MARINE AFFAIRS EDUCATION IN THE 21ST CENTURY

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MARINE AFFAIRS EDUCATION IN THE 21ST CENTURY

• A Roundtable Discussion
• Mark T. Imperial, University of North Carolina
  Wilmington
• Timothy M. Hennessey, University of Rhode Island
• Thomas Leschine, University of Washington
• Lauriston King, East Carolina University
• Thomas Bigford, National Marine Fisheries
  Service, NOAA
• Christine Patrick, Knauss Sea Grant Fellow
• Presented at TCS 21 in Redondo Beach, CA
• June 29 July 2, 2008

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Session Objectives

• Begin a dialog about the future of Marine Affairs
  education in the 21st century
• While some programs have been around for decades,
  there are an increasing number of options around
  the country in various academic homes
• Changing workforce demographics creates
  opportunities for new graduates at all levels of
  government and in the nonprofit sector
• The knowledge, skills, and abilities that are
  valued are also changing
• Universities are also changing in ways that might
  influence the future of marine affairs education
• Format
• Begin with short presentations by the panelists
  and then have a moderated discussion

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Is Marine Affairs Education Needed in the 21st
Century?
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Evidence of Need for MAF Programs

• U.S. Ocean Commission on Ocean Policys final
  report An Ocean Blueprint for the 21st Century
• Ocean related activities directly contributed
  more than 117 billion to the US economy and
  supported over two million jobs in 2000.
• When coastal activities are factored in, more
  than 1 trillion (1/10th the gross domestic
  product) is generated within the coastal zone.
• When extended to the economies of coastal
  watershed counties, the significance balloons to
  4.5 trillion and accounts for 60 million jobs.
• Over 50 of Americans live in a coastal
  watershed.
• Hundreds of millions vacation on the coasts,
  spend billions of dollars, and support millions
  of jobs vital to the U.S. economy.
• Apart from recreation and aesthetics, coastal
  waterways and ocean are integral to global
  transportation and commerce.
• Off-shore energy sources and fisheries also
  factor significantly in local and national
  economies world-wide.

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Evidence of Need for MAF Programs

• Use and enjoyment of coastal and marine resources
  come with a price, namely environmental
  degradation and unsustainable resource
  exploitation.
• Non-point source pollution that can degrade water
  quality, habitat quality, and even pose human
  health risks
• Loss of sensitive upland and estuarine habitats
  vital to the reproduction and health of many
  marine species
• 25-30 of the worlds major fish stocks are
  over-exploited and there are calls for increased
  investment in aquaculture operations.
• Economic globalization is creating pressure to
  increase port size and expand shipping facilities
  world-wide.
• Demand for energy creates increased demand for
  uses of OCS waters and increased transportation
  operations.

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Conversely . . .

• Government programs have grown complex and highly
  specialized since the 1970s
• It is difficult to teach how all of these
  programs work and operate
• Many graduates actually do basic management tasks
  associated with managing people, organizations,
  grants, etc. as part of their jobs
• Analysis of complex problems requires the
  methodological sophistication
• Traditionally found in disciplinary based degree
  programs (economics, policy analysis, physical
  and biological sciences, etc.)
• These programs may offer specializations in
  coastal/ocean policy
• Other changes driving environmental policy
  curricula
• Redefinition of problems from the 1970s (e.g.,
  point source to nonpoint source water pollution)
• Interconnected nature of problems like global
  change and watersheds

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Growing Range of Academic Options
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Good News Bad News

• Good news
• Several new marine affairs (MAF) programs have
  been adopted in recent years with more planned
• Indicates growing demand for this educational
  specialization
• Good for students and employers because many more
  curriculum options to choose from
• Bad news
• Students may not know what curriculum option is
  best for their career goals and employers may not
  understand the differences either
• Challenge for organizations like The Coastal
  Society because the faculty and students in these
  programs may belong to other professional
  organizations
• What core knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs)
  do students need to have a specialization in MAF
  or one of the new coastal/ocean policy and
  management degree programs

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Wide Range of Curriculum Options

