Clubs & Student Involvement
Participate in Clubs & Organizations
Student clubs act as essential partners in the educational experience for students in the Grassland Systems degree program. Clubs provide co-curricular opportunities that complement the subject matter and activities in the classroom, foster student development, provide leadership experience by becoming club officers and prepare students for life beyond the University. They provide students with the motivation and opportunity to become involved in campus activities, develop campus and community projects, learn more about their selected field of study and explore career possibilities. Most clubs are student chapters of professional societies (e.g. Society for Range Management) and students have opportunities to attend local and national meetings of the professional societies.
Grassland Systems students are encouraged to be active members of clubs, especially those that are particularly relevant to range and forage sciences, animal science, or agricultural economics. In addition to joining the Grazing Livestock Systems Club, students might also consider joining some of the following clubs: Range Management Club, Block and Bridle, or Agricultural Economics/Agribusiness. Additional information on all Recognized Student Organizations (RSOs) may be found at Student Involvement's list of student organizations.
Attend Grazing Livestock Systems Events
The GLS faculty and club members determine programming for each semester. Events are open to other students, not just those in the Grazing Livestock Systems degree program. Some of the events available to students include:
- Producer seminars that feature producers who demonstrate expertise in some aspect of grazing management
- GLS alumni panels to hear how GLS graduates are putting their knowledge to use
- An internship symposium giving students the opportunity to share their internship experiences with other students, faculty, and guests; time for students to interact with members of the GLS Stakeholders Board and college administrators during a pre-symposium luncheon provided by the Center for Grassland Studies
- Social experiences that allow students to better connect with other students and faculty
- Fall Seminar Series, which brings in speakers from around the state to discuss work they are doing related to grasslands management (available for course credit)
- Leu Distinguished Lecture invites national lectures to address grassland topics
- Salute to Graduates
- CGS Open House to honor GLS graduates
Professional Societies
Most clubs are chapters of professional societies. The annual highlight for many students is attending these professional meetings where there is a focus on student activities, including student contests, social events, and special sessions on job placement and career development. Membership in relevant societies is encouraged, especially for students in the Grazing Livestock Systems degree program. Many professional societies have reduced membership fees for students.
Your professors are good resources to learn about professional societies. Although not a comprehensive list, some professional societies include:
- American Horticultural Society
- American Society of Animal Science
- American Registry of Professional Animal Scientists
- Agricultural & Applied Economics Association (AAEA)
- American Society of Agronomy (ASA)
- Crop Science Society of America (CSSA)
- Society for Range Management (SRM)
- Soil Science Society of America (SSSA)
Apply for GLS Ambassador Scholarship
Students apply in the spring to be the undergraduate GLS Ambassador for the upcoming school year. The Ambassador attends planning meetings of the GLS faculty and assists with recruiting activities and promoting GLS activities on campus. The application can be found here.