The Changing Face of Natural Resources Students, Education, and the Profession

Millenbah, Kelly F.; Wolter, Bjørn H. K.

doi:10.2193/2008-318

Cited by 24 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 15 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…And I was in [College Algebra and Trigonometry where] I had a professor I could hardly understand, and that [class] turned out to be harder than I was expecting…I was [also] in [Organisms and Populations Lab] that I really didn't enjoy too much.” Like Paul, some students indicated that the pace of many of these prerequisite courses was too challenging for them. Paul even recognized a lack of preparation coming out of high school by stating, “I never had any problem in high school and I guess the step up was a lot.” Grade and degree inflation are recognized by educational researchers as two of the most important hurdles facing higher education in America in the 21st century (e.g., Miller, 2007; Ivanova and Ivanova, 2009; Millenbah and Wolter, 2009). In addition, an unprecedented number of students are arriving on campuses across the country with varied academic backgrounds, virtually all of whom have been held to declining academic standards in public secondary schooling (e.g., Duderstadt, 2000).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Factors Affecting Persistence of Undergraduate Students in a Fisheries and Wildlife Program: Leavers

Wolter

Millenbah

Montgomery

et al. 2011

J. Nat. Resour. Life Sci. Edu

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Undergraduate enrollment in natural resources‐related programs are 13% lower than they were 30 years ago, even though overall collegiate enrollment has increased by roughly 8.5 million students during the same period. Because of this, we decided to investigate the question of student retention in a fisheries and wildlife (FW) program from the perspective of the students themselves. In this pilot study, we conducted face‐to‐face interviews with seven students who left a FW program (“leavers”), and asked them 13 questions related to their experiences at a large Midwestern university to better understand student reasons for leaving. Specific findings include: the importance of job prospects and earnings potential, a general reluctance to pursue postgraduate education, a degree of disillusionment at the relative lack of outdoor experiences offered, and a desire for more active participation in the undergraduate program. Some students expressed a feeling of deception at the realities of the departmental curriculum, although these were poorly defined and may be the product of other issues such as unrealistic program expectations. The results of this study inform the discussion on student retention and motivation in natural resource programs, and provide real‐world suggestions on how to stem student attrition.

show abstract

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Factors Affecting Persistence of Undergraduate Students in a Fisheries and Wildlife Program: Leavers

Wolter

Millenbah

Montgomery

et al. 2011

J. Nat. Resour. Life Sci. Edu

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…It is interesting to note that the students we interviewed expressed attitudes toward money and earning potential that are at odds with many of their peers in the Millennial generation (e.g., Broido, 2004; Johnstone, 2007; McGlyn, 2005; Zemke, 2001), with many stating that they felt no need to be “rich” but rather only motivated to earn enough to for their lives to be comfortable. Many students of the Millennial generation have unrealistic perceptions of their own employability once they graduate, with many expecting to establish careers and earn large salaries right out of college (Millenbah and Wolter, 2009). It is apparent that FW as a discipline seems to appeal to individuals who either have a personal and close connection with nature via experiences in their lives, or who are deeply committed to preservation and conservation based on theoretical ideals.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The U.S. Department of Education (USDE) estimated that by 2009 more than 75% of all graduating high school seniors would attend some form of postsecondary training (Millenbah and Wolter, 2009; Zusman, 2005), and recent publications by the USDE project that by 2015 there will be almost 20 million students seeking degrees at institutions of higher education across the United States (Hussar and Bailey, 2006). Community colleges and small private institutions, for instance, are at the vanguard of this national push for access to postsecondary education (Boggs, 2004; Ives, 2006), and every year feed thousands of mature and focused students into 4‐year natural resources programs across America.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Factors Affecting Persistence of Undergraduate Students in a Fisheries and Wildlife Program: Transfer Students

Wolter

Millenbah

Montgomery

et al. 2011

J. Nat. Resour. Life Sci. Edu

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Transfer students are of recognized importance to postsecondary education and every year feed thousands of students into natural resources programs across America. This influx of students can have a sustaining effect on many academic programs, including fisheries and wildlife programs, which are suffering from a nation‐wide decrease in interest and declining enrollment. In this pilot study, we conducted face‐to‐face interviews with students who transferred into a fisheries and wildlife program at a large Midwestern university. We asked 13 questions related to their experiences to better understand student reasons for transferring into, and staying in, a fisheries and wildlife program. Programmatic experience was cited most often by transfer students as their reason for persisting in the program. Students acknowledged the importance of a sense of belonging to a community of scholars as critical to their choice of program; this notion was influenced by parameters such as class size, student–faculty relationships, and peer interactions. Other important characteristics of program selection for transfer students included an ability to be engaged in hands‐on activities (e.g., field courses and undergraduate research experiences) and the desire to engage in a career rather than just a job (i.e., students felt passionate about the work they were doing). Using information generated from this study, other natural resources programs may be better poised to attract and retain transfer students to their programs.

show abstract

“…Millenbah and Wolter (2009) state that a "failure to understand the background and values of the Millennial generation, as they come of age, will create professionals and a profession increasingly out of touch with the public it serves." Millenbah and Wolter (2009) state that a "failure to understand the background and values of the Millennial generation, as they come of age, will create professionals and a profession increasingly out of touch with the public it serves."…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Education in the Era of the Millennials and Implications for Future Fisheries Professionals and Conservation

Millenbah¹,

Wolter²,

Taylor³

2011

Fisheries

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Fisheries and other natural resource professionals face growing challenges in their fields and the resources that they manage. Many are well aware of the pending impacts of retirement of the Baby Boomers and the loss of collective knowledge held by those individuals. We are also acutely aware of the damaging impacts of reduced budget allocations for natural resources–based programs. Concomitant to the decrease in funding is the ever‐increasing complexity of the fisheries discipline that brings with it new and more complicated ecological and governance challenges. These, and the evolving preferences, morals, and values of today's college students, pose a unique and difficult dynamic for engaging the next generation in the stewardship of fish and wildlife resources. Critical to the success of future conservation efforts will be the modification of educational and workplace systems, including the American Fisheries Society, to prepare and support future professionals so that they may handle this suite of complex, interdisciplinary issues. Understanding the characteristics of the next generation of natural resource leaders, and the individuals with whom they will interact in pursuit of conservation, is key to ensuring that they can meet the challenges of a new era in resources management. The purpose of this article is to describe the next generation of fisheries professionals (the Millennials) and to provide suggestions for how higher education and the fisheries profession can best prepare to support the success of this generation and ultimately the future of fisheries conservation and management.

show abstract

The Changing Face of Natural Resources Students, Education, and the Profession

Cited by 24 publications

References 15 publications

Factors Affecting Persistence of Undergraduate Students in a Fisheries and Wildlife Program: Leavers

Factors Affecting Persistence of Undergraduate Students in a Fisheries and Wildlife Program: Leavers

Factors Affecting Persistence of Undergraduate Students in a Fisheries and Wildlife Program: Transfer Students

Education in the Era of the Millennials and Implications for Future Fisheries Professionals and Conservation

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About