LEARNING BY DOING

TSUAg employing high-impact learning practices to better student outcomes |

IIt’s hard to say exactly when it happened, but as we move into the spring semester of the 2024-2025 academic year, the Tennessee State University College of Agriculture (TSUAg) now features a firmly entrenched learning environment for the student body, one that leans on high-impact, experiential learning practices. TSUAg has embraced the role of specialized practices as part of the very curriculum students follow, practices that take students from the classroom and put them into the world at large.

High-impact learning practices dovetail with TSUAg’s dedication to students’ workforce development while at the College. Placing graduates in important fields within the vast industry that is agriculture remains the focus, but these days, the College views the readiness component of workforce development differently.

The current view is that students who have truly experienced their chosen fields, students that have volunteered, done internships or actively researched, students who have put their trowels in the dirt so to speak are ready to impact their industries immediately in such a way that the classroom alone could never prepare them to do.

“At TSUAg, we are committed to creating a transformative learning environment where students don’t just learn—they experience. High-impact practices like internships, research, and community engagement take our students beyond the classroom, preparing them to contribute meaningfully to the agriculture industry from day one,” says TSUAg Associate Dean for Academics and Land-Grant Programs, Dr. De’Etra Young.

“When students put their knowledge into action—whether in the lab, the field, or through service—they develop the skills, confidence, and insight necessary to lead in their chosen fields,” she continues. “This is the hallmark of a TSUAg education: graduates who are not only workforce-ready but ready to make

Things like experiential learning, internships, active research, community service and exploration are integral to delivering to the agriculture industry students who have seen it, learned it

Field research and experiential learning are integral to the educational experience of TSUAg undergraduate students and graduate students alike in 2024. In fact, according to Environmental Science Associate Professor Dr. Bill Sutton, it’s not possible to call one’s college experience one of true learning without the experiential component, particularly with

“I honestly don’t think that students preparing themselves for a wildlife career should even do it if they don’t actually get out there and put their hands on things and see how things are managed in the wild,” says Sutton. “Learning without experiencing in wildlife just doesn’t make sense. We have to expose our Environmental Science students to real-world

Sutton brings students to the Tiger Bay Wetlands and other ecosystems throughout the state as part of his Wetlands Ecology and Management cross-over class for both graduate and upper-level undergraduate students. The group spends approximately half of their class time in the field, with a typical three-hour class featuring 90 minutes inside and 90 out.

“You can look at a picture of the species you’re trying to identify on a PowerPoint slide all day long, but until you see how it acts in the wild, what its behaviors are, your ability to identify them is diminished,” Sutton continues. “Bringing students out into the field is really just giving them the basic skill sets to survive

As part of the curriculum for the class, master’s students need to spend a minimum of eight hours in the field, where they do a real-world data collection project such as identifying waterfowl or classifying soils. Undergraduate students need to contribute to those grad student projects for a minumum of eight hours as well. The collaboration fosters leadership in the graduate students and interest in their undergraduate counterparts, according to Dr. Sutton.

Internships

“I get more out of learning in the field. Sitting in class learning from a piece of paper just doesn’t do it, you can’t identify the bones of a horse from the black and white paper you need to actually look at the horse,” he continues. “Hands-on experience is key. When you try and you fail... they understand. They let you keep trying and trying and you get to truly understand what it is.”

Cameron Walker was one of over 50 TSUAg undergraduate students who sacrificed their summers off this year to pursue real-world internships. Students took on partnerships with private and public organizations alike, picking up real-world lab experience, mentoring with industry leaders in their fields and learning the ropes of what it takes to contribute to a corporation. Walker’s was one internship that blossomed for him in unexpected ways.

Walker, a junior majoring in agricultural sciences with a concentration in food and animal sciences, landed an internship this past summer with the prestigious Kentucky Equine Management Internship program (KEMI). For Walker, who is on the pre-vet track and is poised to begin veterinarian school upon graduation, integrating his academic knowledge with practical experience is the key.

