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Agricultural education to help grow Indiana's agribusiness industry will soon be offered at college campuses across the state, courtesy of an agreement among Purdue Agriculture, Ivy Tech State Community College and Vincennes University.
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(Photo by Dan Annarino) |
"This partnership will help provide access to agricultural education in areas of the state that may need additional learning opportunities,” says Dale Whittaker, associate dean and director of academic programs for Purdue Agriculture.
Starting at some locations this fall, Ivy Tech will offer associate degrees in business administration with an agribusiness concentration. The content for the Ivy Tech agricultural courses will be designed in consultation with Purdue faculty and will be taught by approved instructors accredited in those fields. Credit for approved agriculture courses also will transfer to Purdue.
"Purdue is the leader in agriculture in our state, and this partnership can only benefit all of us,” says Mary Ostrye, dean of academic affairs at Ivy Tech in Lafayette, Ind. In addition to the agribusiness degree, Ivy Tech also plans to develop a more technically focused agriculture degree program that would include curricula in animal, crop and horticultural production.
Vincennes has a long-standing partnership in agriculture education with Purdue Agriculture through the VU/Purdue Cooperative Agriculture Transfer Program. Purdue maintains a faculty member on site at VU for program coordination, student advising and teaching. VU offers associate of science degree programs in agribusiness, horticulture technology and John Deere equipment service. Under the new agreement, VU plans to expand agricultural offerings in biochemistry, biotechnology and agricultural engineering, as well as develop new dual-credit programs with high schools.
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