Introduction

LSU Agriculture is composed of the LSU AgCenter and the College of Agriculture (COA). This exceptional research, extension, and teaching enterprise seeks to position LSU as one of the top agricultural institutions in the country. This document serves as an integrated planning instrument articulating our strategic vision to attain national and international prominence and impact. It defines strategic goals and aspirational targets, and details the tools, talent and culture needed to achieve success. The vision is elegant: Providing solutions to Louisiana challenges will generate transformational global impact for production agriculture, natural resource stewardship, human health and community well-being. In short, our strategic vision is to secure our future through Louisiana Solutions, Global Impact.

This bold vision requires that we unleash the potentially explosive strength of our interconnected research, extension and educational ecosystem. We must rethink multi-institutional partnerships to facilitate discovery at scale. Industry collaborations must be radically expanded, innovating together for the common good. Unprecedented federal and state investment in transformational ideas and infrastructure must be attracted. We must be national leaders in extension, expanding on emerging communication modalities and assessing uptake and impact with novel and rigorous methods. Leveraging these expanded tools to become world-class in our core proficiencies, we must change the scale at which we educate the next generation of agricultural innovators and leaders to secure our future.

This document serves as a playbook to realize this vision. LSU Agriculture drives significant innovation, talent development, and economic growth for Louisiana and beyond. The AgCenter maintains a cooperative extension presence in all 64 parishes in the state, has 14 active experiment stations, a large complement of specialized research labs, centers, and institutes, and approximately 1,000 employees. In keeping with the Morrill Act of 1862, the AgCenter and COA offer high-quality educational engagement to learners from all walks of life to improve socioeconomic development, with the COA conferring more than 400 degrees annually. This enterprise is threaded together by a common mission and a data-driven decision-making culture upholding the principles of access, opportunity and success for all our constituents. Evidence-based practices in research, extension and teaching elevate our ability to deliver exceptional impact and value.

This vision is designed to align with the LSU Scholarship First Strategic Framework. There is enormous potential to improve conditions in the state and beyond if we leverage complementary strengths with other parts of the LSU system as the Statewide University. This approach also illuminates the critical role that our people, infrastructure, relationships and culture play in achieving excellence. Attaining the lofty goals delineated in this plan will yield an agricultural

enterprise among the strongest and highest performing in the country. The resulting innovation, talent development, and economic growth ecosystem will tangibly enhance the quality of life across Louisiana and beyond, providing Louisiana Solutions, Global Impact, and securing our future.

Value Alignment

Vision & Mission

The vision for LSU Agriculture is to secure our future through Louisiana Solutions, Global Impact. Realizing this vision will elevate us to national and international leadership, as signified by the National Science Foundation (NSF) ranking and elite reputational standing in the field. The mission of LSU Agriculture is to Innovate. Educate. Improve Lives., impacting citizens served in Louisiana and beyond.

Strategic Goals

The strategic goals for LSU Agriculture acknowledge our foundation in the land-grant system and prioritize serving the state, providing exportable solutions (i.e., Louisiana Solutions, Global Impact). To secure our future, we seek to:

• Increase agricultural production and enhance the preservation of Louisiana’s natural resources by developing talent, technologies, products and practices.
• Provide programming and solutions to strengthen rural communities and ensure economic prosperity, a healthy population and flourishing institutional structures.
  
• Identify incentives and programs to place much-needed professional services in rural communities supporting local and state decision-makers and enhancing community resilience.
• Collect and analyze data to identify opportunities and strategies for market growth, ultimately strengthening food and fiber production capacity.
• Expand the talent pipeline through youth development, Ag Leadership and college academic and workforce development programming that returns talent to rural communities in Louisiana.
• Support small business startups and workforce development through FOODii, the Seafood Safety Lab, Industry-Based Credential programs, our intellectual property commercialization program, and other mechanisms.
  

Aspirational Targets

As a core element of the LSU Pentagon of Priorities, LSU Agriculture occupies a central role in realizing the Scholarship First vision for the Statewide University. In order to achieve the above stated goals, a set of Aspirational Targets are critical. When achieved, LSU Agriculture will be actively meeting and exceeding the goals and key performance indicators (KPI’s) laid out in the rest of this document. They include:

• Increase average research expenditures by 8% annually
• Reach 1.7 million extension educational contacts annually, coupled with uptake and behavioral change rates among the top 10% in the nation
• Engage 53,000 4-H club members and 15,000 FFA students
• Grow College of Agriculture undergraduate enrollment to 2,000 students and graduate enrollment to 450 students
• Support research, extension and teaching excellence by securing $12 million annually in philanthropic donations
• Achieve top 10 University ranking in agricultural sciences and natural resource conservation research expenditures

When we successfully achieve these goals, LSU Agriculture will be a model within the US land-grant university system. As a top producer of rice, sugar, forestry products, and other critical commodities, Louisiana agriculture is essential to national agricultural stability and success. For the people we serve, we will have helped Louisiana growers fulfill their role in providing a consistent, low-cost food and fiber supply and improved community health and resilience, securing our future.