• Many disciplinary homes for these programs
• Most are 2-year programs
• Variation in the mix between science and policy
  in core curricula
• Those with science emphasis often have calculus
  or other prerequisites
• Most have science for the non-scientist courses
• Most have specialized coastal/marine
  policy/management classes rather than policy and
  management classes that MPP/MPA students take
• Most programs require either a general
  policy/planning class or a marine/coastal policy
  class
• Almost no emphasis on public management, human
  resource management, budgeting/finance, strategic
  planning, etc. in core MAF requirements

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Wide Range of Curriculum Options

• Most have some sort of statistics or research
  methods requirement
• Few have GIS, MIS, or other computer skill-based
  required courses
• Few have advanced policy/management classes that
  are skill or methods-based as requirements (e.g.,
  C/B analysis, forecasting, program evaluation,
  performance measurement, etc.)
• Variation in the final thesis/capstone/projects
• Very few rely on comprehensive exams
• Few have a required thesis but for many programs
  it is optional
• Many have a final capstone or integrative project
• Internships are rarely required
• Only a few programs require internships for all
  students unless some professional experience
  threshold is met

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What are the job prospects for future MAF
graduates?
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Job Prospects are Generally Good

• Lots of job opportunities as baby boomers begin
  to reach retirement
• For the first time the American workforce has
  four separate generations working side-by-side
• Silent generation (1933 1945)
• Baby boomers (1946 1964)
• Generation Xers (1965 1976)
• Millennials (1977 1998)
• Labor market is shrinking due to demographic
  trends
• Particularly true for knowledge workers
• Workforce is growing more diverse (women and
  minorities)

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Partnership for Public Service (PPS) estimated
in 2007

• 80 percent of mission-critical hires in the next
  two years will be in five professional fields
• Program management/analysis and administration
  (14,305 hires).
• Engineering and the sciences (17,477 hires)
• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will hire
• 120 general administrative management positions
• 135 management/program analysis positions,
• 165 biologists,
• 240 environmental protection specialists,
• 120 environmental engineers
• 180 environmental scientists
• 90 contract/grant specialists

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Partnership for Public Service (PPS) estimated
in 2007

• The Department of Commerce, where NOAA is located
  is expected to hire
• 159 fisheries biologists
• 146 economists
• 552 administration/program managers
• The Department of Interior expects to hire
• 261 park rangers
• 171 biologists
• 75 wildlife biologists.
• The National Science Foundation expects to hire
  130 program directors.

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North Carolinas Employment Security Commission
estimates

• Jobs in the life, physical, and social science
  related occupations
• Projected to increase at an annualized rate of
  1.88 through 2014.
• 1,760 job openings in North Carolina on an annual
  basis.
• Management related occupations are also growing
  at an annualized growth rate of 1.11 with annual
  openings in North Carolina totaling around 8,130.
  
• However, natural sciences managers are growing at
  an even faster annualized rate of 1.36 with
  approximately 40 job openings per year expected
  through 2014.

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North Carolinas Employment Security Commission
estimates

• Annual growth rates ( annual job openings)
• Natural sciences managers 1.36 (40)
• Emergency management specialists 1.96 (20)
• Environmental engineers 2.62 (90)
• Environmental scientists and specialists,
  including health 1.71 (100)
• Conservation scientists 1.08 (20)
• Urban and regional planners 1.41 (50)
• Economists 0.43 (10)

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Good News Bad News

• Good news
• Aging workforce means jobs and upward mobility
  for new hires
• Millennials can help transform the future
  government workforce
• They are generally technology savvy , good
  multi-taskers, agile at making decisions,
  flexible and persistent in the face of change,
  are highly skilled at social networking and team
  activities, and comfortable with new
  communication mediums
• Bad news
• Few agencies have succession plans or are
  planning on how to transform their workforce
• Millennials will be harder to recruit than their
  boomer counterparts
• They prefer to balance work and family, are loyal
  to their profession rather than their
  organization, are motivated by benefits that are
  hard for government to provide, and often
  distrust government institutions

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What do our students need to know?
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Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Policy specialty vs. core policy/management
  skills
• Coastal and ocean management is an inherently
  multidisciplinary field but disciplines are still
  important
• Challenge of breadth vs. depth
• Have a solid understanding of the science behind
  the policy
• Understand the craft of policy analysis to
  balance competing interests
• Professionals that are adept at policy analysis
  and policy development
• Governance is an increasingly complex endeavor
• Government at all levels are far more complex,
  operate through networks, and trends like
  performance measurement are here to stay
• Private and nonprofit sector organizations are
  frequently becoming government service providers
• Policy instruments/tools of government are
  sophisticated
• Management matters

