the lowest proportion of women and is in the lower third with respect to minorities. The reasons for this low gender and racial and ethnic diversity in natural resources are many and complex and thus will not be treated in any detail here (but see Rouleau et al 2017, Sharik and Frisk 2011. The challenge is how to increase these percentages so that the natural resources profession will: (1) reflect diversity in the population as a whole, (2) benefit from the innovation and problem-solving skills that this diversity brings, and (3) be able to work effectively with the public and with decision makers.…”

Drivers of change in U.S. forests and forestry over the next 20 years

“…The internet and related technologies gave youth access to games and other indoor activities, and parents began to feel that it was not safe for their children to be left alone outside. We know from national surveys that the main reason high school students decide to matriculate in forestry and related natural resource degree programs is a love of nature or the outdoors (Rouleau et al 2017, Sharik andFrisk 2011). We also know from the work of Kellert (1996) and others that interest in and attraction to nature are developed at a very early age; both the cognitive domain and the affective and emotional domain of learning are involved, while shaping attitudes and values about nature, the outdoors, and natural resources.…”

“…Within the general field of natural resources, forestry has the lowest proportion of women and is in the lower third with respect to minorities. The reasons for this low gender and racial and ethnic diversity in natural resources are many and complex and thus will not be treated in any detail here (but see Rouleau et al 2017, Sharik and Frisk 2011. The challenge is how to increase these percentages so that the natural resources profession will: (1) reflect diversity in the population as a whole, (2) benefit from the innovation and problem-solving skills that this diversity brings, and (3) be able to work effectively with the public and with decision makers.…”