The James F. Evans Endowed Chair in Agricultural Communications

The Agricultural Communications Program at the University of Illinois

Over the past year, campus and college administrators have drafted and approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences and the College of Media regarding the Agricultural Communications Program.

The overall goals of the program are to ensure that the University of Illinois continues to educate students in agricultural, consumer, and environmental communications through the joint cooperation of the two colleges.

To make a gift to the fund, go to the Make a Gift page. In the "Other" box, type in 771405, which is the University of Illinois Foundation account number for the James F. Evans Endowed Chair in Agricultural Communications Fund.

See the program from the November 8, 2008, launch event [PDF].

Faculty
In order to create a robust sustainable program of Agricultural Communications, the MOU designates a minimum of three positions that will be fundamentally devoted to the Agricultural Communications program:

• a proposed Endowed Chair
• a tenure-track assistant professor
• an academic professional or teaching associate

Proposed Endowed Chair in Agricultural Communications
Both colleges are jointly committed to successfully endowing the chair position in agricultural communications that will provide leadership to the program. The position will be assigned 50 percent in the College of ACES and 50 percent in the College of Media, which will also be the home unit.

This faculty member will teach courses in agricultural communication; the 50 percent appointment in the College of ACES will be devoted to scholarship/research/creative endeavors in an area that concerns journalism, advertising, or media studies related to agricultural, consumer, and environmental sciences.

The Endowed Chair in Agricultural Communications will be expected to guide the revitalization of the agricultural communications program and to lead planning for program growth, particularly with respect to assessing the potential for partner initiatives in environmental communications and consumer communications.

Implementation
Following approval of the MOU from the University of Illinois Board of Trustees and, if necessary, the Illinois Bureau of Higher Education, a one-year transition phase is expected, during which faculty lines are moved across colleges and the new assistant professor line is filled. The colleges’ goal is to admit the first class of freshmen to the joint program in 2008-09, with students beginning coursework in fall 2009.

The James F. Evans Endowed Chair in Agricultural Communications

A major key to the long-term success of the Agricultural Communications Program will be the naming of the endowed chair. In recognition of his many years of exemplary service and the driving force behind the establishment of the Ag Communications Program at the University of Illinois, the endowed chair has been established in his name.

Dr. Jim Evans’ distinguished career spanned 33 years of teaching and research in agricultural communications. He has been recognized internationally for his exceptional academic credentials and nationally recognized for his leadership in an agricultural communications program.