Provide students with career skills in agriculture business management. Emphasis is placed on the development of skills in accounting, marketing, economics, business management, and human relations. Provide required support courses for students majoring in Environmental Horticulture, Heavy Equipment Operation, Agriculture Science, Welding, Natural Resources, and Sustainable Studies. Provide CSU and UC articulated transfer courses in the field of agriculture.
The following six Agriculture Business (AB) courses are offered each year and are required for the Agriculture Business Associates Degree. AB 20 Orientation to Agriculture and Natural Resources (f) AB 22 Agricultural Economics (f) AB 25 Computer Applications in Agriculture (f) AB 50 Agricultural Accounting (f) AB 26 Introduction to Agriculture Business (s) AB 54 Elements of Supervision (s) F= fall semesters S=spring semesters Required Support Courses of the Agriculture Business Associates Degree: AGS 10 World Food and Hunger Issues AET 30 Tractors and Crawlers AGS 50 Soils AGR 99 Work Experience PLS 20 Plant Science or ANS 20 Animal Science or EH 33 Environmental Plants Science The students enrolled in the Agriculture Business classes do so for several purposes; 1) They are agriculture business majors, 2) it is required for a major other than agriculture business, 3) skill enhancement. All agriculture business courses are offered on the main campus. We have tried offerings at the Glenn Center but enrollment was low and the classes had to be canceled. Classes at the Glenn Center may be a viable option given higher levels of promotion. Nearly all agriculture business students enroll in general education classes in addition to their major course work. AB classes have shifted to block scheduling. Block scheduling makes enrollment in the AB program more practical for working students. Nearly all of our students work as least part-time. In addition, most general education courses are also block scheduled, so this change has made it easier for students to construct an efficient schedule. A general education course was added by Bruce Hicks: AGR 10 World Food and Hunger Issues. The target audience is all CSU & UC transferring students. It has become very popular with students from across campus and has been included as a required class for the Sustainable Studies certificate. Enrollment has been steady at between 32-35 students in all AB sections. Wait lists fill early and many instances there is not enough room for all students wishing to enroll. Retention is above 90%. Over half the students come from outside the region covered by the twelve nearest high schools with vocational agriculture programs. Most (over 90%) agriculture business majors at Butte College express the intent to transfer to a four year institution. Chico State and Cal Poly are the most popular destinations. The average age is 20 years. Most students work as least part-time during the school year.
Our only full-time faculty for both the AGS and AB programs, Robert Landry, has taken the lead in the AB Program which includes an advisory role. After having reviewed the last Ag Dept. Program review, Robert continues to address the following recommendations that are most relevant to the AB program:
1. Maintain the strong foundations and practices they are currently providing students, through core agricultural standards, while embracing change in technology and practices. Innovation is needed to keep current with industry demands.
Response: AB faculty continue to update curriculum to meet the program review recommendations and industry needs by attending conferences and workshops and by obtaining and maintaining industry certifications. Additionally, classroom facilities have been improved with various instructional related upgrades and technologies. Collaboration with CSU Chico AB program for recruitment and transfer goals is ongoing and a priority. We feel through this collaborative approach with our 4 year partner, we can keep visible while continuing to meet the needs of the industry.
2. We recommend that the department continues to prioritize projects, look at data (labor market, industry need) to support the development of projects to pursue. Develop degrees and certificates to support career pathways. Develop a tracking system to help evaluate programs including student employment and skill sets.
Response: We are working in combination with our Ag Advisory Committee to identify career pathways that are currently underserved by our AB Program offerings. At our fall 2016 Ag Advisory meeting, we identified the potential for a Real Estate Appraisal Certificate in the AB program. We are currently looking into this option as well as others as they are identified.
