College expands ag course offerings

Illinois Valley Community College has completed the first phase of its effort to significantly expand its agriculture program.

Beginning this fall, IVCC students wishing to pursue a career in agriculture may enroll in a two-year program leading to seamless transfer to the agriculture programs at the University of Illinois, Illinois State University, Western Illinois University and Southern Illinois University.

“The program combines the necessary general education and agriculture courses needed to transfer to earn a bachelor’s in agriculture from any of these universities,” said IVCC Vice President for Academic Affairs Deborah Anderson.
“This option will also save each student tens of thousands of dollars.”

Courses include Intro to Field Crop Science and Intro to Ag Mechanics in fall 2016, Intro to Ag Economics, spring 2017, Intro to Soil Science, fall 2017 and Microcomputer Applications in Ag, spring 2018.

IVCC has also strengthened its connection to the district’s ag community by partnering with the University of Illinois Extension for Bureau, La Salle, Marshall and Putnam County, now headquartered at the college.

“The support of the University of Illinois Extension has been vitally important to our ag program expansion efforts,” said IVCC President Jerry Corcoran.

For information, contact Mark Grzybowski at (815) 0224-0393 or [email protected] or visit www.ivcc.edu/foundation.aspx.