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Edison
State Community College students Wyatt King, Logan
Ressler, Kayla Seman,
Andrew Rowland, and Wyatt Baker attend an
agriculture tradeshow.
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Edison State
Agriculture Degree Program Receives Approval
As Edison State Community College continues to work towards meeting the
growing demand of the agricultural industry in Darke County, an
agriculture degree program has come to fruition.
On Monday, September 11, the Higher Learning Commission, a regional
accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education,
granted full approval for Edison State Community College to offer an
Associate of Applied Science degree in Agriculture. With this decision,
the agriculture degree program is added to the already extensive list
of accredited degree programs available at Edison State.
“I am excited to see this degree officially launched as an anchor
program for the Darke County Campus. It serves the vibrant and complex
agricultural business sector that drives the economy of Midwest Ohio,”
said Edison State President, Dr. Doreen Larson.
A panel of experts from a variety of agriculture-related fields makes
up the program’s advisory committee, which was relied upon heavily
during development.
“I am grateful to all the community partners that helped to design and
implement this degree and look forward to continuing to refine the
degree and certificate options to reflect the changing science and
technology required to be successful in agriculture,” added Dr. Larson.
Students echo Dr. Larson’s enthusiasm for the new program offering.
“They are excited to have an option like this close to home,” said Brad
Lentz, Edison State Agriculture Program Director. “Many students work
at home on their family farms, and this gives them the ability to
continue to help while furthering their education.”
The program currently has 17 students enrolled who will take courses in
agribusiness, agricultural finance, international business, animal
science, and agronomy, with internship and industry observations
required for successful completion. Students will be equipped to become
successful farmers, work in the agriculture industry, or transfer to a
four-year institution to pursue various career opportunities upon
completion.
Plans for future programming, certificates, and training are already in
the works, with a commodity-marketing workshop scheduled for November.
“We would love to advance the program into various pathways, like
Agronomy or Animal Science,” said Lentz. “It would also be nice to add
some specialty classes involving horticulture and natural resources. We
may at some point consider looking into adult classes to benefit local
farmers and assist them with continuing education. It will be
interesting to see where time will take us.”
“All residents of this region are connected to agriculture in some way,
and the overall goal of this program is to provide students with an
option to gain knowledge in a field of study they have been so deeply
connected to their entire lives,” said Edison State Darke County Campus
Executive Dean, Chad Beanblossom.
The program will reside at the college’s Darke County campus while also
serving residents of Miami, Shelby, and surrounding counties.
The College has successfully negotiated articulation agreements with
all local high school agriculture programs, including Upper Valley
Career Center and Miami Valley Career Tech Center.
For more information or to enroll, contact an advisor at Edison State’s
Darke County Campus by calling 937-548-5546.
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