MARINE AFFAIRS EDUCATION IN THE 21 ST CENTURY

1. 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

2. 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

3. Is Marine Affairs Education Needed in the 21st Century?

4. Evidence of Need for MAF Programs • U.S. Ocean Commission on Ocean Policy’s 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.

5. 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 world’s 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.

6. 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

7. Growing Range of Academic Options

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. What are the job prospects for future MAF graduates?

12. 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)

13. 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

14. 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.

15. North Carolina’s 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.

16. North Carolina’s 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)

17. 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

18. What do our students need to know?

19. 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

20. 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”

21. 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/strategic 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.

22. 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 - Don’t 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@noaa.gov or 301.713.4300 x131

23. What changes in higher education will influence MAF education in the future?

24. 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

25. 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

26. 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 don’t 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?

27. Questions for thePanel Discussion

28. Where is Marine Affairs heading as a discipline? • Is it a discipline? • Is it just a policy specialization with many different disciplines?

29. 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

30. 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?

31. The options for MAF graduate students are becoming more diverse – Is this good or bad? • Students often don’t 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 isn’t provided • What are the implications for TCS & our coastal journals since faculty/students in new programs may see their “home” in other venues

32. Other Questions for the Panel