I took a trip to Tangier Island over the weekend. While my focus was on the boat trip to/from the island, there is no ignoring the impact of rising sea levels and more frequent flooding on the island. The other stark driver for the future of the island is economics. The number of youth is on the decline, with fewer than 35 students enrolled in primary education, and no jobs to return to after the high school graduates go off to college. What was strange was that the K-12 school is only a decade old. Perhaps there is a well-defined strategy for a thriving island future that considers population and climate change.
I am in Portland, Oregon for the first half of this week with land grant leaders to strategize our own future. We, too, are taking into account the declining student population, economic and climate risks to our food and natural resources, and how these factors and others impact how we conduct our work and what work we do. A key priority for the conversation is maintaining federal funding support for the tripartite partnership (state, federal, local) that reflects the land grant commitment. Funds aren’t keeping pace with the cost of conducting programs – a challenge well known by higher education and other industries.
When I return to campus, we have our annual strategic planning meeting with the provost and her team. I look forward to sharing our accomplishments and getting feedback that will help AGNR accomplish our FY27 goals and position us for long term success. Our desired outcomes always revolve around a prepared workforce, research for good, and strengthening the position of the communities we serve. In FY27, we want to develop our plans to reimagine the AGNR student experience. At the same time, positioning the college as a key partner and leader in technology development and implementation across the breadth of AGNR program areas will be emphasized using a multi-faceted approach across each of the mission areas.
Despite many across AGNR having vacation plans, I suspect we all welcome the rain and temperatures. As the week progresses the sun and temperatures return so hopefully outdoor tasks are completed early in the week.
Photo by Will Parson/Chesapeake Bay Program.