Presented By: Lauren Lewis Cline, Oklahoma State University
Co-Authors: Chris Eck, Oklahoma State University
Ashleigh Snell, Oklahoma State University
Rob Terry, Oklahoma State University

The COVID-19 pandemic inspired researchers to study the well-being of students and faculty at higher education institutions. Few studies, however, focused on well-being of faculty undergraduate advisors (FUAs). Well-being is cited as a root cause for an exodus of higher education professionals. These professionals, including FUAs, are important to student retention. In colleges of agriculture (COA), FUAs can provide a connection to the agriculture and natural resources industry that students from non-agriculture backgrounds may often lack; but little is known about their level of well-being regarding this component of their faculty role. This study aimed to determine the well-being of FUAs at [COLLEGE] utilizing the Positive Emotions, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishments (PERMA) model. The levels of each PERMA construct were tested to identify differences in self-perceived well-being between the roles of faculty member and FUAs in [COLLEGE]. A statistically significant difference was found between faculty's self-perception of well-being as a faculty member and as a FUA (P: t = 5.76, p < 0.001; E: t = 5.81, p < 0.001; R: t = 5.16, p < 0.001; M: t = 3.89, p < 0.001; A: t = 3.99, p < 0.001). FUA well-being averaged between 2.19 and 2.91 on a scale of 1 to 5 (P= 2.45; E= 2.19; R= 2.90; M= 2.51; A= 2.62), indicating a low level of well-being related to the role. Could the low level of self-perceived well-being by faculty members regarding their role as a FUA impact their job satisfaction and retention? We recommend COAs consider the influence of FUA well-being upon student-advisor relationships, and consequently, student retention. We recommend COAs develop advising models that benefit faculty and students, such as dual or supplementary models, allowing faculty to maintain vital relationships with students while also maintaining well-being in their faculty roles.

Presented By: Makenzie Lee, Colorado State University
Co-Authors: Chad Miller, Colorado State University

Plant identification (ID) courses can be a challenging course for many students. In these courses, students are introduced to and expected to learn dozens of plants, including scientific and common names, along with cultural information. Students are introduced to numerous plant species in these courses, often through instructor-guided walks around campus during the lab sessions. A low stakes, non-graded assessment activity has been implemented at the beginning and the end of the ID courses, serving two primary objectives; 1) to acquaint students with specific quiz sheet and assessment expectations at the beginning of the semester and 2) to provide a record of their knowledge for self-reflection to compare their knowledge acquisition from the beginning to the end of the semester. The quizzes are digital presentations of fifteen common plants found in the landscape. The same presentation is used for both assessments. The quizzes are scored, but not used as part of the formal assessment of the course. Seven years of data for this activity have shown significant (P = <0.001) increase in student knowledge gain, over the course of the semester, with scores increasing from an average of 1.6 at the beginning of the semester to 9.7 at the end of the semester. This activity requires minimal input and effort, is well-received by students and provides them with documentation and affirmation of learning over the course of the semester.

Presented By: Thomas Paulsen, Morningside University
Co-Authors: Brandon Boesch, Morningside University
Keren Brooks, Morningside University
Elizabeth Coody, Morningside University
Annie Kinwa-Muzinga, Morningside University
Brian McFarland, Morningside University
Jennifer Peterson, Morningside University
Leslie Werden, Morningside University
Dan Witten, Morningside University

[University] recently received a $150,000 National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Humanities Connections Implementation Grant which funded a three-year project titled Rooted: Integrated Humanities and Agriculture to establish an Agricultural Humanities minor. Faculty from the disciplines of agriculture, religious studies, philosophy, English, writing, and rhetoric came together to develop the project centered on the interrelation of humanistic inquiry with agriculture and food studies, culminating in the new minor. [University] is located at the crossroads of three states, where supplying the nation with food has been woven into the rural fabric for generations. Faculty training to implement the new minor was completed during the summer of 2023 with a week-long collaboratively planned and implemented faculty training workshop. Rooted in experiential learning theory, agriculture and humanities professors co-led learning experiences related to humanities-based pedagogical approaches (storytelling, textural analysis, historical pedagogy, cross-matching language, interpersonal skills, and question-asking) through applied experiences within agriculture (field trips to a family cattle operation, precision-focused agriculture operation, pork processing plant, and various activities on campus agricultural facilities (greenhouse, outdoor classroom, garden, and farm). Post-training faculty reflections supported high levels of interest, learning, and opportunities to integrate new pedagogies and contexts into their current and newly developed courses supporting the new Agricultural Humanities minor. This presentation shares information about the 2025 faculty development conference to be held at [University] as well as the challenges overcome and successes achieved through the collaborative project development and faculty training phases of the new minor's initial integration into the [University] curriculum.