Training Future Fish Hatchery Scientists: Three Decades of Experience at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff

The Fisheries Biology bachelor’s degree program at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB) has graduated over 100 students since 1982, with 53% of those graduates working in careers relevant to their degrees.  Fish hatchery biologists represented the initial career choice of 10% of these graduates, which was the third most popular career track.  A recent paper by Gabelhouse (2010, Fisheries 35:445-448) indicated that the ten most important courses for fish hatchery biologists were fish culture, fish health, fish nutrition, ichthyology, fisheries management, limnology, water quality, oral communication, technical writing, and genetics.  At UAPB, the undergraduate degree program requires full courses in eight of these subjects.  In reviewing UAPB syllabi, the learning objectives of core courses were relatively well-balanced among the three primary “domains of learning” (sensu L.O. Wilson): 1) cognitive (thinking), 2) affective (emotion/feeling), and 3) psychomotor (physical/kinesthetic).  However, a closer review of syllabi suggested there were definite knowledge gaps.  For instance, psychomotor domain deficiencies existed with respect to courses that contained no formal laboratories.  Additionally, obvious skills needed by fish hatchery biologists, such as experience with tractors, hauling tracks, and seining large production ponds, were not included to any extent in the UAPB curriculum.