Guest Blogger: NACTA - Then, Now and in the Future, Rick Parker

About the Author: R. O. (Rick) Parker grew up on an irrigated farm in southern Idaho. He received his bachelor’s degree from BYU-Provo and his PhD from Iowa State University. He completed post-doctorates at the University of Alberta in Edmonton and the University of Wyoming. After Wyoming he wrote textbooks with Dr. M. E. Ensminger, author of numerous early animal science textbooks. Returning to Idaho, Dr. Parker served as division director and instructor at the College of Southern Idaho for 19 years. He then worked as director for AgrowKnowledge, the National Center for Agriscience and Technology Education, a project funded by the National Science Foundation. Currently, he is president of the National Agricultural Institute and the editor of the peer-reviewed NACTA Journal, which focuses on the scholarship of teaching and learning. He continues to teach biology, food science, and animal science for the College of Southern Idaho. Dr. Parker is also the author of the following Cengage Learning texts: Aquaculture Science (Third Edition), Introduction to Plant Science, Fundamentals of Plant and Soil Science, Introduction to Food Science, and Equine Science (Fourth Edition). He is also the co-author of Fundamentals of Plant Science.

NACTA stands for North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture. It is a 61 year-old organization focused on the improvement of teaching and learning in post-secondary agriculture, food and natural resources programs.

My first NACTA Conference was in 1988 at Oregon State University. I went to “investigate” at the request of a friend from grad school. He was a NACTA member and he said it would be “good for me to join.” My first impression of NACTA: “A bunch of old guys talking to each other about teaching and reading lots of reports.” Regardless, I felt that I could gain something from their experience, so I joined. Now 28 years later, I am one of the “old guys!” But NACTA is a new and vibrant organization.

Thanks to the vision and persistence of the “old guys” NACTA grew and changed. Each new president and members of the executive committee helped the organization by:

·         Reaching new faculty members and grad students

·         Changing the dues structure

·         Contributing conference profits to the growth of NACTA

·         Developing organizational job descriptions

·         Approving website development and electronic manuscript submissions

·         Modifying and standardizing the annual conference format

·         Streamlining the NACTA Teaching Awards

·         Promoting NACTA with their peers

I could point to many examples of the changes in NACTA. First and foremost, when I became the Editor in 2002, the organization was “just getting by financially.” The organization operated with a “comfortable” zone where income and expenses were both minimal. Now the organization operates with enough of a budget that it can focus on new opportunities for growth and change.

In 1993, the annual NACTA Conference was held at the College of Southern Idaho in Twin Falls. During that Conference we had 25 abstracts presented and about 110 people attended.  At the annual conferences the past five years 200 to 250 abstracts were presented with conference attendance between 300 and 400.

The NACTA Journal is peer-reviewed and focuses on the scholarship of teaching and learning. It is published electronically four times a year – March, June, September and December. Members of NACTA publish for free and they receive an annual hardcopy (350 to 400 pages) of all four issues at the end of each year. All of the past issues of the NACTA Journal (1961 to present) are online and searchable: https://www.nactateachers.org/index.php/journal-sp-1148215168. 

Over the past 10 years, submissions to the Journal have tripled to 100 to 120 per year. Acceptance rate for the Journal averages about 66%. The Journal also features Teaching Tips/Notes and these can be found on our website: https://www.nactateachers.org/index.php/teaching-tipsnotes-sp-1804864485.

The best part of the “now:” Our members are diverse. They cover all the age groups, female and male, many cultural backgrounds and many teaching disciplines. When these individuals come together for our annual conference they bring the “energy” of their diversity to learn and share about just one discipline – TEACHING.

If you are looking for a premier organization that focuses on, supports and recognizes teaching in agriculture, food and natural resources at the post-secondary level, then join NACTA (https://www.nactateachers.org/index.php/membership-application).

Learn more about NACTA on our website: https://www.nactateachers.org/index.php; Like NACTA on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NACTA.teachers/; and follow us on Twitter @nactateachers

NACTA’s  history is important. Actions of the “founders” laid the foundation for where we stand now to build for the future. For teachers of agriculture, food and natural resources the future has never been brighter. To meet the food and fiber needs of 9 billion people by 2050 we need those who can excite and engage learners. NACTA needs those individuals who regardless of their area of expertise see the scholarship of teaching and learning as the discipline that brings us together.