Interview with C. Oran Little, April 25, 2002

Interview Summary

In this interview, C. Oran Little discusses reviews and assessments of the College of Agriculture during his deanship. He states that there was a university review of the program every five years. The review in 1988, just before he arrived on campus, stated that the college needed to reestablish itself across the state of Kentucky. He describes changes in the College of Agriculture and on the campus as a whole over the next five years. He explains that the campus underwent a change in presidents and chancellors and serious budget reductions. The College of Agriculture came to occupy two new buildings, and had begun to address some urgent space needs. Little recalls that they were able to create a new studio for Landscape Architecture in the E.S. Goodbarn, and that they looked for space for Agricultural Communications. Little remembers that it was at about this same time that the College of Agriculture started offering distance learning programs. He states that the first course was an animal science course which was made available to high schools and community colleges. He discusses increases in scholarship money with the help of alumni groups. He recalls how the College of Business sold their name for eight million dollars, and he explains his disagreement with such an act. He describes the establishment of a state agricultural library system, and discusses the university's evaluation of the College of Agriculture's program in 1994. He also mentions difficulty recruiting female and minority graduate students and faculty members.

Interview LC Subject

Little, C. Oran (Charles Oran), 1935- Little, C. Oran (Charles Oran), 1935- --Interviews University of Kentucky University of Kentucky--History University of Kentucky. College of Agriculture

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