Examining students’ perceptions of a high-impact agricultural learning experience during the COVID-19 pandemic

The Matador Institute of Leadership Engagement (MILE) is a selective, undergraduate leadership program in the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources (CASNR) at Texas Tech University. The MILE Program provides unique leadership and professional development experiences during a three-semester cohort, which is up of 14 selected students that represent each CASNR undergraduate academic department. The aim of the program is to develop participants’ personal and professional skills through high-impact, field-based instruction methods through on- and off-campus workshops while learning key issues while experiencing local, state, and national agriculture and policy. SARS-CoV-2 is an infectious disease cause by the most recent strain of coronavirus, widely referred to as COVID-19, which caused a global pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the initial, spring semester of MILE cohort II, ending all in-person gatherings until the second, fall semester. Although MILE participants continued to participate in COVID-19 safe activities, the cohort undeniably encountered a different experience. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine students’ perceptions of an agricultural leadership and professional development certificate program taught with high-impact instructional methods and compare the experiences of MILE cohort I and MILE cohort II. A conceptual framework guided this study through the incorporation of leadership development concepts including high-impact learning, experiential learning, and transformative learning. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and written reflections. Data analysis was guided by a coding process and thematic analysis. Four themes emerged regarding participants’ perceived leadership and professional development: Networking, exposure, confidence and self-awareness, and quality of content and information. Both cohorts discussed networking and self-confidence, but only cohort II discussed quality of content and adaptive leadership. Overall, cohort II found the program to be successfully in achieving its objectives, regardless of program modality. The findings of this study could offer valuable insight to future research and leadership programs regarding program modality and innovation.