Monday, November 5, 2007 - 2:15 PM
39-4

Taking Ten Years of Extension Field Experience Into the Undegraduate Classroom.

Glendon Harris, University of Georgia, P.O. Box 748, Tifton, GA 31793

Undergraduate teaching opportunities were formally presented for the first time at the Tifton Campus of the University of Georgia in Fall 2003. A brand new major, Agriscience and Environmental Systems (AES)was developed specifically for this campus with an emphasis on applied and practical agriculture. Traditionally housing researchers and extension specialists, both were "drafted" at this location to teach courses for this new major. For faculty with 100 % Extension assignments, teaching junior level undegraduates basic science classes is not only a different setting, but also presents different challenges and approaches compared to training county agents and growers in the field. How to adapt extension field experience to the undergraduate classroom, without sacrificng quality of extension programs, will also be discussed.