Iowa State University
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

Name Change for the College of Agriculture

-Letter from Dean Wendy Wintersteen

Dear College of Agriculture Faculty and Staff,

The College of Agriculture and its associated programs in the Iowa Agriculture and Home Economics Experiment Station and ISU Extension are completing a very successful calendar year. Thanks to your efforts, we have played an important role in positioning Iowa State University and Iowa to take advantage of the new bioeconomy. In addition, our undergraduate student numbers have increased, faculty and staff continue to be very competitive in obtaining grants and contracts and we are making significant progress in reaching our fundraising goals. The coming year promises to provide even more opportunities for the College to serve the citizens of the state, the nation and world.

Many of these new opportunities are connected with the life sciences, the multifaceted work dealing with living organisms and life processes. I believe that it is time for the College of Agriculture to embrace its role in the life sciences through a new name -- the “College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.”

Over the past several years, the College has been discussing a possible name change with its departmental leaders and advisory groups. Earlier this month, the College of Agriculture’s Advisory Council, which is comprised of representatives reflecting the breadth and diversity of the College’s curricula and chosen careers of its graduates, voted unanimously to “support the College changing its name to the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.” Also this month, the College’s Faculty Senators voted unanimously to endorse beginning the process to change the name to “College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.”

Among the many advantages in changing the name to “College of Agriculture and Life Sciences,” I have listed a few below:

  • Enhance recruitment and retention of students.
  • Enhance recruitment of new faculty members.
  • Help the College better define the role of fundamental sciences in the future of agriculture and increase the prominence of life sciences in the College’s strategic view.
  • More accurately reflect the nature of the education, research and extension that have been part of the College in one form or another since the founding of the institution nearly 150 years ago.
  • Better represent the programs within the College and dispel the perception of “agriculture” meaning only production agriculture. One definition of “life sciences” is “any of several branches of science … that deal with living organisms and their organization, life processes and relationships to each other and their environment.” Merriam-Webster defines “life sciences” as “a branch of science, as biology, medicine and sometimes anthropology or sociology, that deals with living organisms and life processes.” Ten of the College’s 15 departments easily fit under those definitions.
  • Better reflect the collaborative nature of many of the College’s programs. The College has a unique administrative structure for jointly administered departments. Six departments are jointly administered with the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; one is jointly administered with the College of Engineering; and another with the College of Human Sciences.

I will address the name change during our College Convocation scheduled for Wednesday, January 24, 2007. That will be followed by an open forum scheduled for Wednesday, February 14, 2007, in the Pioneer Room, Memorial Union. I will discuss the name change with our Ag Student Council and continue to work closely with our Faculty Senators.

In addition, I encourage you to send me your thoughts and opinions by e-mailing to the following address: letusknow@iastate.edu. Please submit your comments by February 7. All will be compiled and made available initially at the February 14 open forum, then posted online.

Following our discussions and input, I plan to schedule a College faculty vote on the name change in late February.

I wish you a wonderful holiday season and look forward to seeing you in the New Year!

Sincerely,

Wendy Wintersteen