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Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Employers increasingly value knowledge workers
• Increased demand for workers to fill jobs that
  require a combination of multidisciplinary
  training, technological skills, and professional
  skills.
• Possess technical expertise as well as skills
  such as reasoning, problem-solving,
  communication, and collaboration.
• Are capable of bridging the gaps between
  scientists, policy makers, land managers,
  governmental and nongovernmental agencies, and
  the interests of private citizens
• Interpret evolving scientific research and apply
  it to creative problem solving
• A lot of universities are finding creative ways
  to combine science and policy/management programs
  to create these knowledge workers

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What Students Need to Know (Tom Bigford)

• Consider skills developed in MPA/MBA programs
• Some of his best employees have MBAs and MAF
  degrees
• Teamwork, managing people, budget/finance/strategi
  c thinking
• Develop good communication skills
• Writing, speaking, presenting, and listening
• They impress those that will help with your
  career
• Develop capabilities outside your major/thesis
  topic
• Gain work experience paid or volunteer
• Gain classroom and work exposure to the issues
• Many jobs demand interdisciplinary backgrounds
• Expanding to new arenas like climate, energy,
  ecosystems, business, watersheds, etc.

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What Helps Students Compete (Tom Bigford)?

• There are jobs . . . But
• There is no shortage of talented applicants
• Agencies and applicants need to market themselves
• Think about your career path they differ by
  agency and location
• Think then look - Dont just search for
  vacancies
• Create your own opportunities as a contractor or
  employee
• Headquarters high turnover
• Regional/field offices more jobs but stiff
  competition
• Plan on 3 5 distinct careers always be
  working towards the next one
• Contact Thomas.bigford_at_noaa.gov or 301.713.4300
  x131

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What changes in higher education will influence
MAF education in the future?
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Trends in Higher Education

• Growth in graduate education
• Professional degrees
• Graduate certificates
• Interdisciplinary degrees
• Increasing specialization in degree programs
  (concentrations, tracks, minors, etc.)
• Reorganizations within universities with new
  specialized colleges/schools
• Schools of public affairs/grouping professional
  degree programs
• Schools of the environment
• Schools of health sciences
• MAF programs might find themselves in new homes

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Trends in Higher Education

• Learning outcomes, performance measurement
• Important role accreditation bodies play
• What should our MAF students be learning?
• Changing financial landscape in many state
  university systems
• Significant growth in student enrollments in some
  state systems (e.g., TX, NC, FL)
• Tuition costs continue to increase but program
  budgets are static
• Likely means students will have to borrow
  increasing amounts to attend graduate school

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Summary Conclusions

• MAF programs have been around for almost 40 years
  but there is little agreement on what the
  curricula should be for these programs
• On the positive side, there are an increasing
  number of degree/curriculum options
• However, students dont always know what degree
  option is best for the type of job they want or
  what jobs you can/cannot get with a particular
  degree
• Our panel is an attempt to begin a dialog about
  these issues
• What are the next steps in this dialog?

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Questions for thePanel Discussion
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• Where is Marine Affairs heading as a discipline?
• Is it a discipline?
• Is it just a policy specialization with many
  different disciplines?

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• Is Marine Affairs still a good organizing concept
  for educating students and training future
  workers?
• Are other paradigms more appropriate for
  organizing a curriculum?
• Watersheds, global change, ecosystems, etc.
• Specialization within disciplines like the
  physical/biological/natural/ environmental
  sciences, economics, public policy, public
  administration, planning

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• Is there a disconnect between the curricula and
  what employers need from future workers?
• Breadth vs. depth of knowledge
• Science vs. policy/management
• What knowledge, skills, abilities (KSAs) do our
  students need to succeed?
• What do we do well? What is missing?
• Can we provide the KSAs with a 2-year MAF degree?

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• The options for MAF graduate students are
  becoming more diverse Is this good or bad?
• Students often dont know what type of job or
  career options are available before enrolling so
  how will they select the right program
• Employers will be unfamiliar with the new degree
  options and what is or isnt provided
• What are the implications for TCS our coastal
  journals since faculty/students in new programs
  may see their home in other venues

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Other Questions for the Panel