A profile of black agriculture students at selected 1862 and 1890 land grant institutions

The purpose of this study was to develop a profile of black agriculture students enrolled in undergraduate degree programs at selected 1862 and 1890 land grant institutions. The profile describes their backgrounds, the factors related to their choice of academic major, career, and institution, their perceptions of agriculture and agriculture-related issues, and their future educational plans.;The participating institutions were selected based on their affiliation with the organization Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences (MANRRS). Of 42 MANRRS-affiliated institutions, personnel at 33 institutions agreed to participate in the study. Surveys were distributed by contact persons at each institution to black undergraduates enrolled in agriculture, natural resources, and related majors. A total of 221 usable surveys were returned by students in the target population. Data from the surveys were analyzed utilizing basic descriptive statistics and one-way and factorial analysis of variance.;The major results of the study revealed that black agriculture students from 1862 institutions and those from 1890 institutions differed significantly in selected background characteristics, in factors influencing their choice of major, career, and institution, and in many of their perceptions about agriculture and agriculture-related issues. The students' residence--city, small town or rural--was significantly related to students' perceptions of agriculture. Differences in perceptions of agriculture between male and female students were also observed.