Employment success and satisfaction among graduates of Tennessee Technological University's Master of Science program in fisheries management.

Graduates of the Tennessee Technological University graduate fisheries management program were surveyed and asked five open-ended questions related to their satisfaction with the program, particularly as it has impacted them in their later professional success. Respondents were also asked to suggest improvements in the program. They reported success and satisfaction for the most part, and offered an impressive array of recommendations to make the program more relevant and practical for fisheries biologists entering today's workforce. The three most common recommendations were to include more practical field experience, to address environmental issues more extensively, and to provide more exposure and practice using specific research and data analysis methods.

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In a 1999 article (Kranz, Cook, &Lund), perceived stress factors were reported by sixteen fisheries graduate students at Tennessee Technological University (TTU). In this present paper, the authors are analyzing data concerning the relevance of the graduates' educational preparation in conjunction with current job satisfaction. Data were provided by fourteen graduates of the TTU fisheries program, who are currently employed in related positions nationwide. In addition to various demographic data, the current survey asked graduates to respond to the following open-ended questions:

1. What is your current opinion of the education you received while in the M.S. program at TTU?

2. Do you feel the education you received at TTU adequately prepared you for your current position? Why or why not?

3. What aspects (courses, research, etc.) of your fisheries education at TTU would you consider to have been most helpful / least helpful in your current position? Why?

4. What could the fisheries faculty do to better prepare TTU graduate students for their future careers? Any course content changes?

5. Would you recommend TTU to individuals interested in pursuing a career in fisheries? Why or why not?

All fourteen respondents indicated that they would recommend the program to other prospective students interested in this field. All felt that their graduate education at TTU had provided excellent preparation for their future employment. Their current positions are somewhat diverse with most employed in some capacity as fisheries/wildlife biologists in federal, state, and local agencies. Surveyed graduates identified several significant educational areas in the TTU program that contributed most to their professional success, for example, the quality of advisement and teaching, the amount and nature of their research, field, and lab experiences, and the correlation between their graduate coursework and their future career requisites.

Academic Preparation

Almost all respondents felt that the fisheries graduate program was effective in preparing them for job placement. They also felt that their education and career preparation was as good as or superior to that of other graduates from similar programs. Several identified TTU's program as one of the top programs in the Southeastern United States. Many specifically credited excellent teaching and mentoring by the fisheries faculty for their success.

Former students related that the practical skills and technical aspects of the coursework prepared them to adequately perform the required duties in their current positions. As one stated, "I was very well prepared for the technical aspects of the job that I have." Others mentioned TTU's outstanding reputation among related agencies, for example, one stated, "The emphasis on practical nuts-and-bolts management has led to a very good reputation with the state game agencies that I have dealings with." Others categorized their educational preparation as "diverse" and "well rounded." One respondent identified the teaching staff as the main source of this diversity: "The staff is well rounded in expertise; e. g. you have reservoir experts and a stream ecologist on staff."

Research Project and Field Experience Invaluable

When asked to identify examples of distinctiveness in the program which were most helpful in developing their strengths as future employees, almost every graduate mentioned the value of their research and lab experience. Most felt that, more than any other coursework, the "opportunity for field/ lab experience," had helped them to become confident, self-directed scientists who could assume responsibility for the major research projects and assignments associated with their work. The following detailed skills, developed through these research projects, were mentioned: "to understand how to design research," to perform "sampling techniques and laboratory methods," "to think critically and to organize information and thoughts in a concise manner." "to plan projects and more fully understand the process by which research is carried out," and to be "responsible for quarterly reports and deadlines." They indicated that these kinds of skills are precisely what they are called upon to use daily in their roles as fisheries/wildlife biologists. One respondent accurately captured why the research-based education was so important compared to the more traditional book/theory-based classroom learning:

   I found the actual development of a thesis
   from start to finish the most helpful.
   Book learning is fine, but I would not
   have been nearly as prepared to enter the
   work world without what I learned from
   conducting the actual thesis project. It
   provides you with much-needed real life
   training where you need to rethink your
   position and make real decisions.

Another importance aspect of the program was the extensive field based experience that took place outside the classroom. Students were actually afforded "many opportunities to experience a wide variety of fisheries related field work." One important benefit resulting from this field experience was the professional networking among other fisheries personnel in the U.S. The following student comment describes the advantages of this professional exposure: "The courses, trips to professional meetings, preparation for and experience in giving professional presentations, and relationships all benefited me in my current position." Another agreed, stating that, "Attending professional meetings and getting to know colleagues helped." And one suggested that, "Exposure to new ideas in a different part of the country was also important. Experience giving presentations and interacting with others at the Tennessee and American chapters of the Fisheries Society were also important." One graduate summed up well why the variety of field experience was so helpful:

   The travel to professional meetings was
   great. The opportunity to be exposed to
   a wide variety of field equipment and
   the working knowledge of its use was
   very important. The ability to work with
   the cooperating agency involved with
   our project for the summer was also an
   excellent way to gain knowledge on the
   ground in our field.

