Pamela Galovich

CC640 – Degree Team Assignment

San Jacinto Community College

Associate of Applied Science in Agroecology

Proposed Degree Program Submitted To: San Jacinto Community College

Curriculum Committee

Date: February 19, 2017

Prepared by Faculty Member: Pamela Galovich

Department: Environmental Science

Subject Area: Agriculture and Natural Resources

Course Origin: The proposed Associates of Applied Science in Agroecology is an

original degree

Degree Description:

The Agroecology program is designed to provide students with a general education

background, along with the skills and knowledge needed for a successful career in
sustainable agriculture. Students enrolled in our proposed program will study agro-
ecological theory and practices, becoming proficient in the development of diverse,
complex eco-farms, without the use of inorganic fertilizers and pesticides. In addition to
technical expertise, students acquire important business skills needed to run a small-
scale farming operation based on land stewardship.

SJCC hopes to provide a seamless post-secondary career pathway in agro-

ecological science with the proposed 63 credit-hour AAS degree in Agroecology. When
the program is completed, students are prepared to manage sustainable farming
operations, to grow or establish new agricultural operations in the state, to secure work
in a NGO specializing in international agriculture, and/or obtain the knowledge base to
pursue a bachelor’s degree or higher in agricultural science.

Need and Benefit:

Need in College’s Service Area:

Recent years have seen a substantial decline in the number of small farms in the
region. Since 1999, central New Mexico has lost over 500,000 acres of productive
farmland to urban development and gas/oil extraction activities. Rising taxes from

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inflated land prices, weak markets for traditional crops, and increasing equipment costs
has jeopardized the county’s farming economy.

Three high schools have taken action to reverse the trend by offering area students
a curriculum in sustainable farming (CSASE - Curriculum for Sustainable Agricultural
Science Education). Local organizations, including the Future Farmers of America and
4H, are also sponsoring organic farming training to encourage renewed interest in the
farming profession.

San Jacinto Community College has also brought together a focus group including
local farmers, business people, educators, and county agriculture extension agents to
discover what role the college could play in strengthening the local farming economy.
According to the findings of the Bandera County Sustainable Agriculture Needs Analysis
Final Report, sponsored by New Mexico Western SARE, agriculture is still a viable
career choice and the availability of a post-secondary educational program would help
revitalize the area’s agriculture industry (2015, p.10).

The focus group recommended San Jacinto Community College play a significant
role in “recovery” efforts by providing regional students a program of study in
agroecology. The knowledge, skills, and abilities that would be gained by graduates of
such a program, will prepare students to successfully own and operate their own
sustainable farms, to become an extension agents, specialists, and other agriculture
professionals, or to provide a seamless transfer process for students that wish to obtain
bachelor’s degree or higher in agricultural science.

Benefit to Program’s Graduates: According to a 2015 report by the USDA’s SARE

(Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education):

Sustainability has become an integral component of many government,

commercial, and non-profit agriculture research efforts, and it is beginning to be
woven into agricultural policy. Increasing numbers of farmers and ranchers have
embarked on their own paths to sustainability, incorporating integrated and
innovative approaches into their own enterprises.

Opportunities are growing as U.S. consumers learn about the value of local, organic,
sustainable food production. Agroecology builds on the growing interest in sustainable
agriculture and other solutions to natural resource depletion, food shortages and human
health problems associated with corporate farming methods. The demand in this
country alone for food grown using eco-friendly practices is growing rapidly. According
to a 2015 report by the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), “organic
farms in the United States sold a total of $5.5 billion in organic products in 2014, up 72
percent since 2008.” In 2015 organic sales in the U.S. “reached an all-time high of
$6.2B,” in addition to an “increase in the importation of organic products in order to meet
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demand” (USDA NASS, 2016). To meet current and future demands “domestic
production of crops will need to increase” (Jenkins & Ory, 2016).

The organic farming industry also shows a great potential for growth as
approximately “39 percent of organic producers state they intend to increase organic
production in the United States over the next five years”. In the same survey, another
688 farms using conventional farming methods claim “they are in the process of
transitioning into organic agriculture production” (USDA NASS, 2015).

Goal of the Degree Program:

San Jacinto Community College’s AAS degree in Agroecology provides a seamless

post-secondary career pathway in agricultural science that prepares students to secure
jobs in farm management, to grow or establish new agricultural operations in the region,
work in international agriculture, or to pursue a bachelor’s degree or higher in
agricultural science. The proposed program will strengthen the College’s capacity to
meet the needs of the County’s rural population and its agricultural-based economy.
This aligns with the College’s mission and core commitment, “…to prepare students
from diverse communities to excel in further education and employment in a global
society” (SJCC Mission Statement, 2017).

