1. Proposal to Revise the Rangeland Sciences Bachelor of Science Program

2. Department of Animal & Rangeland Sciences
The Department of Animal and Rangeland Sciences covers a broad curriculum spectrum from companion animals, to animal production, to rangeland management. A focus in the department is on animal health, behavior and production. In the last couple of decades, the rangeland sciences discipline has broadened its scope to the holistic management of the biomes that comprise rangelands – grassslands, shrublands, deserts, woodland savannas and grazed forests. Within the Rangeland Sciences program, our faculty focus on disturbance ecology and ecosystem resiliency, ecohydrology and water resources management, wildlife habitat management, ecosystem goods and services, pasture-based production systems, and socio-ecological aspects of rangeland ecosystems.

3. Rationale for Revision:
1. The program has not been updated since at least the late 1990s and does not reflect the current vision of the rangeland sciences discipline.
The scope of the current program does not reflect the research and expertise of the new generation of Rangeland Sciences faculty, who are focused on multiple facets of rangeland ecosystems worldwide.
The current program is too prescribed and does not allow students flexibility and the opportunity to focus on a particular aspect of Rangeland Sciences.
To maximize achievement of student learning outcomes, sequencing of Rangeland Sciences majors through program coursework needs strengthening.

4. Program Description & Student Learning Outcomes
Apply Rangeland Sciences understanding of multi-faceted disturbance dynamics for bolstering site ecological resilience and increasing the generation of ecosystem goods and services.
Assess the plant-soil-water-animal complex for a given rangeland location and outline goals, objectives, and actions for improved site productivity while preserving the environment.
Apply a wide variety of interdisciplinary monitoring and assessment techniques for developing rangeland management plans for improved habitat of multiple wildlife and domestic species.
Use a systems approach to develop sustainable rangeland stewardship programs relevant to the specific conditions of rangeland ecosystems worldwide.
Rangeland sciences is the study and sustainable management of rangelands across a variety of biomes, from arid deserts, to mesic grasslands, to tropical savannahs. The program takes an interdisciplinary approach to provide advanced scientific knowledge regarding multiple ecological processes and social drivers influencing rangeland ecosystems around the globe. Students gain the skills and knowledge needed to fully understand and effectively manage rangelands for improved productivity and enhanced ecosystem resilience.  The goal is that students graduating from the program will integrate contemporary rangeland ecology and management principles into a systems-based decision-making framework that promotes ecological resilience, sustainable societies, and thriving economies in rangeland ecosystems.

5. Base Program Overview (112 credits with 31 double counted with Bacc-Core)
Base Program with Bounded Flexibility to ensure exemplary Rangeland Sciences education and allow students to focus on a specific area aligned with their interests and career goals; and allow students to enter the major later in their academic career. The courses of the base program provide are required of all Rangeland Sciences majors. The base program is divided up into knowledge areas that are the foundation of land management, and map to Federal OPM course requirements for multiple 400-series Biological Sciences positions (i.e., 401 Natural Resources Management and Biological Sciences; 408 Ecology Series; 454 Range Management Series; and 457 Soil Conservation Series) . This is an important feature of the Rangeland Sciences program as many students go on to careers with federal or state agencies.
Credit Summary
Bacc Core
51 credits
Base Program
112 credits
*31 double counted in Bacc Core
List of courses required of all Rangeland Sciences majors
Option or Minor
27-32 credits
Electives
16 credits
Safeguard for pre-requisites, deeper dive into specialization area, and additional coursework
Sustainable Rangeland Ecosystem Stewardship (27 credits)
Sustainable Livestock Ranching (32 credits)
Habitat Management (29 credits)
Pastoral Systems of the World (27 credits)
Minor (27-32 credits)

6. The Rangeland Sciences base program is grouped in the following areas
Fundamentals of Rangeland Ecology (13 credits) RNG 121 Introduction to Wildland Ecology (4) RNG 341 Rangeland Ecology and Management (3) RNG 351 Rangeland Ecology I: Grasslands (3) RNG 352 Rangeland Ecology II: Shrublands (3) Methods and Management (16 credits) RNG 421 Wildland Restoration and Ecology (4) RNG 441 Rangeland Analysis (4) RNG 442 Rangeland-Animal Relations (4) RNG 490 Rangeland Management Planning (4) Plants (12 credits) BOT 331 Plant Physiology (4) BOT 341 Plant Ecology (4) RNG 353 Wildland Plant ID (4) Soil (7-8 credits) Soil 205 Principles of Soil Science (3) Soil 206 Soil Science Lab for SOIL 205 (1) Or CSS 205 Principles of Soil Science (4) And SOIL 366 Ecosystems of Wildland Soil (3) SOIL 466 Soil Morphology and Classification (4) Water (8 credits) RNG 355 Desert Watershed Management (4) RNG 455 Riparian Ecohydrology and Management (4) Socio-Economic (Choose 7 credits from the following) AEC 351 Natural Resource Economics and Policy (3) or AEC 352 Environmental Economics and Policy (3) or ECON 351 Natural Resource Economics and Policy (3) or ECON 352 Environmental Economics and Policy (3) AND ANTH 466 Rural Anthropology (4) or SOC 475 Rural Sociology (4) or SOC 480 Environmental Sociology (4) or SOC 481 Society and Natural Resources (4) or SOC 485 Consensus and Natural Resources (4)
Animals (Choose 7-8 credits from the following) ANS 313 Applied Animal Nut: Feeds & Ration Form. (4) AND ANS 436 Sheep Production Systems (3) or ANS 445 Beef Production Systems (4) or ANS 446 Grazing Livestock Production (4) or ANS/RNG 448 Livestock Production on Pasture (3) Other Animals (6 credits) FW 255 Field Sampling of Fish and Wildlife (3) RNG 457 Habitat Analysis (3) General Science, Math, and Statistics (35 credits) *BI 211, 212, and 213 Principles of Biology (12) or *BI 204, 205, and 206 General Biology (12) *CH 121, 122, and 123 General Chemistry (15) *MTH 241 Calculus for Management & Social Science (4) ST 201 Principles of Statistics (4) or ST 351 Introduction to Statistical Methods (4) Option or Minor (27-32 credits) Sustainable RNG Ecosystem Stewardship Option (27) or Sustainable Livestock Ranching Option (32) or Habitat Management Option (28) or Pastoral Systems of the World Option (27) or Minor of Student’s Choice (27-32) *Double counted in the Bacc Core.