Excellent preparation for finding and performing in related employment positions

For most graduate students, finding a job related to their degree is paramount after graduation. In the case of fisheries biologists, this usually means employment within a government agency of one type or another. Only one of the graduates surveyed was unable to find such employment. Although he highly praised the TTU program and the faculty there, he offered the following lament:

   The difficulty of finding a position in this
   field was unexpected. Not only is the
   government red tape ridiculous, the jobs
   available did not provide an adequate salary
   to support a family. This is the one
   area that could be improved upon, not
   only warning students of the difficulty
   that lies ahead in finding a job, but also
   assisting the students in getting jobs.

All the other graduates, however, did manage to find satisfactory related positions, and felt strongly that their educational experience had been a major contributor to their success. Various respondents commented that the program at TTU prepared them "to be competitive in searching for an entry-level fisheries/biologist position," "prepared the fisheries management biologist very well, possibly better than the higher standard schools," "prepared me for employment," "made me very competitive," "was instrumental in me getting this job," and that it had covered coursework material "that was specifically asked in my interview." These arguments are supported by the fact that the respondents had been working in their current agency for an average of 3.8 years--a fairly clear indicator of job stability in today's changing economy.

These graduate fisheries biologists also reported that their strong educational background was helpful in their performance of duties and maintaining their positions. One student indicated that the "matrix of classes, research, group interaction, writing, and public communication has been helpful in my career." Another concurred, stating that, "All of the basic techniques of fisheries management were covered in my coursework. I have used and continue to use these basic techniques in my daily work assignments."

One recurring theme in almost every survey returned was that the specific training and experience at TTU had prepared the graduates for identical skill requirements encountered on the job. One summarized, saying "The techniques we use (at work) were adequately covered." Another was glad that he had been given the leeway to choose his own field of research and study while at TTU: "'My Master's work was on tailwater trout fisheries, and that is what I am working on in my job." Several commented that their background made them more capable than the average fisheries agency biologist to successfully complete typical workplace requirements. One respondent summed this up with the following comment:

   I have a wider range of field work than
   most other staff, making it easier to understand
   a wider range of proposed study
   plans. Because of my expansive field
   work. I have a greater insight through
   which to objectively investigate alternative
   study methods that could meet the
   intended study objective.

Suggestions to further develop/refine the TTU fisheries program

For the most part, graduates were pleased with their coursework. Some courses in particular were identified as having been especially helpful. Some of those beneficial courses specifically named included statistics, Arc View, GIS, and biometrics (all mentioned numerous times), Fisheries Management, Environmental Fisheries Management, Reservoir Fisheries Management, Advanced Fisheries Management, Management of Wetland Wildlife, Fish and Wildlife Biometrics, Invertebrate Zoology, Fish Culture, and "the graduate level civil engineering courses dealing with reservoir issues."

New fisheries management coursework recommended

As with any advanced technical field, new developments and newly required areas of expertise are always being added, particularly in a field requiring extensive compliance with changing state and federal guidelines. As one graduate stated, graduate programs must "Remain adaptive and responsive to market needs for fisheries professionals." One such need, just recently becoming a hot topic in the Southeast, is what is known as 'fish passage,' which is the migratory spawning patterns of many types of fish, including salmon (sockeye, steelhead, soho, chinook, etc.) trout, whitefish, char, and grayling. Fisheries biologists now understand that such movements are not issues only in the Northwestern states and Alaska. One respondent suggested the following:

   Fish passage issues should be discussed
   in greater detail. Fish passage issues
   have largely been ignored outside the
   Northwest and Northeast regions. Passage
   issues are becoming a hot topic in
   the Southeast (especially in NC, SC,
   and GA) and should be included in the
   curriculum.

Another respondent also recommended a number of specific additions to the fisheries coursework. Most of his recommendations would require even more extensive field work and field involvement by TTU's graduate students:

   A class on fisheries field work would be
   good, focusing on the variety of tools
   and techniques to use in various field
   activities AND how to analyze the data
   associated with these field activities (i.e.
   take Advanced Fisheries Mgmt a step
   further with more field assignments,
   learning how to do vertical/horizontal gill
   netting; pond, stream, and reservoir
   electrofishing; larval tows; cove and stream
   rotenones; hydro acoustics; etc.)