Admission Standards and Graduation Requirements:

San Jacinto Community College is an open enrollment institution, meaning anyone

with the following qualifications can attend. The new student must be graduate of an
accredited high school (or hold a GED certificate), be 18 years of age or older,
demonstrate evidence of potential success in the community college, and/or be a
transfer student in good standing from another college or university. In addition, before
registering for classes, students must take placement exams in reading, writing and
math to determine if remedial or developmental course work is necessary.

To graduate from SJCC with an Associate of Applied Science in Agroecology

degree, students must successfully complete:

 The general education requirements of the program.

 The required program core courses, support courses, and prerequisite
requirements.
 Acquire a minimum of one third of the required 100-level or above credit hours at
SJCC to earn a degree; these hours must count toward the degree being earned.
 Earn a cumulative 2.0 or higher grade point average (GPA) on a 4.0 scale

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Instructional Delivery Methods & Resources Needed:

Instructional Delivery Methods:

The Agroecology major is designed to train students in the techniques of sustainable

food production. Program-specific courses provide foundations in horticulture, pest,
weed, and disease management, water conservation, soil fertility and nutrient recycling,
cultivation, agricultural economics, and ecology, emphasizing the "how-to" aspects of
sustainable farming throughout.

In this unique program of study, students are actively engaged in the learning
process by working on SJCC’s farm and greenhouse, producing and distributing
sustainable food products. Agriculture-related courses require hours of hands-on lab
activities, supplemented with classroom lectures, reading, research, discussion, group
projects, guest speakers and field trips to organic and/or sustainable farm operations in
the region.

Resources Needed:

No additional physical plant needs are anticipated to support the proposed program.
Classes will be held in existing room facilities, the Campus greenhouse, workshop, and
fifteen-acres of sustainable farming fields. There is sufficient space to store any needed
equipment, supplies, or materials in the shed and barn located adjacent to the fields.
Much of the equipment will transfer from the existing agriculture program.

In addition, San Jacinto Community College has received a $500,000 grant from
New Mexico Western SARE to purchase additional student computers, tractor,
disc/harrow, rotary-cutting mower with seed spreader, a cultivator, sprayer system, and
a manure spreader.

Faculty Resources:

The proposed program’s coordinator, Valerie Smith, MS, a full-time faculty member
at SJCC, will teach several of the agricultural classes. Dr. Nathan Adler, an agriculture
extension agent with the NM Western SARE, will also teach full-time. Both have the
teaching credentials and subject area expertise. In addition, several highly qualified
adjuncts have also been identified.

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General Outline of the Degree Program:

“In accordance to state law (Chapter 21, Article 1B NMSA 1978), the New Mexico
Higher Education Department has established policies to guarantee successful transfer
of completed core courses between New Mexico postsecondary public institutions”
(General Education Core Transfer Module, 2014).

Course Title Credit Hours

General Education Requirements (Lower Division General Education Course
Transfer Curriculum) – 33 Credits Required
Mathematics (choose one from list): -
MAT 151 College Algebra 4
MAT 221Calculus 4

Lab Science (Choose two from list): -

BIO 101 Biology Concepts with Lab 4
BIO 151 Introduction to Horticulture with Lab 4
CHM 130 Fundamental Chemistry with Lab 4
ENV 101Environmental Science with Lab 4

Communications: -
ENG 101 English Composition 1 (required) 3
ENG 102 English Composition 2 (required) 3
And choose one from below list: -
COM 100 Introduction to Human Communication 3
COM 225 Public Speaking 3
COM 230 Communication in Business and the 3
Professions -
ENG 202 Business Writing 3

Humanities/Fine Arts (Choose two from list): -

HUM 110 Technology and Society 3
HUM 150 Introduction to the Humanities I 3
HUM 151 Introduction to the Humanities II 3
PHI 101 Introduction to Philosophy 3
PHI 205 Comparative World Religions 3
PHI 240 Introduction to Ethics 3

Social/Behavioral Sciences (Choose two from list): -

BUS 206 Microeconomics or 3
BUS 207 Macroeconomics 3
POS 120 Introduction to Political Science 3
PSY 101 Introduction to Psychology 3
SOC 131 Introduction to Sociology 3