Foundation & Pillars of Excellence

Foundational inputs are required to achieve these goals and aspirational targets, including Talent (people), Tools (facilities, equipment, collections and computation, brand, partnerships and relationships), and Culture (a focus on people, excellence and success). These foundational elements support exceptional work in our three pillars of excellence (Research, Extension and Academics), fostering individual accomplishment and distinction and facilitating the development of highly impactful teams that drive us toward national prominence.

The following sections articulate the specific key performance indicators (KPI’s) for each area of excellence. They also articulate how the foundational inputs are necessary to achieve our aspirational targets, and ultimately to attaining our overall strategic goals.

Research Excellence

While all research and scholarly activity conducted under the auspices of the AgCenter and CoA are mission-aligned, exceptional research organizations focus on their premier research proficiencies. LSU Agriculture has identified several areas where we are best positioned to address challenges to the future of production agriculture, natural resource stewardship, human health and community resilience. These areas clearly articulate to our aforementioned goals, and align with federal and state agency priorities. The current delineation of the focal areas of excellence includes the following:

Soil Health, Land and Water Management

Land and water are vital natural resources for agricultural production. Research activities focus on identifying best management practices that promote soil health while conserving land and water resources.

Crop Genetics, Plant Breeding and Plant Health

Feeding growing populations is placing increasing demands on crop productivity. This population growth, coupled with the impacts of more frequent extreme weather events, is increasing the demand for solutions to increase crop performance. Research and innovation in crop genetics, plant breeding, and plant health management are essential for ensuring food security, agricultural sustainability, and the adaptation of crops to changing environmental conditions. Advances in these fields through our variety development programs have produced crops with improved yields, increased resistance to pests and diseases, and enhanced nutritional quality. Research activities focused on plant resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses, host-parasite interactions, etiology and epidemiology of plant diseases, sustainable management of pests and diseases, clean seed programs, and plant diagnostics will deliver the answers to further enhance crop growth and productivity.

Invasive Species Management

Invasive species can be plants, animals, or other non-native living organisms. Invasives can have substantial adverse impacts on a wide range of areas, from the sustainability of agricultural production to the conservation and protection of critical natural resources. Research activities focus on detecting and identifying invasive species, estimating potential impacts, and developing control measures to prevent environmental and economic losses from invasive species infestation.

Precision and Digital Agriculture

Precision agriculture is a rapidly expanding area transforming traditional agricultural production and decision-making. Research activities focus on several areas, including traditional precision agriculture issues, high-throughput phenotyping, environmental and crop modeling, and precision animal agriculture.

Livestock Production and Management

Livestock management encompasses a broad area of research ranging from basic research in animal biology to more applied research in commercial livestock production. Research activities include the biological, physical, and social science problems associated with commercial livestock production and management.

Aquatics and Wildlife Management

Louisiana is home to an incredible diversity of forestry, wildlife, and fisheries habitats that provide critical ecological services, aesthetic and recreational benefits, and economic opportunities to residents and visitors alike. Research activities involve the management of animal and plant populations and the conservation of their habitats (e.g., soil, water, land, etc.), as well as technological innovations to preserve aquatic species. Natural resources management research aims to maintain ecosystem integrity while promoting sustainability.

Nutrition, Health and Food Safety

Nutrition and food sciences make significant contributions to the food industry through research on food product development, processing, and safety, as well as research and outreach on the beneficial nutritional impacts of healthy dietary practices. Research activities include basic and applied product development and processing research to enhance consumer product quality, food safety, and research to improve the nutritional health and wellbeing of individuals and populations.

Biofuels, Feedstocks and Bioproducts

Demand for alternative fuels and other products made from renewable sources continues to increase as a means of protecting the environment and conserving natural resources. Research activities focus on developing a range of bioproducts produced from renewable sources and evaluating suitable feedstocks as input into bioproduct production processes.

To achieve a Top 10 ranking in research and excel at achieving our other strategic goals, laser-like focus on the management of the overall research enterprise is critical. A variety of key performance indicators are relevant to the management of any research program. These include the following:

Research KPI’s

The Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service (LCES) empowers individuals, families, and urban and rural communities through research-based education, innovative solutions, and outreach programs fostering sustainable agricultural practices, youth development, healthy and resilient communities, economic prosperity, and improved quality of life across Louisiana. There is a symbiotic relationship between the innovations derived from the research program and the translation of this work out to producers, consumers and communities. Research and extension are highly intertwined at LSU, and this is a primary strength of the design of our organization.

