University undergraduate curricula in wildlife: beyond 2000

Educational content and the practices of wildlife educators must change del iberate ly, not inadvertently, to best serve students, employers, and the p rofession. The first priority of university faculty is to help students exp lore new ideas and worldviews and become informed citizens, self-learners, and critical thinkers. University programs should not merely train students for careers. There is no one ideal curriculum in natural resources, and wi ldlife programs will continue to vary in focus, strengths, modes of course delivery, and regional flavor, However, wildlife professionals should ident ify a fundamental set of knowledge, skills, and competencies expected of al l undergraduate wildlife students. Fostering candid and constructive exchan ge among faculty, students, alumni, and employers concerning these competen cies is a challenge we must meet. We caution against the false dichotomy th at students can either master more facts or master synthesis and critical t hinking. Students need to do both. Development of a core curriculum with a mix of single-discipline courses (e.g., plant taxonomy or basic ecology) an d courses in which a primary goal is integration across disciplines may be a way to increase breadth without weakening basic competencies. Education o f wildlife professionals should become more of a shared responsibility amon g all interested parties - students, employers, and educators.