The School of Plant and Environmental Sciences

by: Gabrielle Sanderson

On April 3, 2017, the School of Plant and Environmental Sciences was approved by the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors. This new school will merge the departments of Crop and Soil Environmental sciences; Horticulture; and Plant Pathology, Physiology, and Weed Sciences together. Horticulture has deep ties to Virginia Tech. Back in 1892, one of the first Bachelor of Science degrees at Virginia Tech was awarded to a horticulture major. The Bachelor of Science degree was only awarded to five students, horticulture being one among chemistry, civil engineering, and mechanical engineering. (Aligam) Thinking about the long history of the department, it is understandable that the first reaction to the new school can be cautious with regards to the integrity of the Horticulture department. Yet, with this new school, the departments will be able to tackle challenges in agriculture and food security, the green industry, plant biology, and the environment. (Barlow) To overcome these challenges the school does not just need a horticulturist, it needs people from other disciplines working together towards a common goal. It is important to note that Horticulture is not disappearing. “We are keeping our horticulture majors,” states Roger Harris, a professor in the Department of Horticulture. “Horticulture isn’t going anywhere, just

the department of Horticulture.” Harris mentions that the clear definition of being in a separate unit has been integrating over the years, and the lines have already been blurred. Horticulture has been fractured out into different departments as Virginia Tech grew, and stand-alone departments accumulated. There are a number of talented horticulturists in each of these departments. With the merge, Horticulture will only get stronger and the horticulturists that have been spread out among the several departments will finally come together. “This merger with the different units will allow us to have a more unified approach,” states Harris. This combined effort from all of the units will open up new possibilities for the school itself. “We’re more able to do what is best for the students, and not what is best for the unit.” Harris states that the department wants to attract students, since Horticulture is the smallest of the three departments, and give them a good major. After the merge, the school will be able to create new majors (sustainable agriculture, ecological restoration, etc.) and the professors are given the opportunity to think outside the box when determining what is best for the student. Since Virginia Cooperative Extension is embedded within the department of Horticulture, as it is in all CALS departments, it will also become a part of the School of Plant and Environmental Sciences. Harris explains that all three departments are strong in outreach. Outreach will be equally emphasized along with discovery and scholarship, which account for extension, teaching, and research. “When we’re all combining into one school it’s going to be easier to marshal the forces,” states Harris. It will allow the group, as a whole, to act more efficiently and combine objectives to further strengthen partnerships between industry, Virginia Cooperative Extension, and Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station. Dave Close, the State Master Gardener Coordinator, says that “strong partnerships help Virginia Cooperative Extension to have more credibility in the eyes of the industry groups. If we have multidisciplinary research programs that are feeding into what our extension programs are doing, I think that Virginia Cooperative Extension will tackle more complex problems and issues than there have been in the past.” While the School of Plant and Environmental Sciences will allow for units to shift concentrations onto the students and further strengthen partnerships, there are concerns about the school. The biggest challenge brought about by this merge is the bringing together of very different department cultures. “We have to have the right director,” exclaims Harris. “The leadership is going to be critical, and if we get the right person all of the fears will go away.” Harris says that the concerns of the horticulturists could be getting lost within the change, yet if like-minded people are put together and a leader is put in place that understands the mission, the fears will disappear. “Not everyone embraces change the same way,” says Close. There are concerns about merging these three departments into a single school and not knowing how it is going to happen. The alumni are concerned about losing horticulture. Yet, it is reassuring to know that Horticulture will remain. There will always be a Horticulture major, just the organization of the department is changing. It will only get stronger. Despite all of the change that is occurring the people are still the same. There is a solid base of teachers, research faculty, and extension faculty located at Virginia Tech and in the departments. “The strongest thing about this school is the people that it’s built around,” states Close. “I think the faculty that are doing well are going to do even better. I think we will continue to fulfill all three missions of the land grant: Scholarship, Discovery, and Outreach.” Virginia Tech will be a major player in the field of science by helping to solve some of our global society’s most pressing issues, and that is because of the strong people that are a part of its mission.

Citations Erwin Aligam -. “Department of Horticulture.” History of the VT Department of Horticulture. College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, n.d. Web. 01 June 2017.

Barlow, Zeke. “Virginia Tech Board of Visitors Approves Proposed School of Plant and Environmental Sciences.” Virginia Tech News. Virginia Tech, 6 Apr. 2017. Web. 01 June 2017.