For 50 years, Texas Christian University has been training some of . . . The Best Ranch Managers in the Business

Cattleman, The, May 2006 by Wagner, Susan

When the 20 members of the 50th anniversary class of Texas Christian University's renowned Ranch Management Program graduate this month, they won't have any problems finding a job.

After completing nine months of intensive training, they will be thoroughly versed in proven principles that can be applied anywhere in the world.

About one-third of the graduates return to a family ranching operation; staff connections throughout the industry ensure plenty of options for the rest.

"We normally have more job opportunities than we do graduates to meet the demand," says Interim Director Bryan Vasseur.

Since the first class was held in the fall of 1955, 1,300 students from 44 states and 24 foreign countries have graduated from the program. Alumni currently manage an estimated 7.7 million acres of land and 740,000 head of cattle around the world.

"Ranch Management is by far the best one-year education-better than an MBA-that you could get for the beef cattle business," says 1993 graduate John Carter. He now runs a cow-calf, stocker and finishing operation in Moto Grosso, Brazil.

"I wouldn't be where I am today without Ranch Management. The skills that it teaches you and the confidence it gives you in business decision-making make you head and heels above other people in the industry."

TCU's unique Ranch Management Program teaches practical, economically sound ranch management and business skills gleaned from the experiences of a wide range of industry professionals.

In nine months, Ranch Management students complete 34 semester hours of class work and travel 10,000 miles in three states, learning effective management strategies from more than 60 agriculture professionals.

They visit farms, ranches, feedlots, packers, markets, stock shows, trade organizations, financial institutions, research centers, food processors and other businesses that influence agriculture.

One student figured up that he'd been exposed to about 4,000 years of experience.

These professionals share what they've done right AND what they've done wrong, said Jim Link, former director of the program.

"They tell the students things they wouldn't tell their banker. That's worth a tremendous amount."

Each visit is chosen to give students a cross-section of the different types of country, livestock and ranching operations in that area. Students also learn to evaluate available assets and information about climates, soils, water, plants, wildlife and equipment needs.

Two of the field study ranches visited when the program first began-J.D. Hudgins in Hungerford, Texas, and Bradley 3 Ranch in Memphis, Texas-are still visited today.

Field trips account for about 40 percent of the program. The other 60 percent is spent in the classroom, but few textbooks are used. Instructors say many textbooks are already outdated by the time they're published.

"The technology involved with production, marketing and diversification of resources is constantly evolving," says Bryan Vasseur. "Faculty members carefully evaluate new practices, investigate where they're being used and determine how to incorporate them in the curriculum."

Students attend classes five days a week, studying subjects such as beef cattle production, animal health and nutrition, soil and water conservation, marketing of livestock and meats, ranch records and finance, animal nutrition and feeding, range management, forage production and use, personnel management, commodity investment and international trade.

Students are tested at the beginning of each class to get their minds immediately focused on the subject. The tests also give instructors an idea of how much students are learning so they can pace the lessons.

Annual enrollment is limited to 34 students to assure that each one gets individual attention. Previous agricultural experience is required and each applicant must travel to the campus for a personal interview on their qualifications and commitment.

Much is expected of the students. They must adhere to a prescribed dress code, a mandatory attendance policy and a strict code of honesty and integrity.

It's a code that goes back to the tradition of "a man's word is his bond" and confirming a contract with a handshake that was practiced by ranchers who first proposed the program more than a half-century ago.

The idea was developed to fill an unmet need. There was a severe shortage of ranch managers in the early 1950s that had both practical on-the-range experience and the business acumen to avoid financial pitfalls.

Initial support for the program was established by Charles Pettit, owner of Flat Top Ranch near Walnut Springs; Roy Parks, of Midland, an officer of Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association; and the directors of TSCRA.

The ranchers broached the idea to several agriculture-based universities without success. These schools were focused on meeting the greater demand for specialists in the related fields of agribusiness, research and advisory services.

"More than 90 percent of agricultural college graduates do not go back to active ranching and farming," explains John L. "Chip" Merrill, director emeritus of the Ranch Management Program. They go into the related fields.