Design and Management of Teaching Programs With Survival In Mind

Agricultural economics teaching programs are becoming stressed. They vary considerably because of different institutional settings and are conducted under changing college, university, and department trends and paradigm shifts. To ensure success, strategic marketing processes need to be used in analyzing programs: identifying potential students (clientele or customers), ascertaining what to offer (majors, minors, service courses, enrichment options, and distance education), finalizing the strategic plan, and executing the plan (with students, administration, industry, and disciplinary peers). Conclusions and recommendations for enhancing teaching quantity and quality are presented for the strategic marketing processes. Finally, some implications and conclusions for graduate education are discussed.