| The purpose of this program was to significantly impact the quality and content of educational experiences received by Hispanic and other underrepresented agricultural students at Sul Ross State University (SRSU) and Odessa College (OC). This was achieved through the development of a unique learning curriculum for students to be educated in the production of beef products from conception to consumption (BPCC). The existing agricultural curricula at SRSU and OC was revised to include 10 distance delivery classes, new instructional materials, specialized experiential laboratories, and shared faculty and technological resources between both institutions. Cattle breeding equipment and scientific instrumentation were acquired to enhance OC's academic program. This included a cattle squeeze chute, cattle scale, nitrogen tank, Pregscan, Ovascan ovulation monitor, artificial insemination equipment, semen samples and feed. Classes were rescheduled to follow a real world beef production timeline and to maximize student experiential learning. Tuition was provided to 35 SR and 12 OC students to enroll in BPCC courses. A total of 1,086 BPCC semester hours were taken by funded and non-funded BPCC students. A BPCC poster was presented at the 2008 Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) Education Grants Program New Project Directors' Meeting in Washington, D.C. by grant personnel. A graduate student was provided with a stipend, tuition, and books to pursue a Master of Science in Animal Science at SRSU. The graduate student presented a BPCC poster at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) HSI Leadership Program in Washington D.C. and attended the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) annual 25th anniversary meeting in San Antonio, TX in which she disseminated information pertaining to the BPCC program. The BPCC graduate student and two undergraduate students were funded to attend the Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences (MANRRS) Conference in Orlando, Florida. In addition, the graduate student and grant personnel were funded to attend the 2011 North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture (NACTA) Conference in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. One student participated in the Student Career Experience Program (SCEP) student trainee program of the USDA Livestock and Seed Program. This partnership was initiated to provide students with valuable career experience while earning money for their education. Additional partnerships were established with the Texas AgriLife Extension Service and College Tech-Prep school districts to publicize information about the program to identify and recruit qualified applicants. Grant activities were disseminated through 5 television stations, 4 newspapers, 2 radio stations, and faculty-graduate student presentations at 7 professional meetings. This grant has enhanced educational opportunities and resources at SRSU and OC, thereby allowing students to be better prepared for careers in industry, education, or government. |
