education & communication Undergraduate Enrollment in Natural Resource Programs in the United States: Trends, Drivers, and Implications for the Future of Natural Resource Professions Terry L. Sharik, Robert J. Lilieholm, Wanda Lindquist, and William W. Richardson We gathered undergraduate enrollment data for various fields of study in natural resources (NR) at National Association of University Forest Resources Programs (NAUFRP)–member institutions dating back to 1980. We found that across all geographic regions, enrollment trends were highly cyclical, changing by nearly 50% in a decade or less. Although current aggregate enrollments are roughly equivalent to 1980 levels, student numbers have shifted from traditional consumptive NR fields such as forestry to more interdisciplinary and ecosystem- based programs. Female NR enrollments have steadily increased, reaching 41% in 2012 versus 57% in the undergraduate population as a whole. Forestry, however, had the lowest female enrollment levels in 2012 at just 18%. Minority enrollment has also increased, and as of 2012 comprised about 12% of NR enrollment, up from less than 1% in 1973 but still well below the overall undergraduate level of 40%. Minority representation differs among NR fields of study, with forestry below the average. Minority enrollment in most disciplines is dominated by Hispanics, with notable exceptions being wood science/products (Asians) and recreation (blacks). The dramatic decline in forestry enrollments in both absolute numbers and as a proportion of overall NR enrollments from 1980 to 2012 may be due to a number of factors, including (1) changing public values toward forests and forestry, (2) diversification of NR degree offerings, (3) inflexible, science-based curricula associated with accreditation, certification, and federal Office of Personnel Management standards, (4) perceived lack of jobs and concern about low wages, and (5) little attraction to forestry for women and minorities, two student cohorts that have grown significantly in recent decades. These trends offer both challenges and opportunities for the future of the NR profession and forestry in particular. Keywords: diversity, ecosystems, education, forestry, gender, minorities, range, recreation, watershed, wildlife, wood products F orests cover roughly one-third of the earth’s landmass, and across much of their distribution face increasing pressure to provide a growing array of eco- system services. From wood products to spe- cies habitat and from clean water to recre- ational opportunities, how global forests are managed is critical to sustaining both hu- man and natural systems. A key ingredient in meeting this challenge is the availability of competent, well-trained professionals able to manage forest resources to meet the changing needs of a growing human popu- lation. Professional training in forestry dates back centuries. Sustained yield concepts emerged in German states as early as the 14th century, and the first silviculture book, Sylvicultura Oeconomica, was penned by Hans Carl von Carlowitz in 1713 (Agnoletti 2006, Buttinger 2013). Professional forestry soon followed, along with forestry schools, textbooks, and journals. This growing body of knowledge and practice was exported across Received November 22, 2014; accepted June 17, 2015; published online September 3, 2015. Affiliations: Terry L. Sharik (tlsharik@mtu.edu), School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI. Robert J. Lilieholm (roblilieholm@gmail.com), School of Forest Resources, University of Maine. Wanda Lindquist (welindquist@gmail.com), Department of Wildland Resources, Utah State University. William W. Richardson, USDA Food and Agricultural Education Information System (FAEIS), deceased. Acknowledgments: This research was supported by the National Association of University Forest Resources Programs, the USDA Food and Agricultural Education Instructional System, the Richard and Bonnie Robbins Chair in Sustainable Resources at Michigan Technological University, the Maine Sustainability Solutions Initiative (National Science Foundation Grant EPS-0904155), McIntire-Stennis Grants UTA00665 and MEO-M-7-00510-13 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, and the University of Maine’s Center for Research on Sustainable Forests. We dedicate this article to the memory of Mr. Bill Richardson, who passed away on Sept. 4, 2014, just several months before the completion of this article. RESEARCH ARTICLE 538 Journal of Forestry • November 2015 J. For. 113(6):538 –551 http://dx.doi.org/10.5849/jof.14-146 Copyright © 2015 Society of American Foresters Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/jof/article-abstract/113/6/538/4599721 by guest on 23 May 2020