Communicating Strategically with Generation Me: Aligning Students' Career Needs With Communication about Academic Programs andAvailable Careers

摘要

Many academic programs in agriculture struggle with recruiting qualified students. Why are students choosing to enter other fields of study instead of agriculture? The purpose of this study was to determine students' perceptions and awareness about academic agricultural programs. A set of three focus groups were conducted, which consisted of 1) students inside a specific academic program, 2) students outside of the program but within the college of agriculture, and 3) students outside of the collegeof agriculture but enrolled in an introductory agriculture class for non-majors. Questions were asked regarding students' career and major choices, and perceptions about a specific program of study. The results showed that students were initially unawareof careers available in this area and had a negative impression of careers in the agricultural field. However, after hearing about available careers, their perceptions were positive, and they expressed the need for more marketing and branding of the industry so that students would be aware of careers available in this field. A major implication of this study is the need to address students' lack of awareness with respect to the diverse range of careers and employer organizations within agriculture. Future research is recommended to determine how to develop effective strategic communication plans for academic programs in agriculture.