Communication competencies and skills needed by agricultural communication graduates are constantly changing because of the dynamic nature of the technology used by communication professionals. Although several studies have been conducted in recent years that engaged alumni and industry professionals to determine agricultural communication program graduate competencies, no studies were found which sought out these competencies from the perspective of faculty. Determining the communication competencies faculty deem important will help identify gaps between industry needs and academic perceptions. This Delphi study was conducted to determine the competencies agricultural communication faculty believe are needed for agricultural communication program graduates. Nineteen participants from 14 universities came to consensus on 79 statements. The ten statements receiving the highest level of agreement were "Ability to communicate in writing," "Ability to write clearly, concisely, tersely, and to get to the point," "Highly developed writing skills," "Good writing skills," "Professional competence-able to practice effective communication-write / speak correctly, clearly in a style and form that is expected of the audience, profession they will serve," "Critical thinking," "Grammar," "Ability to communicate, both orally and in writing, ability to understand conceptual thinking and how it relates to communication," "Ability to find and use information sources both on and off the internet," and "Ethics." This study provides additonal information to help address Agricultural Communications National Research Priority Area 4: "What are the skills, competencies, and resources necessary to prepare professional agricultural communicators for success in various aspects of agricultural knowledge management?"

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Theory of Psychological Stress indicates that once a teacher appraises a stressor they will seek to master, tolerate, or reduce the demands of the stressor (Lazarus, 1991

This study characterized perceptions of agricultural leadership programs in colleges of agriculture, food, life, human, or

Every day consumers vote which products line the shelves of grocery stores, coops , and niche markets by use of their dollars. Public unrest with regard to the environment, animal welfare, food purity, and human health impacts of agricultural production practices have led to the rise of alternatively produced food products. While the sales of alternatively produced foods are increasing, studies regarding the qualities of such products impact consumer purchases have yielded inconsistent results. This study examined students' perceptions of sensory aspects of conventionally produced and alternatively produced foods to better understand how sensory aspects impact decisions to purchase. Students reported consistent perceptions regarding the favorability of each sensory aspect of chicken and apples; the alternatively produced versions of the products yielded higher mean scores on every sensory aspect. However, students' perceptions of the sensory qualities of chocolate, milk, and beef were not consistent; for example, they reported more favorable perceptions of the appearance and smell of conventionally produced milk, but perceived a more favorable texture and flavor from the alternatively produced milk. The results of this study imply when making purchasing decisions, consumers may value specific sensory attributes over others. An alternative approach to marketing alternatively produced products is to focus on valued extrinsic aspects designed to attract consumers to purchase products in spite of their perhaps less valued perceptions of sensory aspects.