A Glossary of Terms for the Land-Grant System and Related Organizations

Land-Grant System - a term used to describe the set of U. S. state and territorial institutions of higher learning which receive federal support for integrated programs of agricultural teaching, research, and extension for agriculture, food, and environmental systems. Five historic Acts of Congress undergird this national system and the resultant state/federal partnership for conducting these activities:

• The Justin Morrill Land-Grant Act of 1862 which provided federal support in the form of a grant of federal lands to any state or territory which agreed to establish a public institution for the teaching of agriculture and the mechanical arts, and promote liberal and practical education. These are referred to as the “1862 land-grant institutions.”
  
  
• The Justin Morrill Land-Grant Act of 1890 which provided for federal support for the establishment of institutions, primarily for agricultural education of Blacks, in the then-segregated Southern states. These are referred to as the “1890 land-grant institutions.”
  
  
• The Hatch Act of 1887 which authorized federal support for agricultural research at the state and territorial levels and the establishment of an Agricultural Experiment Station associated with each U. S. land-grant university. Hatch ends are administered by the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) of the U. S. Department of Agriculture.
  
  
• The Smith-Lever Act of 1914 which authorized federal support at the state and territorial levels for extension services, established a Cooperative Extension Service associated with each U. S. land-grant university. Smith-Lever funds are administered by the CSREES of the U. S. Department of Agriculture. The Cooperative Extension System serves both rural and urban populations throughout the nation.
  
  
• The Equity in Educational Land-Grant Status Act of 1994 which authorized land-grant status to 29 tribal colleges. These are known as the “1994 land-grant institutions.”
  
  
• NASULGC (National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges) - a higher education association whose membership comprises 192 major U. S. public research universities, including all U. S. land-grant institutions. (The acronym is “NASULCC,” and it is pronounced [na SULjick].)
  
  
  • Board on Agriculture - a component of the NASULGC Commission on Food, Environment, and Renewable Resources (CFERR) (The CFERR is one of six commissions established under a 1992 NASULGC reorganization; it has five Boards: Agriculture, Natural Resources, Oceans and Atmosphere, Human Sciences, and Veterinary Medicine); its membership comprises all 1862 and 1890 land-grant colleges of agriculture plus Tuskegee University, Texas Tech University, Southern Illinois University, Arizona State University, and California State Universities at Fresno and San Luis Obispo. The Board has the following units:
    
    
    • AHS (Administrative Beads of Agriculture Section) - members are the chief administrators of the member universities’ agricultural programs.
    • APS (Academic Programs Section) - members are the designated administrators of academic programs at the colleges of agriculture of all the states and territories.
      • ACOP (Academic Committee on Organization and Policy) - the representative governing body of the Academic Programs Section.
    • CES (Cooperative Extension Section) - members are the designated administrators of the cooperative extension services of all the states and territories.
      • ECOP (Extension Committee on Organization and Policy) - the representative governing body of the Cooperative Extension Section.
    • ESS (Experiment Station Section)- members are the designated administrators of the experiment stations of all the states and territories.
      • ESCOP (Experiment Station Committee on Organization and Policy) - the representative governing body of the Experiment Station Section.
    • IAS (International Agriculture Section) - members are the designated administrators of international agriculture programs at the colleges of agriculture of all the states and territories.
      • ICOP (International Committee on Organization and Policy) - the representative governing body of the International Agriculture Section.

CARET (Council for Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching) - an affiliated national grassroots organization of lay persons from the constituencies served by the land-grant colleges of agriculture. Each state and territory may designate up to three CARET members who work closely with their respective agricultural programs. They offer guidance and support for programs in agricultural research, extension, and teaching.

ARD (Association of Research Directors) - an affiliated organization representing the agricultural sciences research arm of the 1890 land-grant institutions and Tuskegee University. This body coordinates research program planning and budgeting with ESCOP and USDA and cooperates with national bodies in developing and monitoring legislation affecting these institutions.

Association of 1890 Extension Administrators - an affiliated organization which includes the designated administrators for cooperative extension at the 1890 land-grant institutions and Tuskegee University. The representative governing body is an executive committee composed of the elected officers of the Association plus the 1890 representatives serving on ECOP and the ECOP budget committee.

Board on Human Sciences - a CFERR component whose membership includes the administrators of the colleges of human sciences (or home economics, human ecology, and family and consumer sciences) at NASULGC-member institutions.

Board on Natural Resources, Section on Forestry - a component of the CFERR whose membership includes the administrators of the colleges of forestry at NASULGC-member institutions.

Board on Veterinary Medicine - a component of the CFERR whose membership includes the administrators of the colleges of veterinary medicine and veterinary science departments at NASULCC-member institutions.

State/Federal Partnership - a term based on specific federal and state statutes which provide for the close collaboration of the land-grant system with the units of the CSREES of the U. S. Department of Agriculture in the administration of key programs supported by federal funds at land-grant institutions.

Federal Base Funds - a critical element of the State/Federal partnership, these funds are matched by state ends to maintain a strong, responsive partnership infrastructure at the state level for agricultural research, extension, and teaching programs.

National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education and Economics Advisory Board - The National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and Economics Advisory Board was established in accordance with the provisions of Section 802(a) of the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-127). The purpose of the Advisory Board is to advise the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and its land-grant university partners on research, extension, education, and economic policies, priorities, and issues. The 30-member Advisory Board also will provide customer input in forming the USDA’s Research, Education, and Economics mission area’s Strategic Plan, nominate individuals to the agricultural research facilities “Strategic Planning Task Force,” and provide consultations on other legislation. The Advisory Board replaces the Joint Council on Food and Agricultural Sciences, National Agricultural Research and Extension Users’ Advisory Board (UAB), and the Agricultural Science and Technology Review Board (ASTRB).

AASCARR - (American Association of Schools and Colleges of Agriculture and Renewable Resources) - an association of non-land-grant public higher education institutions with significant agricultural programs.