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Major Course Requirements – 21 Credits Required
AGR 101 Introduction to Agriculture 3
AGR 113 Introduction to Soil Science 3
AGR 139 Introduction to Sustainable Agriculture 3
AGR 160 Introduction to Plant Science 3
AGR 220 Biological Pest Management 3
AGR 265 Organic Crop Prod: Fall 3
AGR 266 Organic Crop Prod: Spring 3
Electives – 3 Credits Required
(Choose one from list) -
BUS 117 Leadership Development 3
BUS 125 Applied Business Mathematics 3
BUS 200 Principles of Management 3
BUS 202 Legal Environment of Business 3
ENG 202 Business Writing 3
SPA 101 Elementary Spanish I 3
SPA 102 Elementary Spanish II 3

Other Requirements – 6 Credits Required

(Choose two from list) -
AGR 111 Basic Farm Maintenance 3
AGR 120 Introduction to Food Systems 3
AGR 212 Farm Business Management 3
AGR 214 Agricultural Marketing 3
AGR 250 Economics of Resource Allocation: Food 3
and Agriculture

The program follows the standard General Education requirements for all AAS degrees
at San Jacinto Community College. The program of study provides the required 33
credits of General Education courses, as evidenced by the information provided in the
below tables.

Sample Program Semester Course Breakdown:

Course # Course Title Credit Discipline Course Description Rationale

Hours for
Inclusion
Semester 1 – Fall 2017 Total Credit Hours - 16
AGR 101 Introduction to 3 Agriculture An introduction to Degree
Agriculture the discipline of Program
agriculture. The Requirement
course explores the - provides
origins of foundation

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 agriculture, the rise agricultural
of the agricultural science
industry, and
corporate farming
alternatives. Topics
also include
introductions to soil
and plant nutrition,
carbon, nitrogen
cycles, plant
reproduction, plant
physiology and
pathology,
marketing, and
careers in
agriculture.
BIO 101 Biology 4 Biology An introductory General
Concepts with course for non- Education
Lab majors covering
basic principles of
biology and
methods of
scientific inquiry.
ENG 101 English 3 Communic Reviews the General
Composition I ation fundamentals of Education
grammar, sentence
structure and
paragraphs. Course
is an introduction to
academic writing
and critical thinking.
BUS 206 Microeconomics 3 Economics Introduces General
economic analysis Education
of individual,
business, and
industry choices in
the market
economy. Topics
include price
mechanisms,
supply and
demand, market
structures, income
distribution, market
failure and
government

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 intervention
HUM150 Introduction to 3 Humanities An introduction to General
Humanities the concept of Education
humanities. The
course compares
different eras of
history; how art,
literature, music,
philosophy,
architecture,
politics, and religion
differ from one era
to the next, and
their influences on
history.

Semester 2 – Spring 2018 Total Credit Hours - 16

BIO 151 Introduction to 4 Biology A study of the General
Horticulture fundamentals of Education
horticulture,
emphasizing
plant physiology,
plant
propagation,
pathology,
vegetable, flow,
and fruit
production as
well as basic
marketing
functions.
AGR 111 Basic Farm 3 Agriculture Troubleshooting Other
Maintenance and problem requirement
solving – provides
maintenance practical
issues that arise knowledge in
in farming farming
operations. maintenance
Includes and repair
electrical,
plumbing,
fencing,
machinery, and
building
maintenance and
repair.

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HUM 110 Technology 3 Humanities This course General
and Society considers Education
technological
change from
historical, artistic,
and
philosophical
perspectives,
and its effect on
human needs
and concerns.
ENG 102 English 3 Communicati Continuation of General
Composition II on the composition Education
and rhetoric
focus of ENG
101 with an
emphasis on
persuasive,
research-based.
writing.
SOC 131 Introduction to 3 Social An introduction General
Sociology Sciences to the field of Education
sociology
including culture,
society,
institutions,
organizations,
issues and
movements, the
future and
change.
Semester 3 – Fall 2018 Total Credit Hours - 16
MAT 151 College 4 Mathematics Course focuses General
Algebra on the study of Education
functions, and
their graphs,
inequalities, and
linear, quadratic,
piece-wise
defined, rational,
polynomial,
exponential, and
logarithmic
functions
COM 101 Introduction to 3 Communicati Introduces the General
Human on theory and Education