The KEMI program delivered Cameron to employment at Denali Stud Farm, where he is learning the intricacies of daily horse management on a commercial thoroughbred horse operation. Originally from Baton Rouge, LA, Cameron was immersed in this invaluable experience all the way through December, gaining insights and skills that will undoubtedly benefit his future veterinary and animal sciences career. The junior actually lived off-site at the stud farm, staying in farm hand housing and pursuing his studies at TSUAg online. For Walker, taking his classroom work to industry experts, realworld situations and hands-on learning opportunities is giving him the confidence to succeed not only in his future studies, but too the career that lies just beyond them. “I’m learning so much job shadowing with people throughout the industry,” he says.

Volunteerism

Volunteerism is baked into the philosophy of high-impact learning practices, as the end goal of the belief system is that our graduates walk away from TSU with the wellrounded skill set they’ll need to thrive at the next level. Students are encouraged to impact their communities, and, led by student organizations like TSUAg’s amazing chapter of MANRRS (Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and the Related Sciences), students bridge gaps between the College and the community by venturing out for acts of volunteerism.

The MANRRS chapter is so dedicated to the act of outreach that they have created a Community Service committee led by committee chair Niarra Anthony. This semester alone the group undertook volunteer projects at The Land Trust for Tennessee’s Glen Leven Farm, the Nashville Tree Foundation and others.

The group took part in the Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk, planted trees with McKissack Middle School, did the 2024 Girl Scout Cookie Count and ran its second annual “Warmth in Wardrobes” giving campaign today which saw the group collect clothing and shoes to the Nashville Rescue Mission.

Service learning

Service learning at TSUAg takes place on campus as well. Students, faculty and staff from the TSUAg Department of Human Sciences put that truth on display this fall in helping to host the Celebration of Young Children event.

The gathering brought hundreds of three to five-year-old children, their parents, chaperones and teachers to campus for a day of hands-on, interactive activities. Participating schools included the TSU Early Learning Center, the Ivannetta Davis Early Learning Center, the Tom Joy Head Start program and the Dudley Head Start program. for

The event brought in faculty and staff from across campus including the SAND student org., child development/family studies, education, physical therapy, occupational therapy and other students, folks from the College of Ag, the SNAP-Ed program, TECTA and even the TSU Library. It was a lot of fun for students, parents and faculty and staffers alike and the volunteers from Human Sciences who carried the event were proud to have hosted.

“The Celebration of Young Children provides an opportunity for students to put what they learn in the classroom into action,” said Dr. Beatrice Harris, a Human Development Associate Professor in Extension with the Department of Human Sciences. “When students see the kids excitedly using skills across types of early development, they better understand how play-based activities are the most effective way to advance children’s abilities.”

Undergraduate Research

One of the other areas TSUAg’s use of highimpact learning practices is showing up is in the implementation of undergraduate research programs. The College believes in using the 34 laboratories we have on campus, the Tiger Bay Wetland, the farms and more to bring the act of conducting high-quality research to the undergraduate student body.

and Universities Undergraduate Program (HBCUUP), which supports drawing more students from historically Black colleges to STEM fields. Roy’s specific work through the program is on incorporating cutting-edge gene editing technologies with a focus on CRISPR. The focus is to train the next generation of students in the principles and ethics of gene editing.

“Evidence has shown that the more hands-on research that undergraduate students are involved in, the more likely they are to be retained in STEM fields,” says Dr. Roy. “What I’ve done is paired each of these students with a graduate or postdoctoral student and developed a mentorship agreement based on the project we decide to pursue.”

Through the grant and the various research projects, Dr. Roy has brought six undergraduate students through the program to date. Currently, she has an additional three undergrads working projects with mentors. It’s not quantity for Dr. Roy however, it’s quality.

Enter Assistant Professor in the Department of Environmental Science Dr. Sonali Roy, who is leading TSUAg’s participation in the National Science Foundation’s Historically Black Colleges

“We’re here to train scientists,” Roy concludes with a smile. “They need to know to ask research questions and how to get there, so that’s what we’re teaching them.” get more out of learning in the field. Sitting in class learning from a piece of paper just doesnt do it, you cant identify the bones of a horse from the black and white paper