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| Campus Chatter - June 22, 2011 |
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UoI offers ag courses at community college
URBANA, Ill. — The University of Illinois is now offering College of Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences (ACES) courses to Illinois community college students through a new partnership known as ACES ACCESS. These courses combine distance learning technology and an on-campus lab to enable community college students to complete U of I credits.
ACES ACCESS allows community college students to complete basic courses in animal, plant, and soil sciences that may not otherwise be offered in their location.
Introductory courses in Horticulture and Animal Sciences will be offered in spring 2011 and fall 2011, respectfully.
In a collaborative effort to properly prepare students to meet the demand of the 48,000 ag-related jobs that become available each year, Kramer along with Dennis Sorensen of Kankakee Community College, developed the ACES ACCESS program with a team of leaders from other Illinois community colleges
During the 2011 spring semester, Robert Skirvin and Margaret Norton, from the U of I Department of Crop Sciences, are teaching “Introduction to Horticulture.” Participating colleges are Southeastern Illinois College, Kankakee Community College, Sauk Valley Community College, Wilbur Wright College in Chicago, Waubonsee Community College, Rock Valley College, and Carl Sandburg College. In all, 32 community college students are participating this semester.
Students in Introduction to Horticulture take part in a blended-learning environment including weekly course meetings via the interactive distance learning technology known as Elluminate (www.elluminate.com), an asynchronous instruction course management system, and will meet for one all-day, face-to-face on-campus lab in April. In addition to the on-campus lab, students will participate in independent lab projects and assignments.
This course is the fourth course offered in a sequence of introductory U of I agricultural science courses taught via distance learning technologies. Previously taught courses include Animal Sciences, Crop Sciences, and Soil Science.
All Illinois community colleges have been invited to participate in the new program by offering any or all of the courses. Participating students register through their regular registration process each semester and pay the standard tuition rate of their home institution while earning course credit through their college. Credits are easily transferrable to the University of Illinois or other 4-year institutions.
For more information about the program, contact Heather Miller, program director, at hmiller1@illinois.edu or 217-266-6568.
Ohio student wins Farm Bureau Collegiate Discussion Meet
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Emily Krueger of West Salem, Ohio, competed against 47 other college students or recent graduates to win the American Farm Bureau’s (AFBF) 2011 Collegiate Discussion Meet, Feb. 6 at the AFBF Young Farmers & Ranchers Leadership Conference in Orlando, Fla.
Krueger, a junior at the Ohio State University majoring in agriculture communications with minors in animal science and psychology, plans to pursue a career in agricultural journalism or public relations upon graduation.
As the top winner in the final round, Krueger won a $2,500 scholarship from the CHS Foundation. The topic of the final discussion was, “How will food movements such as ‘foodie’ and ‘locavore,” which are primarily focused in urban centers, influence national agricultural production and federal programs?”
Finalists Keiko Osumi of Arroyo Grande, Calif., Caitlin Kasper of Owatonna, Minn., and Brian Chrisler of Prairie du Sac, Wis., were each awarded $1,000 from the CHS Foundation. Each competitor was awarded $250 from the CHS Foundation.
“The demand for articulate spokespeople to tell the story of agriculture will continue to grow, which is why valuable training programs such as the Collegiate Discussion Meet are so important,” said AFBF President Bob Stallman.
Aggies Online contest prepares new crop of agvocates
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Animal Agriculture Alliance recently announced that the number of participants in its College Aggies Online scholarship competition has grown from 350 to 577 students. In 2009, the Alliance partnered with the American National CattleWomen, Inc. to launch CAO and help college students become more confident advocates for the agriculture industry.
“We are thrilled that in the program’s second year, the number of participants has almost doubled,” said Kay Johnson Smith, Alliance executive vice president.
College students can interact on the CAO network by posting blogs, photos and videos related to agriculture and engage in online outreach via Twitter, Facebook and e-mail. CAO members earn points for each blog, photo and video they post and for other activities. Students are encouraged to share what they learn on CAO with their peers and community.
The Alliance urges college students to continue their involvement in the CAO program and to encourage their peers to also share agricultural education resources. Interested students are encouraged to sign up at http://aggiesonline.ning.com
MSU students earn Dairy Challenge reserve award
EAST LANSING, Mich. – Five Michigan State University (MSU) animal science seniors competed in the 10th annual North American Intercollegiate Dairy Challenge (NAIDC) held March 31–April 2 in Hickory, N.C.
The MSU team earned the second highest award, a reserve platinum award, which included a $100 scholarship for each team member: Melissa Erdman, Minden City; Sarah Fraley, Sandusky; Jillian Holdwick, Harbor Beach; and Allan Mergener, McMillan. The aggregate team of MSU student Hannah Tucker, Elsie; Mason Amundson, University of Wisconsin–Madison; and Dallas Carabeau, University of Vermont; earned a gold placing. MSU Department of Animal Science associate professor Miriam Weber Nielsen and specialist Elizabeth Karcher coached the MSU team. Platinum award winners were the teams from California State University–Fresno, Cornell University, Penn State University and the University of Wisconsin–River Falls. Other teams achieving reserve platinum awards were from the University of Alberta, the University of Idaho and Washington State University.
The two-day competition assigns students to aggregate teams to facilitate the growth of team-building skills.
The event challenges contestants to analyze dairy operations by recalling basic dairy management principles and their practical application. In addition, students are tested on their organizational, time management, data analysis, public speaking, leadership and teamwork skills.
The host dairy farms for the 2011 NAIDC were Beams Dairy Farm (John Beam III and John Beam IV), Eaker Dairy Farm (Rusty and Cameron Eaker), Piedmont Jerseys (Corey and Bridgette Lutz) and Gar-Mac Farm Inc. (Gary and Sharon MacGibbon). |
| 6/22/2011 |
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