Measuring Empowerment

In a period of roughly sixty years of existence, the School of Agriculture and Life Science’s educational barriers receded significantly. By the 1980s, the School recognized that an educational hierarchy was doomed to fail with the events of women’s booming presence in agricultural education, the changing career needs of the economy, and the mandates of Affirmative Action. An educational hierarchy created an imbalance in the empowerment of participants in the greater North Carolina agricultural economy.

The removal of these barriers was not easy in terms of recruiting African American students. However, the SALS faculty continued their efforts by creating a joint degree program with North Carolina A&T State University.[1] Overtime, SALS created a welcoming atmosphere for African American students by exemplifying for their achievements through scholarships. In regards to women, any mention of them silenced in the 1980s because of SALS focus on recruiting African Americans in order to comply with Affirmative Action. None of the 1980s reports showed any deterioration of the female student body, leading to the assumption that women’s advancing roles in agriculture did not decline. In terms of the Agricultural Institute, the program continues to thrive today.

These student’s quotes allow us to understand that empowerment exists in a broad spectrum of obtaining formal knowledge in scientific and technical training, an instilment of pride in their careers, and cultivating peer relationships. Many of these forms were unique to the School of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Students gained an education unique to an Associates, Bachelors, and Masters degree level. Agricultural education in high school and Extension did not prepare students for skilled management positions or careers in agricultural leadership. This fact reveals why unrestricted educational access was integral to the development of people’s personal careers and the sustainment of the agricultural economy, the later being one of the main reasons why NC State was founded.