Some students at the Circleville Student Farm are opposing a College of Agriculture plan to restructure the hands-on learning center, saying the plan will hurt the concept of a student-run farm.

On Feb. 24, Dean Lamartine Hood sent a memorandum to faculty in the College detailing a "new approach for offering practical learning experiences" to students.

The administrative plan involves channeling current resources at the farm --which included a 1988 budget allocation of $75,000 -- "into a competitive grants program for undergraduate student research, internships and other instruction," the memo said.

The plan becomes effective July 1, the beginning of the next fiscal year.

The farm, which receives state government funding through a legislative agreement, was established in 1984 to provide practical agricultural experience during a student's undergraduate degree program.

"In the restructuring, they're trying to adhere to the letter of the agreement but not the spirit of it," said Walt Witmer, student farm manager.

But Hood's memo stated, "While the Student Farm was thought to be a valid concept, it has not attracted the interest of a substantial number of faculty and students."

Faculty and students who oppose the restructuring believe the college's plan will work against student involvement and destroy the concept of a student-run farm.

Jonda Crosby, overall farm manager, said the holistic concept of the farm --where students make basic managerial decisions -- would be lost in the new plan.

"There's a whole coalition of events that need to take place to make a farm cohesive," Crosby said. "And that's what the administration is not considering."

But Associate Dean James Mortensen said the changes will be effective in getting greater faculty and student involvement. The grant system will give faculty an opportunity to create specific projects that would involve student participants, he said.

"We wanted to get the activities and academics on the farm mainstreamed into the college," Mortensen said. "Circleville Farm is still dedicated to undergraduate education."

Mortensen said the implementation of the grant system is still evolving and could not comment on the limitations of the size or number of grants.

The farm is located on 176 acres of University-owned land between the University's Blue Golf Course and Circleville Road.

"It has the characteristics of a typical Pennsylvania farm - the same size, soil type and topography," Crosby said, adding that this similarity makes instruction ideal.

Farm managers and the Faculty Advisory Committee for the farm met Feb. 17 with Mortensen to discuss ways to increase student and faculty involvement on the farm. But Caroline Sachs, associate professor of rural sociology and former director of the Circleville Student Farm, a member of the advisory committee, said she felt faculty were not really involved in making specific decisions about the farm.

At this meeting, Mortensen dispelled rumors of plans to close the farm, Witmer said. The advisory committee then discussed with Mortensen and the managers points that should be included in a final proposal to the dean.

Mortensen said the administration is considering many of the principles in Crosby's proposal with the possibility of implementing them during restructuring.

Yet, Witmer said college administrators made their decision before they received this proposal -- a move against the negotiation process agreed upon at a Feb. 13 meeting.

But Mortensen said the negotiation process took place over the winter months with Crosby and members of the advisory committee taking part.

The Faculty Advisory Committee will meet with Mortensen Friday to discuss the proposal Crosby resubmitted to the college administration, detailing methods to re-evaluate the farm and faculty input.

"The chance of losing is great," Witmer said. "We're trying to ignore the authority that says 'Case closed.' "

George Vahoviak, an agriculture instructor and member of the farm's Faculty Advisory Committee, said less students would be exposed to the farm because of the difficulty in obtaining grants.

Vahoviak used the farm about four times a year for a class he taught on basic agricultural competencies. He said about 40 students used the farm's facilities during the class.

Sachs said it was the primary focus of a number of agriculture classes, including two she taught on the land.

The farm offers students a large number of opportunities to learn about agriculture, Sachs said, "opportunities that they're just not going to get anywhere else here."

About 85 percent of students in the college come from non-farm backgrounds, Crosby said.

Sachs said she viewed the new plan as a "move toward faculty and away from students."

Students graduating from the college need to know basic farm competencies that can only be learned at Circleville, Witmer said.

Geoff Hoffman (senior-agricultural science) said major companies recruit agriculture students with production experience.

Even if students -- like those in agricultural business -- don't work directly with a farm after graduation, Witmer said, they need hands-on experience to be able to deal with farm matters.

"There are juniors working at the farm who were supposed to know agriculture that don't know the difference between hay and straw," Witmer said.

Witmer also said under the plan the concept of a student farm is defunct.

"Currently, students are the managers," Witmer said. "That's the critical point."