IFAS Facts
This information is maintained by the IFAS Office of External and Media Relations. The information was last updated
October 22, 2008. Send suggestion and comments to Jack Battenfield at battenf@ufl.edu.
Introduction
The University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) is a federal-state-county partnership dedicated to developing knowledge in agriculture, human and natural resources, and the life sciences, and enhancing and sustaining the quality of human life by making that information accessible. While extending into every community of the state, UF/IFAS has developed an international reputation for its accomplishments in teaching, research and extension. Because of this mission and the diversity of Florida’s climate and agricultural commodities, IFAS has facilities located throughout Florida.
IFAS is the research and development center for Florida’s agricultural and natural resources industries that have a $101.9 billion annual impact.
History
While the University traces its roots to 1853 and the establishment of the state-funded East Florida Seminary, UF/IFAS traces its roots to the Morrill Act of 1862, which established the land-grant university system. On July 2, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed into law what is generally referred to as the Land-grant Act. The new piece of legislation introduced by U.S. Representative Justin Smith Morrill of Vermont granted to each state 30,000 acres of public land for each senator and representative under apportionment based on the 1860 census. Proceeds from the sale of these lands were to be invested in a perpetual endowment fund that would provide support for colleges of agriculture and mechanical arts in each of the states. The establishment of Florida Agricultural College at Lake City in 1884 under the Morrill Act marked the beginning of what became the College of Agriculture of the University of Florida in 1906.
Read a history of the federal legislation relating to land-grant institutions. See land-grant institutions timeline.
Florida’s governing body for higher education created the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences in April 1964, by reorganizing UF’s College of Agriculture , School of Forestry, Agricultural Experiment Station, and the Cooperative Extension Service into a single unit. Today, UF/IFAS includes extension
offices in each of the state’s 67 counties, 13 research and education centers with a total of 19 locations (including demonstration sites) throughout Florida, the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, the School of Forest Resources and Conservation, the School of Natural Resources and Environment, the Center for Tropical Agriculture, portions of the College of Veterinary Medicine, the Florida Sea Grant Program, and International Programs.
College of Agricultural and Life Sciences
The College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS) offers students an education that results in knowledge and skills for employment, productive citizenship and life-long learning. With 24 undergraduate majors and more than 50 areas of specialization, the college is an educational leader in the areas of food, agriculture, natural resources and life sciences as they relate to human resources, the environment and communities. Graduate and doctoral degrees are offered in every department and school.
The college enrolls approximately 5,000 students, including more than 1,000 graduate students. This student body is among the most diverse of the agricultural and natural resources colleges within land-grant institutions in the nation. A majority of CALS students are women, 30% are minorities, and 9% are from international origins. Known for its student-centered focus, the college prides itself on educating society-ready graduates. In addition to the Gainesville campus programs, the college offers baccalaureate degrees, professional graduate degrees and teacher certification courses at IFAS Research and Education Centers. Distance education, via interactive video conferencing, videotape and the World Wide Web, are also offered.
Through productive partnerships with private business, industry and research organizations, CALS students enjoy superior internships, and graduates benefit from outstanding employment opportunities. Students gain a global perspective through a variety of study abroad programs, and they participate in research and development projects with premier faculty researchers.
Statewide Undergraduate Programs
Recognizing the specialized needs of nontraditional students, CALS established Bachelor of Science degree programs at IFAS education centers in Apopka, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Pierce, Milton and Plant City. Degree programs include agricultural education, entomology, food and resource economics, geomatics, golf and sports turf management, landscape and nursery horticulture and natural resource conservation. Students must have an associate’s degree to enter these off-campus programs, which are partnerships with local community colleges and our sister state universities.
For additional information, see http://www.cals.ufl.edu.
School of Forest Resources and Conservation
Graduates qualify for membership in nationally recognized professional organizations such as the Society of American Foresters, and qualify for listing on several federal civil service employment registers. Graduates find meaningful professional careers in public and private organizations responsible for the use and management of natural resources.
Graduate degree programs include Master of Forest Resources and Conservation, Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy. Additional information is available on the web at http://www.sfrc.ufl.edu/.
School of Natural Resources and Environment
The School of Natural Resources & Environment supports the University of Florida’s commitment to academic, research, outreach and Extension programs in ecology and environmental sciences. Bringing together faculty from eleven different UF programs, SNRE educates tomorrow's environmental leaders and supports the critical research and public outreach that addresses today's environmental challenges. Undergraduate specializations include Environmental Science, Natural Resource Management, Environmental Policy, Environmental Policy and Business, and Environmental Education.