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 Communication practice of
human
communication
as it occurs in
intrapersonal,
interpersonal,
small group,
large group,
mass media, and
new
technologies
AGR 113 Introduction to 3 Agriculture Introduces the Degree
Soil Science student to the Program
study, Requirement
management, – provides
and conservation detailed
of soils as study of soil
natural bodies, sciences
as media for
plant growth, and
as components
of the larger
ecosystem.
AGR 265 Organic Crop 3 Agriculture Teaches the Degree
Production: Fall fundamentals of Program
organic Requirement
vegetable and – hands-on
herb production experience
during the fall in
months. Topics sustainable
covered include farming
pest practices
management,
harvesting, fall
seeding,
marketing,
planning,
decision-making,
and record
keeping.
AGR 139 Introduction to 3 Agriculture Course covers Degree
Sustainable the history, Program
Agriculture principles, and Requirement
practices of – detailed
sustainable study in
agriculture, in sustainable

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 addition to the agriculture
biological, social, principles
and economic and
components of practices
sustainable
farming systems.

Semester 4 – Spring 2019 Total Credit Hours - 15

AGR 160 Introduction to 3 Agriculture Course is an Degree
Plant Science introduction to Program
plant science. Requirement
Topics include – provides
plant anatomy, detailed
morphology, study in plant
physiology, sciences
classification,
genetics, and the
importance of
plants to
ecosystems.
AGR 266 Organic Crop 3 Agriculture Course teaches Degree
Production: the fundamentals Program
Spring of organic Requirement
vegetable and - hands-on
herb production experience
in the spring in
months. Topics sustainable
include pest farming
management, practices
harvesting,
spring seeding,
marketing,
planning,
decision-making,
and record
keeping.
AGR 212 Farm Business 3 Agriculture Course is an Other
Management introduction to Requirement
economic – provides
concepts that business
apply to farm knowledge to
management run farming
decisions. operation
Includes
planning and
budgeting,

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 business
analysis, and
investment
strategies.
AGR 220 Biological Pest 3 Agriculture A study of Degree
Management integrated pest Program
management Requirement
that emphasizes – in depth
sustainable study of
management controlling
practices of crop pest
controlling sustainably
agricultural
pests.
BUS 200 Principles of 3 Business An overview of Elective
Management the major
functions of
management
that includes
planning,
organizing,
controlling,
directing, and
communicating.
Focuses on
application of
management
principles to real
life scenarios

Summary/Conclusion:

In proposing a new Associates program in Agroecology, the Department of

Environmental Science hopes to provide students a seamless post-secondary career
pathway in agricultural science, preparing graduates to successfully own and operate
their own sustainable farms, to pursue employment opportunities as agricultural
professionals, or to transfer to four year institutions to obtain a bachelor’s degree or
higher in agricultural science. Survey data and economic statistics show a need for such
a program to revitalize the region’s agricultural industry. An Associate of Applied
Science in Agroecology would not only provide this program, but fulfill the College’s
stated mission, “…to prepare students from diverse communities to excel in further
education and employment in a global society.”

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 References

Jerkins, D. & Ory, J. (2016). 2016 National Organic Research Agenda: Outcomes and

Recommendations from the 2015 National Organic Farmer Survey and Listening

Sessions. Retrieved from

http://ofrf.org/sites/ofrf.org/files/staff/NORA_2016_final9_28.pdf

Melone, B. (2006). Broadening the education infrastructure in organic agriculture for

farmers. Crop Management. doi: 10:1094/CM-2006-0921-10-RV

New Mexico Western SARE. (2015). Bandera County Sustainable Agriculture Needs

Analysis Final Report. Las Cruces, NM: Department of Extension Plant Sciences

in the College of Agriculture, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences at New

Mexico State University.

San Jacinto Community College. (2016). San Jacinto Community College Mission

Statement. In About San Jacinto Community College. Retrieved from

http://sanjacientocommunitycollege.weebly.com/about-sjcc.html

SARE. (2015). Sustainable agriculture: The basics. USDA Sustainable Agriculture and

Research & Education. Retrieved from www.sare.org

USDA NASS. (2015). Sales from U.S. organic farms up 72%, USDA reports. USDA

Census of Agriculture. Retrieved from

https://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Newsroom/2015/09_17_2015.php

USDA NASS. (2016). 2015 Certified organic survey: Farms, land, and sales up.

National Agricultural Statistics (NASS) Highlights. Retrieved from

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https://www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/Highlights/2015_Certified_Organic_Surv

ey_Highlights.pdf

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