This desire for an even greater emphasis on fieldwork was expressed by a number of other graduates. Many apparently felt that this, more than any other type of study, had provided them with the most practical preparation for the real world of fisheries management. More than one even suggested that students be made responsible for actual technician work out in the field, working as apprentices with nearby agencies in order to get that kind of functional experience. For example, one said, "I would like to see emphasis put on work experience. If that could somehow be incorporated into the program, it would give the graduate an enormous competitive advantage." One included more specific guidelines on what kinds of experience should be sought in such a position:

I believe that it would be helpful to expose students to "technician" type work. Exposure to different sampling protocols and tools would make it much easier to gain employment. There are only a limited number of jobs in actual fisheries work but if a person also knew things such as chemical sampling protocols and wetlands delineation, he or she would be attractive as a job candidate.

Habitat/Environment

Another area of rapid change is in the ecology of our waterways and in their continued protection. A number of former students identified a need for additional instruction in the area of habitat conservation. One suggested TTU should. "offer a class relating to conservation, i.e. habitats/fisheries." Another, concerned with the lack of habitat/ environment study at TTU suggested that,

   Habitat enhancement is spoken about in
   great detail, but little is taught in regards
   to how to actually protect the habitat.
   More importantly (in my opinion), is that
   any enhancement should be followed up
   with a comprehensive evaluation on its
   effectiveness to meet the enhancement
   objective. Evaluation methods should
   be discussed in the courses.

Another former student went into even more specifics concerning additional environmental-impact coursework needed:

   Both jobs I have held since TTU dealt with
   the anthropogenic effects on the aquatic
   environment. Although my education at
   TTU provided me a solid understanding
   of the natural system that allowed me to
   draw conclusions, it did not necessarily
   expose me to the 'impact' side.

One complained that his TTU education had not adequately prepared him for his duties in protecting endangered species: "My fisheries management responsibilities are geared toward preservation of species, and many of the management techniques I learned at TTU are not being used." Others agreed that more environmental training was needed, suggesting a more concerted concentration on environmental regulations and the paperwork associated with addressing those regulations. One stated that "More emphasis on drafting environmental assessments, biological assessments/opinions, and environmental impact statements would have been helpful in my workplace." Two respondents with similar concerns identified a need for extensive study of current National Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA) regulations. One of the two explained this need as follows: "I would recommend that the curriculum include a mandatory course in NEPA and other applicable environmental laws. That has been the steepest learning curve I have dealt with since I joined the work force."

Research & Data Analysis

A significant percentage of the former students believed that the coursework was deficient in specific technical areas relating to research and data analysis. One complained that, "There are some things we do with specific fisheries population models and GIS for which I did not have the background." Others pointed out that more extensive mastery of ARC View/ARC GIS was essential in today's typical government fisheries agency: "Continue to emphasize ArcView/GIS. The federal government is becoming reliant on this application for almost every day-to-day operation." Another recommended that TTU, "Provide training in multiple statistical software packages. Most of my statistical training at TTU relied on SAS. I haven't had access to SAS software at either of my jobs and I feel that it limits my data analysis abilities." A third respondent called for more research and data analysis courses in general: "Being in a position of conducting research now, I wish there were more classes geared toward training better researchers--specifically, more stats classes and principals of ecological experimentation." A fourth stated, "I would also like to see the biometrics course extended to an entire year. Most of the elite universities like to see a full year of graduate level statistics, and these skills generate great earning power in both public service and the private sector."

Human Resources/Human Relations/ Communications

Surveyed graduates often mentioned one broad area of proficiency they felt was commonly needed in all types of workplaces --skills in human resources management, human relations, and communications. One respondent felt that the management skills were already being emphasized appropriately at TTU: "The emphasis on management and the means to accomplish management goals were instrumental in my assimilation into the federal government." However, approximately half of the respondents recommended increased emphasis in this area of human resources/relations/communications. One, for example, confessed that he "felt a little under qualified in the human resources aspect of my position." Another wanted TTU to, "provide a course in some type of human resource management or supervision skills." One described his personal experience as he faced this shortcoming in his preparedness for the work force. He complained about,

   the lack of training in agency/departmental
   issues (i.e. budgets, procurement,
   scheduling, etc.) and personnel issues.
   Several agencies actually asked us questions
   about personnel issues and I felt
   unprepared to handle those questions. A
   short course on managing people would
   be helpful.

