The view from campus

June 3, 2019                                                           

NCTA Dean’s Message

By Ron Rosati, Ph.D.

Welcome to the month of June and the beautiful landscaping of our agricultural campus!

Recent visitors and student participants in activities at the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture are now seeing the lush effects of spring rainfall in Frontier County.

With much needed sunshine, the pastures, crops, trees and campus lawns are finally greening up!  

Members of the Nebraska Coordinating Commission on Postsecondary Education visited NCTA last week and after a brief overview at the Education Center, clouds parted and allowed an umbrella-free walking tour around campus.

Our NCTA team had been looking forward to this special visit by the commission members and six staffers. CCPE members are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Nebraska Legislature to provide direction for Nebraska’s colleges and universities.

Mike Baumgartner, CCPE executive director, has been engaged in NCTA advisory sessions and has been to NCTA several times in recent years.

However, with responsibilities for oversight of all post-secondary programs and institutions in the state, it takes a while to visit all campuses.

We were very glad to hear last year of Dr. Baumgartner’s suggestion to visit NCTA when the commission would be having a regular business meeting nearby in North Platte.

The wheels were in motion to coordinate a campus visit and participation in our experiential learning setting at the college farm.

Engaged they were as they visited classes where students from Rwanda were involved in construction (building a sheep barn), vaccinating and processing goats, welding in the agricultural mechanics lab, and milking cows in the campus dairy facilities.

Three tour groups could ask questions, visit with the faculty and students, and if they were interested, work side-by-side with the students in livestock management, exotic animals at the veterinary technology area, or agricultural mechanics skills.

We all enjoyed learning about each other’s interests, campus duties and responsibilities at the Coordinating Commission, and visiting about Nebraska agriculture.

As the sole two-year institution of the University of Nebraska, and a campus with academic programs only in agriculture and veterinary technology, NCTA has a unique statewide mission.

We emphasize workforce development and equipping students with skills and experiences for immediate employment following graduation.  That is our specialty.

However, a growing percentage of NCTA graduates (nearing 20%) are now seeking bachelor’s degrees by transferring to 4-year institutions such as the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

For example, students aspiring to be agriculture teachers or extension educators can start their higher education careers at NCTA and then obtain their bachelors’ degrees at UNL.

Commissioners also see the advantages of a strong dual credit network with high schools throughout the state. Each of our NCTA faculty is certified through the Nebraska Department of Education to teach high school courses.  This enables accessibility and affordability for students gaining college credit while in high school.

We welcome visitors to NCTA! Our team looks forward to sharing our beautiful campus, 550-acre college farm and hands-on programs of livestock, crops, agricultural mechanics and veterinary technology with prospective students and guests.

Soon, we will host the Nebraska Youth Range Camp on June 10-14 for a unique opportunity in southwestern Nebraska.  The Nebraska Grazing Lands Coalition and other partners will conclude a daylong grazing tour on June 12 with a steak fry at NCTA.

For information on tours and programs, contact our team at 1-800-3-CURTIS or see ncta.unl.edu.

I hope to see you soon!

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

June events:

10 – NCTA Summer Session begins, Campus and online classes

10 – Bugs, Bugs, and More Bugs 4-H Workshop, 9-4, NCTA Ag Hall

10-14 - Nebraska Youth Range Camp, NCTA campus

11- Generational Ranch Transition seminar, 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m., North Platte

12 – Grazing Lands Summer Tour, Southwest Nebraska ranches

12 – Clover Kids/Junior 4-H Horticulture Camp, 8-noon, NCTA Greenhouse