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Agriculture
Prepared by Ron Nishinaka,
Lead Discipline Faculty
Summary of Identified Issues
Comments from Statewide
Meetings and the General Field
As the Community College Board of Governor's New Initiative
in Workforce Preparation and Economic Development is on the
2002 community college docket, it becomes more critical than
ever that viable, up-to-date articulated curriculum be in
place to meet these new challenges of vocational education.
Three of the seven key elements of this new initiative include
developing an over-arching road map, integrating curriculum
by connecting the vocational education curriculum to the rest
of the college curriculum, and focusing on transfer to both
four-year institutions and to the workplace. These are significant
for agriculture education and fit the special niche of our
common goals with this timely IMPAC project.
A Brief Overview
of the Agriculture Discipline
The primary focus for the first year of the project was vastly
different from the focus of other IMPAC disciplines and clusters.
The Agriculture Discipline is in unique in that our industry
area actively supports a State Agriculture and Natural Resources
Advisory Committee which works closely with the California
Community College Agriculture Council and State Agriculture
Director's Committee. We are also fortunate to have a strong
California Agricultural Teachers Association (CATA) which
advocates for our profession and promotes progressive agriculture
education at all levels of our educational system. There are
over sixty community colleges that have agriculture programs
in the State of California; four-year institutions having
such programs include California Polytechnic State
University, San Luis Obispo; California State Polytechnic
University, Pomona; California State University, Chico; California
State University, Fresno; and University of California, Davis.
In agriculture, we have been meeting across the segments
to write and up-date curriculum since the early 1990s through
grants funded by the California Community College Chancellor's
Office for the following program areas (see Table 1)
| |
Year |
No. of Courses |
CCAG CANS Course |
Lead College |
| Agribusiness |
1997-98 |
7 courses |
100-199 |
Santa Rosa |
| Animal Science |
1995-97 |
14 courses |
200-299 |
Modesto |
| Environmental Horticulture |
1997-98 |
15 courses |
300-399 |
Modesto |
| Mechanized Agriculture |
1993-95
(Reviewed 1999) |
16 courses |
400-499 |
Reedley |
| Plant Science |
1991-93
(Reviewed 1997) |
16 courses |
600-699 |
Merced |
| Natural Resources/Forestry |
2001-02 |
500-599 |
|
Modesto Junior College |
The initial task for our three IMPAC regional meetings was
to bring all agriculture institutions (UC, CSU, CCC) together
to discuss the discipline issues and review on-going projects.
As noted in the regional meeting reports, each curriculum
area has already developed a model common core of courses
which meet industry standards, integrates academic and vocational
competencies, and meet university transfer requirements. All
courses have addressed the five SCANS standards (Secretary's
Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills).
Copies of the 68 course outlines were distributed at all
meetings and are on file in the CCC Academic Senate IMPAC
project office.
IMPAC regional meetings also afforded faculty an opportunity
to review Modesto Junior College's Course Articulation Number
System Project. Their grid sheet identifies the specific courses
articulated for each curriculum area with assigned California
Community Colleges Agriculture Course Articulation Numbering
System (CCAG CANS) course numbers of 100 - 699.
Attendees to this statewide activity were first-time participants
to the IMPAC project. Following the regional meeting, updated
model curriculum packets and course articulation project grid
sheets were distributed and reviewed by the group.
The proposed courses to forward for CAN numbers was also
discussed along with the course articulation grid sheet. Both
documents were given preliminary approval to go forward pending
a check with Modesto Junior College on the status of their
project efforts.
The outcomes of these regional meetings and statewide conference
(by group consensus) are:
1. Re-affirmation of the five curriculum areas and the 68
courses and course outlines thus far developed.
2. Approval of the proposed course list for obtaining California
Articulation Numbers
Topics for Future Discussion
1. We surveyed participants, inviting them to attend additional
IMPAC meetings to assist in developing a preparatory course
of transfer courses in each of the program areas.
2. Anatomy/Physiology and Food Land/Politics courses were
mentioned as possible courses to consider in the future.
