National Postsecondary Agricultural Student Organization

History

The history of PAS begins with the expansion of vocational technical education at the postsecondary level. With state and federal legislation in the 60’s and 70’s, the agricultural education movement expanded greatly with more and more postsecondary agricultural programs. This movement started the creation of many local college student agricultural organizations at the two-year institutions.

On the national level, the formation of PAS began with a National Seminar in 1966 at SUNY Cobleskill, Cobleskill, New York. A Committee on “Youth Organizations and Activities for Two-Year Post High School Students in Agriculture" was created. It was decided that PAS should be separate from the National FFA Organization. It also recommended that the organizations begin first with the local, then state, and proceed to a national organization.

Some states had developed equivalent organizations that proceeded the formation of the National PAS Organization. In Illinois, some 12 community college agriculture students, their advisors and guests gathered on February 28, 1974, at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield for the purpose of forming a statewide organization. Copies of the Students With Agriculture Purposes (SWAP) Constitution and Bylaws were revised and developed into a state constitution and bylaws. Seeing the need for a different name for the organization, the Illinois Association of Community College Agriculturists (IACCA) was passed unanimously to replace SWAP. The IACCA Constitution and Bylaws were officially adopted on April 19, 1974. On February 25, 1989 at the 15th Annual Conference when the 16 delegates assembled voted to change the name from “IACCA” to “PAS” so that Illinois would be aligned with the National PAS Organization.

The idea of a National Organization was again reviewed at the National Agricultural Education Seminar held in Muscatine, Iowa in 1969. However, there was not enough interest in forming a national organization at that time.

In 1973 a National Standards conference hosted by the state of Minnesota recognized the potential need for a student organization. A NPASO Development Committee was formed and was to meet each year at the American Vocational Association (AVA) convention.

In 1976 the committee held a brain storming conference in the Quad Cities. Some of the major decisions included (1) the terminology of “Agriculture and Related Occupations for students enrolled in two-year institutions; (2) that the organization would be independent of the National FFA Organization and the FFA Alumni; and (3) the development of a procedure for funding and obtaining industry support.

In 1977 with a grant from White Farm Equipment Company, an ad hoc committee met at the National FFA Center to develop the strategies for a national postsecondary student organization. The purpose was to verify the need for and feasibility of organizing an organization.

In 1978, as a continuation of the White Farm Equipment Company grant, a National Seminar for Educators in Postsecondary Institutions was held in Kansas City, Missouri. The seminar concluded with acceptance of six reports including the acceptance and endorsement of the need for a National Postsecondary Student Organization for Agriculture/Agribusiness and Natural Resources students and the need to proceed immediately to finalize the organization.

The first national conference for the National Postsecondary Agricultural Student Organization was held in April 1979.

Membership

National PAS membership now totals some 1,115 members from 56 chapters located in 18 states. Membership is available to students in agriculture, agribusiness and natural resources postsecondary programs in approximately 550 institutions in all 50 states. Some controversies have arisen, with many chapters and states noting that there is significant room for this organization to grow. These critics believe that current management practices, high dues for national affiliation, and lack of member-governance are contributing to the organization's instability and drop in membership.

PAS Associates

PAS Associates is an organization of former members of the National Postsecondary Agriculture Students Organization. Advisors, administrators, industry representatives, parents and other PAS supporters are also welcomed to become members. Despite a generally open membership the PAS Associates has had minimal activity and has been faced with financial issues.

PAS Associates was officially organized at the 10th reunion National Conference in Kansas City, Mo., in March 1988.

Motto

Uniting Education & Industry in Agriculture

National Officers

The offices that are elected from a slate of candidates, during the annual National Conference are, as follows: President-Elect, Secretary, and four Vice Presidents. The President-Elect of the previous year then with consent of the organization assumes the office of president without the formal election process. The officers travel across the country to promote the organization. National Officers also serve on the National PAS Board of Directors with faculty members and industry representatives.

National Conference

Annually the PAS National Conference is held for members to compete in Career Program Areas (CPA) otherwise known as Contests. A delegate body is also convened to conduct the business of the organization. The annual conference rotates across the country. There has been some controversy within the organization as the conference registration and site may be expensive not only for attendees but has contributed significantly to the National PAS's debt. Compounding hardships for the members is the relatively high dues rate of $30 per member (as of 2010) and $150 institutional dues (as of 2010). Many states and colleges are pressing on the national organization to substantially cut costs so that students and colleges can afford to participate at the national level. Many states are able to offer more programing for considerably less cost causing some to question possible waste with the national organization.