Balancing the popular with the personal is a top priority for UT’s College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources (CASNR). Innovations like podcasting have helped distribute learning to hundreds, even thousands, of people at a time. But reconciling these methods with the ideal of a personalized approach to the college experience is challenging. CASNR, however, has managed to create an environment in which students receive an extensive yet individualized learning experience.
CASNR prides itself on its close faculty–student interaction. At the college, each student is paired with a faculty advisor, and the low student-to-faculty ratio means faculty members can get to know their advisees in depth.
“These strong advisor–student relationships help us bring out the best in our students, guide them through matriculation, and often help launch them in professional careers following graduation,” says Dean Caula Beyl.
CASNR students also receive financial aid guidance, and incoming and current students are urged to submit applications for scholarships.
“CASNR has one of the largest scholarship programs within the University of Tennessee and maintains a wide range of awards for students from freshmen through graduate school,” says Jeff Gerkin, assistant dean and director of financial aid.
Mike Smith, professor of animal science and chair of CASNR’s scholarship committee, notes the awards are greatly needed. “For parents, it can be very tough to cover the expenses,” Smith says, adding that scholarships have often determined whether a student can enroll or remain in school.
On a wider level, CASNR has engaged in many of the innovations that aim to diversify and expand the educational experience. To suit the students’ more dynamic learning style, the college’s faculty members are using new tools.
Andy Pulte, lecturer in the Department of Plant Sciences, finds digital technology useful in extending his classroom teaching beyond the basic material. “My teaching assistants can do podcasts and blogs with more detail, and those enable students to experience them very efficiently and effectively.”
Matthew Gray, an associate professor in the Department of Forestry, Wildlife, and Fisheries, uses podcasting in his courses. He led the college into podcasting in 2005 and surveyed students on its value. “A hundred percent of them said they were in favor of it. I found that they were using the podcasts as a tool for studying; podcasts were boosting their grades on average by one to two percent,” Gray says.
“My ultimate hope is that we can continue to build our podcasting resources to the extent that they augment our continuing-education and distance-learning programs,” Gray adds. “I see them as a way of extending our teaching and educational abilities beyond the borders of UT and Tennessee.”