The master's and doctoral degrees in Interdisciplinary Ecology promote interdisciplinary thinking in natural resources and the environment. Additional information is available on the web at http://snre.ufl.edu/.
College of Veterinary Medicine
The College of Veterinary Medicine is jointly administered through the university’s Health Science Center and IFAS. Support from UF/IFAS includes resources for large animal disease research, undergraduate instruction and veterinary extension. For additional information, see http://www.vetmed.ufl.edu/.
Academic Department List
Agricultural and Biological Engineering- Agricultural Education and Communications
- Agronomy
- Animal Sciences
- Entomology and Nematology
- Environmental Horticulture
- Family, Youth and Community Sciences
- Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
- Food and Resource Economics
- Food Science and Human Nutrition
-
Horticultural Sciences - Microbiology and Cell Science
- Plant Pathology
- School of Forest Resources and Conservation
- Soil and Water Science
- Statistics
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
Research
The UF/IFAS research mission is to invent, discover and develop knowledge to enhance the agriculture and natural resources of Florida. Faculty members pursue fundamental and applied research that furthers understanding of natural and human systems. Research is supported by state and federally appropriated funds and supplemented by grants and contracts. IFAS sponsored research awards for 2006 - 2007 exceeded $93 million.
The Florida Agricultural Experiment Station administers and supports research programs in UF/IFAS. The research program was created in 1887 by federal legislation known as the Hatch Act, a follow-up to the 1862 Morrill Act that established US land-grant universities. The research programs support approximately 350 full-time equivalent faculty members in 16 academic departments on UF’s Gainesville campus and at 13 research and education centers around the state.
For additional information, see http://research.ifas.ufl.edu/.
Extension
The 1914 Smith-Lever Act provided federal support for land-grant institutions to offer educational programs to enhance the application of useful and practical information beyond their campuses through cooperative extension efforts with states and local communities.
UF/IFAS Extension provides Floridians with life-long learning programs in cooperation with county government, the United States Department of Agriculture, and Florida A & M University. The wide breadth of educational programming offered in each county responds to the local needs of residents, schools, regulatory agencies, community organizations and industry.
Programs promote sustainable agriculture, teaching environmental stewardship, understanding of food nutrition and safety, consumer and parenting skills, and providing leadership for youth development through programs like 4-H.
By partnering with local government, advisory committees, concerned citizens, commodity groups and youth, UF/IFAS Extension creates a important links between the public and research conducted on campus and at 13 research and education centers.
Solutions for Your Life is the official Web site of UF/IFAS Extension, making IFAS faculty expertise available on-line under such categories as lawn and garden care, family life and consumer choices, agriculture, community development, the environment, and youth development. The web site is focused on providing timely and relevant solutions. The url is http://SolutionsForYourLife.ufl.edu
See the most recent county reports from fiscal year 2007.
Budget (2006-2007) IFAS Expenditures by funding source
Facilities
In addition to facilities on the University of Florida campus and Extension offices in each of Florida’s 67 counties, IFAS has 1,255 buildings, 3,190,448 gross square feet, and 16,591 acres throughout the state. These facilities are used for teaching, research and demonstration:
16 on-campus academic departments and schools
13 Research & Education Centers (REC) located throughout the state
Florida Cooperative Extension Service offices in all 67 counties (counties operate and maintain)
6 Research sites/demonstration units administered by RECs or academic departments
5 locations with statewide undergraduate degree programs.
Human Resources
Because the number of employees is constantly changing, the following "snap shot" of IFAS full-time equivalent employees was based on February 25, 2008 payroll information.
| On Campus | Off Campus | County | Total | |
| State Supported | ||||
| Faculty | 362 |
169 |
262 |
793 |
| Staff | 594 |
415 |
20 |
1029 |
| Totals | 956 |
584 |
282 |
1822 |
| Grant Supported | ||||
| Faculty | 153 |
58 |
27 |
238 |
| Staff | 174 |
56 |
11 |
241 |
| Totals | 327 |
114 |
38 |
479 |
In addition, volunteers in the previous year worked the equivalent of 672 full-time employees.
* OPS stands for other personnel services and is a classification for part-time and temporary employees, including students.
Alumni
Total Alumni Agricultural & Life Sciences 21,877
Forest Resources & Conservation 2,334
Natural Resources & Environment 518
Note: 544 alumni live overseas.