An Evaluation of a Texas Agricultural Leadership Program: Determining Program Impacts on Alumni

Abstract

Leadership development among agriculturalists will be required if agriculture is to meet the nutritional demands of a burgeoning world population. It is expected that the global population will exceed nine billion people by the year 2050. To meet the food needs of this population, it is anticipated that United States food production will need to increase by seventy percent. The Texas Agricultural Lifetime Leadership (TALL) Program has been offered in Texas as part of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service beginning with the first class in 1988. The purpose of this study was to determine if alumni of the TALL Program perceived they had been impacted by the program in respect to their level of understanding of issues, personal and relational attributes, and involvement in public policy as a result of their participation in the TALL program. The target population was defined as the 313 graduates of Classes I - XIII of the TALL Program and the accessible population of 291 were defined as those graduates for whom email addresses were available. Because this is a relatively small population, a census study was conducted. The questionnaire for this study was developed based upon a review of the literature and based upon other research instruments identified in related research. Characteristics of gender, TALL class affiliation, and occupation were utilized as independent variables. Comparisons based upon these variables returned no statistically significant differences. Findings indicated that participants perceived positive growth in understanding of factors affecting agriculture, awareness and beliefs, strengthening of personal and professional relationships, and an increased involvement in agricultural and non-agricultural public policy. Program alumni ranked TALL above all other formal educational settings as it related to their ability to manage organizations.