3. Other items or topics for future discussions were identified
as "intersegmental" issues pertaining to agriculture
curriculum.
As the Community College Board of Governor's New Initiative
in Workforce Preparation and Economic Development is on the
2002 community college docket, it becomes more critical than
ever that viable, up-to-date articulated curriculum be in
place to meet these new challenges of vocational education.
Three of the seven key elements of this new initiative include
developing an over-arching road map, integrating curriculum
by connecting the vocational education curriculum to the rest
of the college curriculum, and focusing on transfer to both
four-year institutions and to the workplace. These are significant
for agriculture education and fit the special niche of our
common goals with this timely IMPAC project.
Recommendations
Forward to CAN:
Pending discussion with Modesto Junior College on the status
of their project, these proposed courses would be forwarded.
Can Descriptors For Review—Agriculture
CAN: AG 2
TITLE: Ag Computers
DESCRIPTION: Applied microcomputing
for agribusiness management. Evaluation of alternative microcomputing
systems and software. Use of word processing, spreadsheet,
and database management programs; applications to agricultural
enterprise management and agricultural financial planning.
CAN: AG 4
TITLE: Basic Ag Mechanics
DESCRIPTION: Description not
available.
CAN: AG 6
TITLE: Introduction to Animal
Science
DESCRIPTION: A scientific overview
of livestock and poultry; highlights anatomy and physiology,
reproduction, nutrition, behavior, health, and marketing;
pertinent environmental and social issues, to include animal
welfare. Includes human opportunity to influence trait inheritance,
population densities, and productivity. Laboratory recommended
CAN: AG 8
TITLE: Introduction to Plant
Science
DESCRIPTION: Introduction to
and application of principles of plant science to production
of cultivated crops; including how yield and quality are affected
by breeding, propagation, culture, harvesting, storage, and
marketing. Laboratory required.
CAN: AG 10
TITLE: Plant Propagation
DESCRIPTION: Principles and methods
of propagating plants, sexual and asexual: field crops, fruits,
vegetables, ornamentals, seeds, spores, cuttings, layering,
grafting and budding. Propagation media and rooting aids.
Laboratory required.
CAN: AG 12
TITLE: Feed and Feeding
DESCRIPTION: Composition and
selection of feeds; characteristics of nutrients; principles
of nutrition; nutrient requirements of non-ruminant and ruminant
animals; and formulating diets to meet these requirements.
CAN: AG 14
TITLE: Introduction to Soil Science
DESCRIPTION: Biological, chemical,
physical and mineralogical soil properties. Interpretation
of soils information for agricultural management and production.
Proper land use and conservation; soil and water management.
Laboratory required.
CAN: AG 18
TITLE: Ornamental Plant Identification
DESCRIPTION: Classification,
nomenclature, and identification of common tress, vines, shrubs,
ground covers, turf grasses, bedding plants, and house plants.
Characteristics of important plant families are discussed.
Laboratory required.
CAN: AG 20
TITLE: Introduction to Beef Cattle
Science
DESCRIPTION: A study of the beef
cattle industry emphasizing the importance of breeds, selection,
evaluation, nutrition, breeding principles, disease control,
equipment, facilities, and marketing. Laboratory recommended.
CAN: AG 22
TITLE: Introduction to Sheep
Science
DESCRIPTION: A study of the sheep
industry emphasizing the importance of breeds, selection,
evaluation, nutrition, breeding principles, disease control,
equipment, facilities, and marketing. Laboratory recommended.
CAN: AG 24
TITLE: Introduction to Swine
Science
DESCRIPTION: A study of the swine
industry emphasizing the importance of breeds, selection,
evaluation, nutrition, breeding principles, disease control,
equipment, facilities, and marketing. Laboratory recommended.
CAN: AG 26
TITLE: Introduction to Equine
Science
DESCRIPTION: A study of the
horse industry emphasizing the importance of breeds, selection,
evaluation, nutrition, breeding principles, disease control,
equipment, facilities, and marketing. Laboratory recommended.
CAN: AG 28
TITLE: Introduction to Dairy
Science
DESCRIPTION: Description not
available.
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