WWW.WAS.ORG • WORLD AQUACULTURE • SEPTEMBER 2015 13 depended on clear definitions of critical terms. The following definitions were adopted: • Postsecondary institutions – offer instructional programs that culminate in certificates for completion of programs (1-2 academic years), associate’s degree, bachelor’s degree, post-baccalaureate’s certificate, master’s degree, post-master’s certificate, doctoral degree, post-doctoral certificate. • Instructional programs – combination of courses and experiences designed to prepare a student for advanced study, qualifications for an occupation/career or simply increase knowledge and understanding related to aquaculture. • Aquaculture supporting – aquaculture is a multidisciplinary field that includes many diverse science disciplines and programs. Courses may support the science, production process or business of aquaculture, even if the course is not specifically about aquaculture. The Department of Agricultural and Extension Education at Virginia Tech University developed and administered an online questionnaire1 to survey institutions identified in the first phase of the project. Prior to distribution, the questionnaire was critically reviewed by survey instrument development specialists and betatested for functionality and accuracy. The project and questionnaire were also reviewed and approved by the Institutional Review Board for Research Involving Human Subjects at Virginia Tech University. For each identified postsecondary institution, one contact was identified to receive and complete the questionnaire. All contributors voluntarily agreed by informed consent to participate in the survey. The accuracy of input data and information depended on self-reporting by designated contacts. Respondents were encouraged to use best professional judgement on how teaching and instructional programs contribute to, relate to and support aquaculture, including veterinary medicine, economics, environmental policy, food science, environmental sciences, engineering and more, as well as consulting with colleagues as needed. sound policies and long-term sustainable development. The approach was to solicit input from postsecondary institutions across the U.S. that offer any level of teaching/instruction, including elective courses, subject matter specialization, diplomas, certificates or degrees related to aquaculture. Project Methods The concept for the project was initiated by USDA in 2007 and validated with respect to objectives and critical questions by an initial group representing 25 postsecondary institutions. A project team was subsequently assembled with representatives from the three professional organizations, appointed by Boards of Directors of each. The project team created a database of institutions offering aquaculture-specific education/training programs, conducted a survey to assess various attributes of these programs and their status, and interpreted and reported the findings. Identification of postsecondary institutions in the U.S. that offer aquaculture-related instruction was a major challenge. The University of Connecticut developed an initial database of such institutions to gather information for its assessment of starting an aquaculture curriculum. Extensive efforts also were made at national conferences and informal meetings to seek assistance from the greater U.S. aquaculture community in identifying additional institutions and suggesting additional questions for the survey. An introductory letter to describe the project and solicit a point of contact was distributed to 139 postsecondary institutions. Many were eliminated because of a lack of response, assumed to indicate the absence of aquaculture training or programs. Ultimately 115 institutions with confirmed points-of-contact were identified for participation in the survey. Another challenge was defining an aquaculture program, course or degree. Often there was no “aquaculture” department or specific degree program per se, but rather many course topics that support aquaculture education or training. Some institutions offered a concentration, minor or major in aquaculture or aquaculture-specific or -supporting courses; these programs were included in the final analysis but summer-only programs were not. Project success and quality of input for the questionnaire (CONTINUED ON PAGE 14) TOP, FIGURE 1. Relative number of the responding institutions (n = 79) that had or had not initiated aquaculture-specific undergraduate or graduate education/ training programs and the decade of their initiation. BOTTOM, FIGURE 2. Relative number of responding institutions (n = 79) with aquaculture-specific education/ training programs according to the highest certification/ degree offered.
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