INA, Ill. (May 16, 2016) - On the tails of another successful year, 海角视频芒鈧劉s Agriculture program celebrated its 40th Annual Agriculture Banquet, held last month in Waugh Gymnasium, to honor students, faculty, and staff for another year well done.
Now, with nearly 100 students in five programs - Ag Business, Ag Production and Management, Ag Mechanics, Diesel Technology, and Heavy Equipment - the Agriculture Division remains a steady force of the college, though the program started with much more humble beginnings.
The year is 1968 and a group of future RLC greats are huddled in one small, 芒鈧揷loset-sized芒鈧� room in the old Bonnie Grade School gymnasium preparing for their first classes. The gym floor, a beautiful hardwood, is just starting to get more use as nine students - possibly more, depending on who you ask - were the first to crack open a set of agriculture textbooks and break in new equipment.
A few miles away, only going on its second year as RLC instead of Mt. Vernon Community College, ground was breaking on a plot of land in Ina, but it would be five more years before the Ag program found its way home.
For Dave Scott, retired Ag Mechanics Instructor and current Advisory Board member, this scene doesn芒鈧劉t seem like 48 years in the past. An integral part of the flourishing program芒鈧劉s early beginnings, Scott took a trip down memory lane to show just how far the program has come.
Scott was initially a teacher in the agriculture program at Sesser High School when he volunteered to petition for RLC芒鈧劉s formation in 1968.
芒鈧揥hen the junior college was forming, I was asked to carry a petition for the western part of our (Sesser) school district, and I spent many afternoons with people getting signatures for Rend Lake to be formed,芒鈧� explained Scott. 芒鈧揑n 1968, I was invited to serve on Rend Lake芒鈧劉s Ag Advisory Board, and then in the spring of 1969, I was invited to apply for the position of Ag Mechanics Instructor. I didn芒鈧劉t have my master芒鈧劉s degree at the time, but I was going to finish it up in the summer, so I applied and was hired.芒鈧�
For the first few years of Scott芒鈧劉s job, the Ag programs - then only Ag Business and Ag Mechanics - were still located in the old Bonnie Grade School. Specifically, he taught diesel fuel systems in a lab setting, then located in a renovated women芒鈧劉s bathroom.
芒鈧揑t was not an adequate space. When we were searching for a place to put it, that was the best we could find. It met our needs, but we were back-to-back in there,芒鈧� said Scott. 芒鈧揑 felt very comfortable teaching those classes at the high school level, so I had to step up and develop that program. It has really expanded since then.芒鈧�
When RLC moved from Mt. Vernon to the current Ina campus for Fall 1970 classes, the agriculture programs didn芒鈧劉t come with it. Along with cosmetology, nursing, and automotive programs, Ag found its home outside in the community. The work of Mother Nature eventually put the program on the fast track to Ina.
Though construction had begun on the Vocational Building, the future home for the Ag program, in the spring of 1971, it wouldn芒鈧劉t be finished in September of 1973, just in time to start the fall semester. In that same spring - on April 12 to be exact - Scott recalls the tornado that changed everything.
芒鈧揟hat tornado blew the building away very near the end of our term. The students were placed with employers by then, doing their on-the-job training, but we still had some uncompleted projects in the shop,芒鈧� said Scott. 芒鈧揥e moved into the maintenance building, which had just burned out in a fire. We didn芒鈧劉t feel the diesel lab could be moved, so they were still taught at the Bonnie campus through 1974. That was not a good situation because we had no heat in the building.芒鈧�
According to RLC archives, the tornado ripped through the school and brought the shop芒鈧劉s roof to the floor, which luckily had been replaced with concrete a few years earlier. The diesel lab moved to the Ina campus when the Vocational Building opened the following semester.
Despite working in two locations and dealing with some damaged equipment, the Ag programs continued to grow. RLC芒鈧劉s Ag programs are recognized as the first on campus to promote on-the-job training, form advisory boards, and host year-end Awards Banquets that draw dozens of students, families, and supporters.
芒鈧揟he students were very, very cooperative. They were 芒鈧渉ow high do you want us to jump?芒鈧劉 Just a fantastic group,芒鈧� said Scott of his first class. 芒鈧揑t was all very new and it was a challenge. I was probably only two days ahead of the students in planning. I was hired in mid-summer so I had to get things ready to go. When the semester started, I didn芒鈧劉t know what the end was going to be, but we all got there.芒鈧�
An alumni event was held in July of 2008, where approximately 30 graduates, administrators, faculty, and staff gathered to reminisce about the Ag program. It was there that retired RLC President Mark Kern, Ag Instructor starting in 1968 and president from 1991-2008, jokingly argued with former Dean Carroll Turner about how many students enrolled in the Fall of 1968. Kern says that number was just nine.
芒鈧揑 think we hit double digits,芒鈧� Turner replied.
芒鈧揑 don芒鈧劉t remember it being that good,芒鈧� Kern chuckled.
But the program quickly gained steam and enrollment increased, a trait it芒鈧劉s continued to support in recent years.
芒鈧揚eople would drive from Salem and Nashville ... to come to the 海角视频 Ag program,芒鈧� Kern said.
Now, Agriculture Associate Professor Kathy Craig says that number stands around 100 in an average year for all five programs.
