Outstanding opening week at NCTA

Outstanding opening week at NCTA

NCTA was in the Top 2%, overall, ranking 9th place out of 821 two-year institutions in the nation.
NCTA was in the Top 2%, overall, ranking 9th place out of 821 two-year institutions in the nation.

August 29, 2016
By Dean Ron Rosati, PhD

 Our first full week of fall classes and activities at the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture has already made exciting news and opportunities for the Aggies!

We welcomed 158 students into three residence halls at NCTA, where they will have an opportunity to build a campus community of daily life, along with a top-notch team of 11 resident assistants and Residence Life Manager Ryan Bauman.

Welcome to ALL who are part of the NCTA campus – new students, returning Aggies, faculty and staff and the families who share the college experience with each of us.

Our week of orientation activities was quite busy with outdoor recreation, a student dance on Thursday, and many Aggie teams and student organizations meeting for the first time.  More student groups are electing officers and planning club goals in their meetings this week.

As high school student courses are added and on-line learners are solidified, we will soon be able to give you a total count of the 2016 fall enrollment for the college.  We anticipate slight growth from 2015.

In other exciting opening day news, we were informed of a national evaluation that puts NCTA in the top 2 percent of two-year schools nationally!  I am very proud of our faculty, staff and students for achieving this recognition.

In an analysis of 12 criteria evaluated by the firm, WalletHub, NCTA was rated ninth out of 821 community colleges and two-year degree schools. Measured criteria included our graduation rate, student career outcomes, cost of in-state tuition, and student to faculty ratio.

We are obviously very pleased to receive this recognition, especially since it comes after a string of other faculty and student awards received this past year.

Those 2015-2016 achievements include:

  • Fourteen faculty at NCTA received 10 awards for teaching excellence;
  • Nine student teams earned Top 10 finishes in national academic competitions;
  • The Veterinary Technology program was reaccredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association;
  • NCTA was also reaccredited with high marks by the Higher Learning Commission; and
  • The college was ranked among the nation’s 150 best two-year colleges by the Aspen Institute.

Our outreach continues this week at the Nebraska State Fair in Grand Island.  We invite you to stop by the NCTA Aggies booth in the 4-H and FFA Building (far north on the fairgrounds). Visit with our students and recruiters and learn what’s new at NCTA. Alumni of the high school and college years are invited to register their e-mail and mailing information and learn about the 2017 reunion, as well.

Thanks to all of you, the NCTA Aggies are thriving. For more information, see ncta.unl.edu or phone 1-800-3-CURTIS for details.

Discover your way at NCTA!

Upcoming Events:
Aug. 26- Sept. 5 – NCTA outreach at the Nebraska State Fair
Sept. 1 – NCTA Intramural Flag Football season begins
Sept. 5 – Labor Day, offices closed

NCTA Mission:

The Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture is devoted to a statewide mission of preparing students for successful careers in agriculture, veterinary technology, food and related industries. The college provides open access to innovative technical education resulting in associate degrees, certificates, diplomas and other credentials.

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