7. Option: Sustainable Rangeland Ecosystem Stewardship
Student Learning Outcomes:
Assess state of ecological structure and function in the face of disturbance, then propose approaches and methods to mitigate disturbance and bolster resiliency.
Design a detailed ecological restoration and/or land management plan that reflects socio-economic considerations, and outlines how to build stakeholder support.
Plants, Soil, Water – 12 credits
Animals – 6 credits
Management – 9 credits
To allow students to either hone in on a specific area of focus or broadly bolster their knowledge, there is a broad list of courses from which a student may select courses to fulfil the credit requirements above.
Overview
The Sustainable Rangeland Ecosystem Stewardship Option is focused on building knowledge and skills to mitigate the impacts of human land uses and bolster ecosystem resiliency.
This option will incorporate course work from a variety of disciplines to build on the knowledge areas of the base program (plants, soil, water, animals) to deepen students understanding of rangeland ecosystems and their management.
This path will prepare students for a variety of land management career paths with government agencies, NGOs, consulting firms, and other private enterprises.
Scope

8. Option: Sustainable Livestock Ranching
Student Learning Outcomes:
Evaluate and address ecological disturbance impacts of ranch management.
Create and troubleshoot sustainable grazing management plans.
Design a ranch management plan that balances the delivery of ecosystem goods and services with production goals.
ANS 446. Grazing Livestock Production (4)
FW 462. Ecosystem Services (3)
RNG 442. Rangeland Animal Relations (4)
Animal Management– 9 credits
General Agriculture – 6 credits
Business Management – 6 credits
Overview
The Grazing Livestock Production and Sustainable Livestock Ranching option is focused on equipping students with the knowledge and skills to manage ranching operations that provide ecosystem goods and services as well as meet ranch enterprise production goals.
Graduates in this option will join the increasing number of ranchers striving for balancing sustainable land stewardship with livestock production goals and other ranch enterprise operations. Students may also support land conservation NGOs and consultancy firms which increasingly utilize grazing as a management tool.
Scope

9. Option: Habitat Management
Overview
The Habitat Management option is focused on land management – the focus of Rangeland Sciences. This option offers something not offered in the Fisheries and Wildlife or Natural Resources programs - how to analyze and manage the complex ecology of a area for multi-species habitat in the face of disturbance and multiple uses.
Graduates in this option may pursue career paths with organizations similar to those in the default option (Sustainable Rangeland Ecosystem Stewardship), but this option offers additional expertise in analyzing and managing habitat.
Student Learning Outcomes:
Evaluate quantity and quality of habitat with focus on habitat availability throughout life history stages; and with emphasis on multi-seasonal habitat use.
Understand effects of complex interactions of disturbance on ecosystem function related to habitat use and demography.
Understand how social pressures relate to habitat and develop mitigation actions to reduce conflict in the human-wildlife interface.
Identify and monitor habitat restoration activities with focus on determination of success as increased habitat use and demographic rates.
Scope
RNG 457. Habitat Analysis 1: Habitat Use and Movement (3)
RNG Habitat Analysis 2: Abundance, Occupancy, and Demography(3)
Fisheries and Wildlife Science – 12 credits
Natural Resource Management – 9 credits

10. Option: Pastoral Systems of the World
Student Learning Outcomes:
Compare and contrast pastoral systems worldwide.
Identify social, cultural, economic, and political factors that affect the success of people living on rangeland landscapes worldwide.
Evaluate components of regional pastoral sustainability efforts to balance ecology and livelihood.
Design a sustainable grazing management plan for a chosen pastoral system that reflects local ecological, social, cultural, economic, and political factors.
ANS 446. Grazing Livestock Production (4)
RNG 355. Desert Watershed Management (4)
RNG 442. Rangeland-Animal Relations (4)
RNG 470. Pastoral Systems of the World (4)
World Geography – 3 credits
International Systems – 6 credits
Natural Resource Management – 6 credits
Overview
The Pastoral Systems of the World option is focused on international rangelands as Range faculty have research and management experience in North America, Australia, Asia, North Africa, and Central Asia, and strong connections with researchers and on the ground managers in Africa and through the Middle East.
Graduates in this option will be positioned to pursue career paths with international NGOs, the US Foreign Service, United Nations programs, or bring an international pastoral systems perspective to managing livestock grazing here in the US. To the best of our knowledge there is not an internationally focused rangeland management program in the US.
Note: Strongly encourage majors within this option to study abroad. Consulted with International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) Rangeland Scientist when designing this option.
Scope

11. Category 2 Proposals Associated with this Program Revision
New Course: RNG457: Habitat Analysis 1
New Course: RNG458: Habitat Analysis 2
3 credits 3 credits