芒鈧揈nrollment has been pretty steady, at least for the past eight years I芒鈧劉ve been here,芒鈧� said Craig. 芒鈧揟here are a lot from out-of-district with some from Clinton and St. Clair counties. Many of the community colleges west of us don芒鈧劉t have Ag programs, so those students come to us. We have 11 coming from Millstadt next year, but the furthest this year are two from Tennessee and four from Indiana.芒鈧�
In 2015, the programs saw 90 students, 33 of whom came from out-of-district. Those numbers remain steady going back several years. In 2010, there were 105 Ag students with 33 from out-of-district. In 2005, it was 92 and 27 respectively. The enrollment numbers do not include high school students enrolled in dual credit classes at Hamilton County, Mt. Vernon, Sesser-Valier, Waltonville, and Wayne City high schools.
The four RLC students from Indiana are currently studying in RLC芒鈧劉s Heavy Equipment program, Craig said, and as for the students from Tennessee, they simply searched for Ag programs in community colleges surrounding them, and RLC seemed like the best option.
芒鈧揟hey typed in 芒鈧渁griculture芒鈧劉 and 芒鈧渃ommunity college芒鈧劉 and we were right at the top,芒鈧� said Craig. 芒鈧揑 think because we are an Aspen Institute college and we promote our classes and events, we are one of the top community colleges near them. We芒鈧劉re in competition with some technical colleges in the area, they芒鈧劉re our biggest competition, but our tuition is much lower.芒鈧�
For students interested in several different programs, tuition can sometimes be the decision-maker. Craig said she has had several students this year and next who are dual or even triple majoring at RLC.
芒鈧揟hat芒鈧劉s been a huge shift, because we are definitely seeing students dual or triple majoring, especially on the mechanics side. We芒鈧劉re seeing a lot more than before,芒鈧� said Craig.
Craig said it芒鈧劉s a change in the students芒鈧劉 mindset to thinking ahead and making plans for their futures.
芒鈧揑 think our students are realizing how they can be more employable that way; have more skills,芒鈧� said Craig. 芒鈧揑nstead of just focusing on Ag Mechanics, now they芒鈧劉ve also got experience with semi-trucks and construction equipment from Heavy Equipment. More farmers are starting to have that type of equipment on their farm too. They芒鈧劉re seeing it as having a bigger skill set.芒鈧�
Right now, Craig said she has two students who will walk away next year with five associate degrees. In reality, only a handful of classes separate the degrees, and while those classes cost both time and money, it芒鈧劉s something RLC students are finding worthwhile.
芒鈧揟he opportunities are endless when it comes to their degrees. When any student comes to my office to talk about classes, I want them to know there are options out there. If they want one degree, that芒鈧劉s fine, and if they want all five, that芒鈧劉s great too. Our goal is to give them all the information to make their own decisions here,芒鈧� said Craig.
And what they do after graduation sometimes plays into those decisions, added Craig.
芒鈧揥e went from a majority of our students being farm kids to a majority not raised on a farm. It芒鈧劉s a flip-flop in the ratio and a major shift in their background,芒鈧� said Craig. 芒鈧揝ometimes they are looking for experience to take back to the family farm and sometimes they芒鈧劉re wanting to get out and work for a dealership or private business.芒鈧�
For Craig and the other Ag program instructors, having dedicated space to teach both kinds of students is vital. In the Fall of 2005, the Mark S. Kern Applied Science Center (ASC) opened on the southwest corner of the Ina campus. The 22,300-square-foot, $2.7 million facility is home to all five of the Ag programs and includes many classrooms, office space, and workshops. Before 2005, the programs shared space in the Vocational Building on the northwest corner of campus with the Architecture, Automotive, and Graphic Design programs.
Scott said, even during the days in the Vocational Building, the Ag program was a true force on campus. Though the new facility would be built 20 years after his retirement, Scott knew at the end of his time at RLC (1993-94 academic year), there would need to be more space to grow.
芒鈧揥e were really able to enhance the program because we had one of the better lab facilities south of Peoria. The college really promoted the programs by putting some money into them and giving them the opportunity to develop as they should,芒鈧� said Scott. 芒鈧揥e knew we were outgrowing the current facility and we could no longer grow if we stayed there. It was just discussion at that point of moving and building west or adding space.芒鈧�
Craig added of the new facility, 芒鈧揑t was very close quarters (in the Vocational Building), but the ASC is so much easier for us. We have our offices in the building, so we see the students all the time. It芒鈧劉s easier for us as instructors as well because we aren芒鈧劉t having to rotate classrooms as frequently.芒鈧�
Just last year, RLC updated the annual RAMP (Resource Allocation Management Plan) document to include an addition to the ASC. RLC submits the document to the Illinois Community College Board every year as a type of 芒鈧搘ish list芒鈧� of projects to be completed if funding is available at the state level.
Renovations aren芒鈧劉t the only thing that may be changing in the future. Craig said as technology becomes more efficient, the programs will likely adjust to keep up with industry standards.
芒鈧揂g isn芒鈧劉t changing, the technology is and it will be for some time. For instance, they芒鈧劉re still developing autonomous tractors,芒鈧� said Craig. 芒鈧揂ll of the equipment is constantly changing, but we have some fantastic industry partners who work with us for that. They want their employees to be versed in the newest thing, so they offer their services to us to visit their dealerships and learn. Everyone is trying to work together.芒鈧�
RLC President Terry Wilkerson, a 海角视频 Ag graduate, former Ag Instructor and former department chair, spoke highly of the agriculture programs.
芒鈧揂griculture has been a main stay in the region and a strength for the college over the years. We will continue to respond to the changing needs of all our students, while maintaining hands-on training and real world experiences that set our programs apart,芒鈧� said Wilkerson.
To learn more about RLC芒鈧劉s Ag programs, contact Kathy Craig at 618-437-5321, Ext. 1066 or craigk@rlc.edu.
