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director's view
by John Foltz
As associate dean and director of Academic Programs for the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, my office is in charge of all of the “student stuff.”
It is an exciting place to work—as students are our raison d’être. Students provide the vim and vigor to our life here at the University of Idaho. My office staff and I work hard to make sure that we provide our students with the best experience possible. We help them find that “right fit” within CALS—in the classroom with one of our award-winning professors or in the lab working on significant research projects.
Transformational learning. We also provide transformational learning experiences such as short-term study-abroad opportunities to Taiwan and Mexico, where partner universities help expand our Idaho students’ horizons; or we find new ways for students to hone leadership skills in their favorite CALS club or in AgSAC (Agricultural Student Affairs Council) as an officer or chair of new events including Ag Olympics or a planned corn maze.
Perhaps even more rewarding is working with students who struggle academically, providing tools and motivation to improve their grades. We celebrate with them when they earn their diplomas. We assist students with study skills, meet with them regularly to make sure they manage their time productively, and we steer them to campus services such as the UI Counseling and Testing Center or Disability Support Services.
Exciting initiatives. Through our Department of Agricultural and Extension Education (AEE), the college now makes available “dual credit” classes to Idaho high school students. Youth enrolled in these classes receive both high school and college credit. Last summer some 30 high school teachers met with professors from our departments of Plant, Soil and Entomological Sciences, Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology, Animal and Veterinary Science, and AEE to develop classes now being offered. Lou Riesenberg from AEE heads up this initiative.
Multicultural scholars. This fall the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences welcomes our largest group of multicultural scholarship recipients. Over the past 15 years, CALS has received scholarship funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for this program five times. We are proud to welcome 10 new students of varied
ethnic backgrounds into our college. Link to multicultural scholars/cover story
Our college is a great place for students to be educated. We work hard to be good stewards of the resources provided us by the state of Idaho.
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