Happy Spring from NCTA!

An idyllic winter scene of Ag Hall was captured Friday morning by Jeremy Sievers, associate professor of Agbusiness Management Systems, at the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture. (Sievers/NCTA)

March 20, 2020

CURTIS, Neb. - It's spring time in Nebraska!

A winter storm that brought harsh winds and snowfall on Thursday evening left an idyllic scene Friday morning outside of Agriculture Hall at the campus of the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture.

Jeremy Sievers, associate professor of agribusiness management systems (AMS), captured a picturesque moment shortly after sidewalks were cleared by NCTA maintenance staff on Friday.

The AMS division is housed in the historic Ag Hall, the first building to be constructed at the camps in 1912.

Ag Hall was the only building on campus when it opened in September, 1913, to Aggie students coming to live in Curtis to attend the new regional high school.

The Nebraska School of Agriculture (NSA) and later the University of Nebraska School of Agriculture (UNSA) served Aggie students and their families from throughout Nebraska, particularly farming and ranching families, for 55 years.

Post-secondary students arrived in the fall of 1965, for two-year degree programs at the University of Nebraska School of Technical Agriculture (UNSTA). After a two-year overlap as a residential campus for the UNSA and UNSTA programs, the Medicine Valley Public Schools opened its new high school.

Today, Ag Hall provides classrooms and academic offices for the General Education and Agribusiness Management Systems divisions, as well as the NCTA administrative, business and facilities offices, and the Nebraska Extension for Frontier County office.

Aggie students were on break this week as faculty and staff prepare for remote teaching platforms and designing appropriate laboratory and essential skills teaching to meet health and safety protocols for coronavirus, COVID-19.

A regularly-scheduled Spring Break for NCTA Aggie students is March 23-29. Some students remain living and working at campus, especially to manage and care for the animals and livestock which are integral to the Veterinary Technology and Agriculture Production Systems academic divisions.

Residence halls and food services are available to the students, with arrangements through the associate dean and residence life manager.

Additional information regarding the 2020 spring semester and future programs will be shared as they are finalized.

Meanwhile, campus leaders and faculty are communicating with students through Canvas, email, telephone calls and social media.

For all Aggie alumni of the high school and college, the Aggie Alumni Association is proceeding with plans for its summer reunion at campus to be a daytime luncheon, tours and programs on Saturday, June 27.

All Aggie Alumni events will be held in the “old gymnasium” of the Student Activities Building, said Ann Ramm Bruntz of Friend, a Vet Tech alumna and Aggie Alumni president.