Also suggested by two of those surveyed was coursework in conflict management, and three believed that specific instruction in written communications--especially grant-writing --would be beneficial. Another was more concerned with deficiencies in the area of oral communications:

   Someone desperately needs to address
   the issue of how these future managers
   would present their data to the general
   public. We are all taught how to present
   to our peers, but little or no time is spent
   on how to present our data/findings to
   the public, for example, angling groups,
   BASS, Trout Unlimited, local rod and
   gun clubs, etc. There is a major need
   for this!

Yet another, a federal employee in the Washington DC area, believed that the ten-hour requirement for undergraduate foreign language study should be removed and replaced with more practical courses in communications and human relations:

   The ten-hour requirement should be
   replaced with business-style communication
   classes that would incorporate
   everyday workplace skills such as
   conflict resolution, mediation/facilitation,
   team/group dynamics, identifying
   various stakeholders, and other material.
   The subject matter in the business-style
   communications classes could be more
   important in effectively performing the
   duties of a fisheries biologist than actual
   biological knowledge in many cases. I
   see a greater need for effective communicators
   who know biology rather than
   knowledgeable biologists who cannot
   communicate with others, unless it is
   in a foreign language.

There seems to be a clear trend, with so many of the respondents all calling for this type of coursework. One final respondent also recommended a variety of personnel management training that might conceivable be added to a single, comprehensive course on human resources, human relations and communications:

   Additional skills which would be helpful
   include conflict resolution, how
   to mediate/facilitate meetings with
   polarized groups or citizens, and other
   'non-biology' business type work (plan
   formulation, grant writing, team/leadership
   skills, etc.) that translate into an
   everyday work environment.

Other General Course Deficiencies

Although only fourteen graduates were surveyed, a wide assortment of additional coursework areas was recommended. Many of these general recommendations were not directly related to fisheries management. Of course, it is not possible or even appropriate to try to meet all the future needs of every student in a graduate program because each will head off into diverse employment roles in different agencies. One respondent addressed this problem: "Many of the techniques and philosophies that agencies use are learned after employment with that agency." The following are four individual areas requested for additional coursework that may warrant further investigation: experimental design, sampling methods, economic concerns, and geology. Several surveys also requested a greater emphasis on technical writing expertise. One recommended a one-hour biological writing class: "The class could include such topics as how to write in various styles for theses, agency reports, EA, BA/BO, EIS, public announcements, grant applications, newspaper articles, and professional journals." Another general suggestion was to bring in more field experts and related agency representatives to speak to the students:

   It would be a good idea to have some
   folks from different agencies and firms
   to come in and give a synopsis of their
   management goals, philosophies, techniques,
   etc. This would give students an
   idea of the type of place they may want to
   work, and they could focus their efforts
   and energy in that direction.

Conclusions

As previously mentioned, most comments about the TTU program were positive. One comment, typical of the opinion stated by most, was that TTU needs to "stay focused where you are now, and get the word out." Even the comments which were not positive were constructive and could be of great benefit to program administrators. Some of the recommendations might be implemented without great difficulty. Some could be done immediately. For example, one wanted to see standards for the program more rigorously enforced: "Enforce minimum GPA and GRE standards for applicants to the program."

Many of the recommendations mentioned earlier may never become realities because TTU's Fisheries Program, a concentration within the Biology Department, would need more faculty members and more assigned courses to cover all facets of fisheries and related subjects. A number of suggested program additions, such as conflict resolution and human resources management, are being covered briefly in various classes, but due to the limited scope of assigned courses, those topics may not be presented as extensively as wished. Graduate students are required to take only 30 hours of course work, so they cannot feasibly cover all subject matter they feel would benefit them. Much of the recommended learning experiences in this article will necessarily come later through professional experience on the job, potential professional development courses, or professional conferences.

Even though all of the students' recommendations cannot be incorporated within the current 30 hours of course work in the TTU program, directors have gained valuable insights by seeking student input. This survey demonstrates that, if university departments want to know how to improve their programs to benefit both students and their future employers, one of their best sources of information is to ask former graduates who have had years of experience in the workplace.

References

Kranz, P. L, Cook, S. B., & Lund, N. L. (1999). Perceived stress reported by fisheries graduate students at Tennessee Technological University. Journal of Instructional Psychology, 26(3), 169-172.

Peter L. Kranz, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Educational Psychology, University of Texas, Pan American. Richard A. Steele, M.A., Lecturer, Department of Education, University of Texas, Pan American. Nick L. Lund, Ph.D., Executive Director, Northern Arizona University in Yuma. S. Bradford Cook. Professor, Department of Biology, Tennessee Technological University, Cookeville, TN.

Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Dr. Peter L. Kranz, Assistant Professor, Department of Educational Psychology, College of Education. The University of Texas Pan American, 1201 West University Drive, Edinburg, TX 78541-2999; Email: [e-mail]