100 



mission of teaching, research, and extension can be, and is 

 being, adapted to a changing clientele, changing social needs, 

 and an expanding science and technology base. The Board 

 recognizes that activities in support of that mission take place 

 outside the colleges of agriculture, for example, when 

 disciplines in the life sciences are found in a separate 

 administrative unit. So, although the focus of the study would 

 be the colleges of agriculture, when it seems appropriate, 

 resources and institutions outside of the colleges would be 

 considered in their contribution to the colleges' mission. 



The primary goal of the Board's study is to provide the 

 continued success of the land grant colleges of agriculture in 

 supporting the nation's wise and sustainable use of its natural 

 resources in the production and utilization of food and fiber. A 

 secondary goal is to examine the relevance of the tripartite 

 mission of the colleges of agriculture as a model for the wider 

 university, scientific, and public policy communities. 



The study's objectives are intended to support its goals 

 through the emphasis on understanding the challenges and 

 opportunities faced by colleges of agriculture nationwide. The 

 committee of experts appointed to pursue the study would make 

 full use of existing, extensive data bases on the system's stock 

 of human, physical, and financial resources. The committee will 

 also interact directly with the system and its clients in 

 identifying institutional innovations and models of creativity 

 that might be widely applied. The Board conceives the study as 

 having three main objectives: 



o to describe trends and contemporary patterns of resource 

 allocation and program effort in the colleges as well as 

 characteristics of the nation's farm and food system and 

 its consumers; 



o to analyze the colleges' role in providing instruction, 

 performing research, and transferring new knowledge and 

 technology according to the priorities it has set for 

 itself and the expectations of its public; 



o to synthesize findings on organization and resource 



allocation that define strategies with broad application 

 through the system. 



The Board anticipates the outcome of the study as the 

 identification of organizational and management strategies that 

 promote effective use of the colleges' limited resources. 

 Collaboration, within and between colleges, is expected to be a 

 key theme that recognizes the value of interdisciplinary work in 

 problem-solving and the need for pooling resources or delegating 

 responsibilities across state boundaries. Strategies for 



