This semester, the University launched ACES ACCESS to bring four introductory agricultural science courses to community colleges throughout Illinois.

The program helps colleges that do not have the monetary means to provide certain courses in the agricultural field. It also serves as a technique to recruit the brightest transfer students, said Heather Miller, outreach program director of ACES ACCESS.

Although many community colleges do not have an agricultural program, Miller said the field has not been hit that hard by the recession, so students should have the opportunity to pursue it.

“It sounds like a great opportunity for students at community colleges to prepare for a four-year university,” said Amanda Pearson, sophomore in DGS.

Pearson said she thinks offering classes to community college students will help them get a leg up on education in their field.

The spring semester class for ACES ACCESS will be Introductory Crop Sciences. This class will be four credits and will focus on an overview of major aspects of plant and soil management, pest control and soil and water conservation issues.

“Students will gain a basic knowledge of plant growth and development and how soil, environment conditions and crop pests can affect growth and development,” according to the course description.

Howard Brown, professor of crop sciences, will instruct the course. The class will be taught through sessions online using a program called Elluminate and WebCT. Along with these sessions, the students will meet twice a semester at the University on Saturdays for on-campus labs. The labs can range from visits to University agricultural facilities to hands-on work to visiting the Champaign Humane Society.

Miller said the fall semester class size was 36. She said she was proud of the amount of interest community college students had in the program and she hopes to see it grow next semester.

“The demand is there,” Miller said. “We’re doing this as a land-grant university for an outreach and public service, one of the three requirements.”

Miller serves as the liaison between the community colleges and the University professors. Faculty from community colleges came to Laurie Kramer, associate dean of academic programs for ACES, with the idea over a year ago and the program began to develop. All Illinois community colleges can participate. Miller said both the University and the community colleges sign an agreement that stipulates the expectations on both sides to support the students.

Kramer said this is a great opportunity for community college students to meet with University professors and advisors and to seek scholarship programs. She said the students also meet with leaders of Agricultural registered student organizations. This will help their transition if they decide to transfer to a four-year college or seek one of the 48,000 careers in the field, she added.

“Distance education has an opportunity for everyone,” Kramer said.