International academic opportunities have gained increased attention among students, faculty,
and administration at American universities. It is important for agricultural students to have an
awareness and understanding of agricultural policy and issues in the United States and other
countries. Also, faculty who have personal and professional ties internationally are often the link
for these students to engage in global experiences. This study used descriptive survey
methodology to assess students (N = 773) and faculty (N = 85) at the University of Arkansas
about their perceptions of international experiences, as well as what they saw as the most
influential barriers and influencers to participating in international experiences. Students noted
their parents (M = 3.30) as the most impactful influence for deciding whether or not to engage in
an international experience, and cost (M = 3.92) was perceived as the most influential barrier to
an international experience. Faculty noted money (84.2%) and time (80.7%) as barriers, and
about one-half of the faculty wished to collaborate with institutions in Europe. Faculty perceived
that institutional financial support should be provided to both faculty and students (74.1%). This
study notes student influencers and barriers and faculty needs and provides recommendations
for improving international learning experiences and opportunities for future research.
The discipline of agricultural communications has been developing for nearly two centuries. As the discipline has adapted, professional organizations such as the American Association of `Agricultural College Editors (AAACE) and the Association for Communication Excellence in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Life and Human Sciences (ACE) have published literature representative of the topics and issues that have impacted the discipline through magazines and journals such as the AAACE, ACE Quarterly, and the Journal of Applied Communications (JAC). The purpose of this study was to review the literature published in AAACE, ACE Quarterly, and JAC from 1968-2015 to identify primary and secondary literature themes. There were 13 emergent themes identified. The most prolific primary theme identified was Channel Development, Use or Research while the most prolific secondary theme identified was Educating Professionals. A count of the number of articles classified as "professional development" and "research" revealed a shift in the focus in the journal outlets. In earlier years, the discipline focused mainly on professional development articles (AAACE and ACE Quarterly), but transitioned almost completely to research (JAC). This research acknowledges that the discipline has experienced significant literary shifts and provides a recommendation for further research in audience analysis of the literature coming from the journals of the discipline.
Content analysis was used to assess selected articles (n = 139) from USA Today, the New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal to identify frames and emergent themes about antibiotic and hormone use in poultry production over a 20-year period. Overall, human interest (27.5%), responsibility (21.6%), and conflict (18.7%) were the most frequently used frames. Five emergent themes were evident in the analysis of these articles: Consumers Awareness of and Concern for Antibiotic/Hormone use in Poultry Production (41.0%, n = 57); Role of Antibiotic Use in Poultry Production in Increased Levels of antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria (40.3%, n = 56); Regulation of Antibiotic Use in Poultry Production (36.0%, n = 50); Purpose of Antibiotic/ Hormone use in Poultry Production (32.4%, n = 45); and Transparency of Antibiotic Use Poultry Production Practices (13.7%, n = 19). Recommendations include a stronger focus on understanding and addressing consumer concerns about antibiotic and hormone use in poultry production, increased transparency, and improved relations with media contacts who cover antibiotic and hormone use in poultry production.
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