Our goals for the AB Program are as follows:
1. Due to a failed hire we need to recruit a new full-time faculty member.
2. Provide support for new faculty hire in coming year.
3. Develop a farm master plan in collaboration with all department programs.
4. Strengthen relationship with the CSUC Ag Department
Strategy 1 - Recruitment and Outreach
The AB Department has developed new program brochures for high schools and events such as FFA Field Day and PCA camp. We continue to update our webpage to appeal to the needs of perspective and continuing students. It now includes faculty profiles. We plan to continue fostering relationships with industry partners and school contacts.
Practical means of communicating with broad geographic audience.
Strategy 2 - Articulation
Articulation: This continues to be a challenge. Most students majoring in agriculture business intend to transfer to a university to complete their studies. So of course most will enroll in agriculture business classes at Butte College that articulate with those at their intended university. Diligence must continue to be practiced to maintain up to date articulation agreements.
Lower division classes should be available to Butte College students. Brings important job skills.
Strategy 3 - Facility & Infrastucture Maintenance & Modernization
Our facilities: buildings, greenhouses, roadways, and wildlife refuge are in need of maintenance and upgrades. Much of this work is over due.
Some of our facilities are in need of attention. They are now roughly 30+ years old.
Strategy 4 - Staffing
Return staffing levels to 100% including the farm manager, the horticulture tech, and the mechanics.
To enhance safety. We are increasing our sections and need more support to help the students.
Strategy 5 - Support new full-time faculty hire
The AG/NRM department will need to support the needs identified by our new full-time faculty hire in the coming year.
Our new faculty in Ag Bus must be able to maintain and grow the program as they deem necessary. This will potentially require additional resources directed to the new full-time faculty for their first two years of service to allow them to build the program.
Certain classes in the AB program, specifically AB 50 and AB 25, will benefit from additional use of computer labs on campus.
Perkins, Strong Workforce and other grants.
| Original Priority | Program, Unit, Area | Resource Type | Account Number | Object Code | One Time Augment | Ongoing Augment |
| Description | Supporting Rationale | Potential Alternative Funding Sources | Prioritization Criteria | |||
| 1 | Agriculture | Personnel | $0.00 | $114,000.00 | ||
| After a failed search we need to hire another full time faculty for the Ag Business Program | Although we are out for a new hire to backfill faculty that have retired or moved to new positions, If that process should fail we would like to retain our prioritization |
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| 2 | Agriculture | Personnel | $3,000.00 | $0.00 | ||
| Return Ag Staff positions to 100% (farm manager, nursery technician, mechanics) | During the economic downturn several years ago these positions were reduced to less than 100%, resulting in less hours worked. Since the cutbacks, enrollments in most of our programs have grown and the addition of three new programs, necessitates the need for more hours of support. Beyond a morale issue, this is now a safety issue as things cannot be maintained in the manner that the facilities and equipment need to be! |
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| 3 | Agriculture | Personnel | $85,000.00 | $0.00 | ||
| Hire a mechanic or additional technician to replace the retirement of an Ag Mechanic in the spring of 2018 | Last year one of the Ag Mechanics retired, and that position has yet to be replaced. This has left the remaining two with the responsibility of covering Automotive, Heavy Equipment, Agriculture, and Welding. All of these programs are expanding, and other programs such as HVAC, Construction, and Advanced Manufacturing are being added. This has resulted in an incredible amount of work for the remaining employees. The remaining mechanics have worked very hard to adequately support the programs they support, but there are not enough hours in the day to keep the aging equipment in these programs up and going without additional support. |
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| 4 | Agriculture | Operating Expenses | $2,500.00 | $0.00 | ||
| Professional Development: Conference and Industry Meetings | We will have a new Agriculture Business faculty in the Fall 0f 2019. in an effort of our strategy to support the new faculty success, funding should be set aside for the purpose of broadening their knowledge and skill base by attending conferences in the subject area. These conferences are also an ideal time to recruit students and build bridges to our industry partners. |
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| 5 | Agriculture | Equipment | $3,000.00 | $0.00 | ||
| Laboratory supplies for the Soils lab: buckets, glassware, nematode traps. | Soils is a core class in our curriculum. Equipment/supplies like those listed above are necessary periodically. |
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