Next semester, animal science majors will do more than just study and care for animals at the campus farm. They will have to pay for them, too.
Beginning in the fall, students enrolled in classes that use the farm will pay a $50 lab fee, according to Tom Porter, the chairman of the animal and avian sciences department. The department said the fees will provide enough support for the farm so they will not need to sell any animals.
The fee is needed to help maintain the farm, which has been in increasing financial jeopardy for a number of years, according to Porter. When the university was founded as the Maryland Agriculture College in 1856, the entire campus was a farm. But as the university’s mission expanded, it could not continue to maintain such a large farm. Most recently, the farm shrank when land previously used by animals for grazing became parking lots for the Comcast Center.
“Now there is no way we have enough pasture left to put the animals out and let them eat the grass,” said Porter. “We have to feed all the animals, buy hay and grain.”
Porter asked College of Agriculture and Natural Resources Dean Cheng-i Wei for an increase in the department’s operating funds to raise the budget for the farm, but Wei denied the request, explaining that the college did not have enough money.
“We did not get an increase in budget from the central administration,” Wei said. “The food has increased, the energy has increased, so that’s the reason the cost to maintain those animals has increased.”
Lab fees are standard practices for other departments including chemistry and biology. Students will pay $50 for each farm-related course they enroll in. The campus farm, located on Farm Drive behind the Cambridge Community buildings, is an integral part of the curriculum for animal and avian sciences students.
“If it’s 50 bucks to take an animal science class where you get to be with the animals, it’s worth it,” said junior animal science major Liz Mongeon. “I’ve really enjoyed all the classes where I’ve gotten to work with the animals.”
Prior to the institution of student fees, Porter founded the Animal Sciences Campus Farm Fund in 2006 to encourage donations from alumni and friends of the university. Porter said the fund has not yielded significant contributions, so he faced a decision between selling animals and instituting lab fees, opting for the fees.
“That should allow us to continue to operate the campus farm and provide a high quality education for our students for years to come,” said Porter.
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