Department Administrative Structure and Overview

 Division Chair Responsibilities

Program coordination within the department and interdisciplinary approaches to agricultural problems is encouraged. The department is administered through an infrastructure that provides for management of resources, offers services, and accounts for activities of the faculty and staff. The department is organized to provide a means for scientists to communicate and help identify instructional, research, and extension needs and activities related to a specific branch of science represented in the department. A quality work environment for science and education by faculty, staff and students is provided, as resources permit.

The department consists of approximately 48 faculty members/project leaders, with 22 in plant science, 13 in entomology, 8 in plant pathology, and 6 in soil science. The faculty members have assignments in one, two, or sometimes three, functions--teaching, extension and research. In addition to the faculty, there are 11 professional support personnel (research, extension, and instructional associates), along with 7 postdoctoral fellows, 70 combined classified administrative staff and scientific support staff (research or extension support scientists, technicians, scientific aides, and secretarial staff), and currently 148 students. Faculty and support personnel are located on-campus at Moscow and at six research and extension centers in the state (Aberdeen-23, Idaho Falls-6, Kimberly-9, Parma-20, Sandpoint-1, and Twin Falls-12).

The role of the department faculty in research and extension activities have emphasized crop science, pest science, soil science, and resource science as fostered by the land grant university system. These emphasis areas continue to be a dominant component of the faculty's research and extension activity in the field and laboratory. Department programs are focused on needs for Idaho, and the broad scope of scholarly works conducted by faculty throughout the state contribute to both student training and agricultural extension at the local, state and regional levels.

The department's goal for faculty with research-extension appointments is to pursue a balanced program between fundamental and applied science. The fundamental programs are designed to expand the knowledge base in each area of study while enhancing the academic programs. The department’s goal for applied programs is to have extension-research faculty pursue a focus on local, statewide, or regional problems in which the results of research are readily implemented by all clientele to improve the agricultural economy, social well-being and environment of the region’s citizens. Specific areas emphasized recently include molecular biology, integrated cropping systems, environmental science and natural resource management, and biological control of pests.

The department offers Idaho's only: Bachelor of Science degree in Entomology, Soil and Land Resources, and Horticultural and Crop Science (options in Crop Management, Horticultural Production, Plant Protection, and Urban Landscape and Turf Management; Master of Science (M.S.) degrees in Entomology, Plant Science, and Soil and Land Resources; and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Entomology, Plant Science, and Soil and Land Resources. Distance education is rapidly developing to further extend departmental programs. There are 9.18 FTE assigned to teaching, among 25 faculty and staff with teaching appointments.

There are currently 66 full-time undergraduate students majoring in departmental curricula. In addition, 82 individuals are pursuing M.S. and Ph.D. degrees. The department has allocated assistantships for graduate student support. The remaining graduate students are supported from grant funds, personal funds, or, in the case of foreign students, sponsored fellowships.

In FY99, the department’s base appropriation was $5.5 million from the state legislature and the federal government. In addition, the faculty generated extramural grant and contract funds of $6.1 million to support their research, teaching and extension programs, of which $3.8 million came from federal agencies, $1.6 million from commodity groups, and $0.8 million from industry and other sources. Some technical support personnel are funded from allocated resources, but the majority are supported on grant and contract dollars.

Relationships in international agriculture (research, teaching and extension) involve exchange visits, consultations, participation in international conferences, graduate student education of international students, and publication of review articles and proceedings with international colleagues. Cooperation with specific research and extension projects often occurs. International agricultural activities are valued in PSES, but are not required as an expectation for promotion. Details for individual faculty are outlined in their position descriptions. In addition to being on the cutting edge of their science, faculty members reflect a growing awareness of the global nature of agriculture from the standpoint of competitiveness and opportunities for Idaho clientele. Exchanges can facilitate transfer of developed technologies from other systems, which can then be adapted to Idaho, and utilized for competitive advantage.

Equipment and facilities are often shared for field and laboratory research, extension and teaching on campus and at the Research and Extension Centers around the state. Mobile field equipment for planting, harvesting and maintaining experimental and demonstration field plots are generally accessible to all faculty and essential for many programs. Glasshouse and growth chamber facilities with environmental controls are necessary for many department teaching, research and extension programs.

Availability of teaching laboratories adequately equipped for student’s hands-on experiences are required for most PSES course offerings on and off campus. Specialized instrumentation and equipment is required in our research laboratories.