Abstract
Teaching Precision Agriculture at a California Community College
Track: Teaching with GIS in Higher Education
Author(s): Joy Cowden, Clint Cowden
Planning for future employment needs of California's agriculture is the driving force behind West Hills College's Farm of the Future Precision Agriculture program. The program was initiated at a strategic planning workshop during the summer of 2000 with a 47-member advisory committee made up of representatives from agriculture, education, and WHCC.
The program initially consisted of two-years (four semesters) of specialized curriculum incorporated into a traditional Crop Science Associate Degree. Due to enrollment issues and some restructuring within the agriculture department at West Hills College, in 2004 the program was switched to a 10-month (2 semesters) certificate program. The program has had great support from industry, with about 200 calls from potential employers wanting to hire graduates. The first group only graduated eight students; therefore the demand for employees greatly exceeded the supply of graduates increasing to 11 students in year two and an expected 20 students this year.
Joy Cowden
West Hills Community College
Farm of the Future
9900 Cody Street
Coalinga , CA 93210
US
Phone: (559) 380-7276
Fax: (559) 934-2856
E-mail: joycowden@westhillscollege.com
Clint Cowden
West Hills Community College
Agriculture
9900 Cody Street
Coalinga , CA 93210
US
Phone: (559) 816-9465
Fax: (559) 934-2856
E-mail: clintcowden@westhillscollege.com