There are three signature programming areas for extension excellence. Agricultural and Natural Resources (ANR) programs focus on increasing the environmental and economic sustainability of agricultural production systems across the state. Key disciplines include agronomic crop production, forestry and natural resources, horticulture, and livestock production. ANR extension initiatives are directly aligned with the research priority areas outlined above.

Youth development programs such as 4-H and FFA have a tremendous impact on the youth of Louisiana. These programs provide opportunities for young people to develop leadership skills, gain knowledge about agriculture and other industries, and build relationships with peers and adults. Through these programs, youth learn essential life skills such as decision-making, communication, and problem-solving. It is paramount that we meet youth where they are, and develop market applicable programs that allow youth to thrive in rural communities and urban centers throughout the state.

Nutrition and Community Health (NCH) extension programs are focused on empowering individuals, families, and communities to embrace a healthy lifestyle and promote resilient community environments. NCH extension programs align with the various research priority areas including Nutrition, Health and Food Safety. Our nutrition programs have a presence throughout the state, and we are working to establish healthy communities and partnerships through research-based nutrition education programs in rural and urban communities throughout the state. In addition, the community resilience and health programs promote socioeconomic and infrastructural resilience to secure our future.

Like the research arena, several KPIs exist across all three extension program areas. These common KPIs include:

Extension KPI’s

Key Performance Indicators

E1: Number of in-person programmatic contacts

E2: Number of online contacts

E3: Number of annual educational programs

E4: Rate of adoption of innovations

E5: Number of extension publications

E6: Number of internships

Contemporary cooperative extension programming achieves impacts through in-person and online connectivity with stakeholders. A well-developed set of educational outreach programs supported by a significant publication portfolio is necessary to foster the adoption of innovations measured through assessment surveys. In addition, the next generation of extension personnel is exposed to this field of work through extension internships that train and develop the next generation of talent.

In addition, discrete sets of KPIs by program area acknowledge the nuances of delivering high-caliber extension programming across these distinct areas. These include:

The LSU College of Agriculture (CoA) seeks to educate the next generation of innovators and leaders through credit-based academic programming. Offering a diverse complement of eight undergraduate degrees and 40 academic concentrations, the CoA strives to deliver cutting-edge learning experiences and state-of-the-art knowledge. Likewise, through 10 doctoral and 10 master’s degree programs, graduate education in the CoA trains a national and international group of scientists and scholars who advance global agricultural interests and related industries by working on solutions to Louisiana challenges. Together, these programs serve as a substantial talent pipeline for Louisiana and beyond.

Academic programming is grounded in the principles of affordability and accessibility for all students. This partly focuses on refining student recruitment strategies through data analysis. We routinely evaluate the success of outreach efforts, admission criteria, and engagement initiatives to maximize opportunities for a broad range of prospective students, yielding heterogeneous learning communities. In addition, by raising and awarding scholarship funds, we seek to ensure accessibility for students from all socioeconomic circumstances. Physical accessibility to field trips, laboratory, and classroom experiences for all students are a critical part of our curriculum and fully aligns with our emphasis on access. Finally, access to academic and career advising, mentoring, and co-curricular activities supporting leadership development, career readiness, first-year experiences, health & wellness, scholarship support, internships, and student affinity groups are all intended to elevate the academic experience.

Ensuring high-quality academic programming is also critical to our success. Implementing a wide-range of high-impact practices across the curriculum is intended to enhance the engagement of our students with their learning experience and challenge them to grow and excel. We therefore emphasize engagement with the agriculture residential college, undergraduate research experiences, internships, communication intensive courses, service-learning courses, and other recognized high-impact learning practices.

Readily accessible academic and career advising resources allow students to explore their interests and identify the intersection of their passions and aptitudes. With these support programs, we leverage data to identify areas for improvement in student success rates and implement targeted academic support programs. By analyzing learning outcomes (e.g., retention and graduation, awards and recognitions, and job and graduate school placement) and adapting relevant support structures, we ensure that every student can excel academically, irrespective of background or prior experience. The outcomes associated with our data-informed access andopportunity approach focus on organizational and individual success. At the organizational level, graduation rates reflecting parity across sub-groups of students are a primary indicator of success. In addition, regional or national recognition for student groups and programs points to organizational success. At the individual level, students recognized for outstanding academic performance through internal and external mechanisms (e.g., Dean’s list; awards from professional associations) reflect success in our approach to student access and opportunity. Graduate school placement and job placement rates also serve as indicators of success for student engagement.

In summary, academic excellence encompasses affordability and accessibility in terms of maintaining a diverse complement of educational pathways, demonstrably high-quality learning experiences as referenced through the proliferation of AAC&U high-impact learning practices, and a properly functioning pipeline in terms of robust enrollments, retention and progression, graduation rates, and post-graduation placements.

Academic KPI’s