Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

I was sorry to hear that the University of Guelph is planning to close the two agriculture colleges.

I thought agriculture enrollment was increasing.

Were these colleges losing money?  Would seem to be the rationale for closing them?

Any information?

 

Views: 587

Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

U of G Consolidating Regional Campus Programs

March 12, 2014 - News Release

The University of Guelph will consolidate the academic and research programs delivered at its Kemptville and Alfred campuses in order to improve efficiency, ensure quality and best serve the agri-food sector, said U of G president Alastair Summerlee.

“We are operating in an era of scarce resources,” Summerlee said. “We must make difficult decisions together with changes that minimize duplication and preserve programs that are unique and central to our mission.”

The University also has an important responsibility to help sustain the productivity and vitality of Ontario’s agriculture and food industry, Summerlee said. “This requires us to respond to current and future challenges while meeting the needs of an evolving sector.”

As part of the consolidation plan, intake to academic programs at the Alfred and Kemptville campuses will be suspended for the fall 2014 semester. The University’s Ridgetown Campus will remain open.

Delivery of academic programs at the two campuses will cease by the end of 2015. Currently registered students at both campuses will be able to complete their programs.

The University is working with other Francophone institutions in the area as well as various Ontario government ministries to explore opportunities to offer similar programs for Ontario students who have applied for fall admission in Eastern Ontario.

Research projects at Alfred and Kemptville will be completed or relocated to Guelph or Ridgetown by the end of 2015.

The University is expected to continue to manage field crops research facilities at Alfred and Kemptville. Programs delivered through the New Liskeard Agricultural Research Station will remain unaffected for the immediate future.

Improved efficiencies will allow the University to reinvest in strategic areas that further support Ontario’s agri-food sector, including new research appointments at the Guelph campus, Summerlee said.

U of G has managed research and education programs and related facilities at Alfred and Kemptville since 1997.

Despite efforts over the past several years to introduce new revenue-generating educational programs and attract new students, enrolment at both campuses remains stagnant while operating costs have increased. Costs per full-time equivalent student are substantially higher at these campuses, Summerlee said.

Only 61 students are registered at the Alfred campus, with approximately half coming from outside Ontario.

At Kemptville, 128 students are enrolled in the mandated two-year associate diploma programs. Its largest program is the associate diploma in agriculture; the same program is offered at Ridgetown.

Another 51 Kemptville-based students are enrolled in the four-year bachelor of bio-resource management (BBRM) equine management degree. Those students spend two years at Kemptville and two years at Guelph.

“There are opportunities to strengthen the core of the program by centralizing it at Guelph,” Summerlee said. A similar Ridgetown BBRM program will also be moved to the Guelph campus.

Currently, it costs about $4.6 million a year to support teaching, research, operations and maintenance at Kemptville, and nearly $2.3 million at Alfred. There are also substantial indirect costs for things such as animal care, student support services and health and safety. “Clearly, this is not sustainable,” Summerlee said.

Consolidating the regional campus programs will eliminate upwards of 37 full-time positions at Alfred and 75 at Kemptville, as well as a number of part-time and casual workers.

“We regret that valued employees will be affected by this decision,” Summerlee said. “This action is in no way a reflection on the importance of their past contributions. These are difficult decisions but ones that are necessary and unavoidable.”

He said the University will work closely with employee group leaders to provide relocation counselling, severance allowances and other assistance to support laid-off employees.

There will be a few opportunities for transfers to Guelph or Ridgetown to support the consolidated teaching and research efforts of the University.

Decisions about programs that may be transferred to Guelph or Ridgetown, or continued in another format, will be made in the near future.

“Our focus must continue to be on providing training that best supports the province’s priorities for agri-food research, education and outreach,” Summerlee said.

 

 

Reply to Discussion

RSS

Agriculture Headlines from Farms.com Canada East News - click on title for full story

Sorghum can improve food security

As climate change continues to impact agricultural productivity worldwide, finding resilient and adaptable crops is crucial for long-term food security. Sorghum emerges as a shining solution – a crop that’s so hardy it’s almost a victim of its own success. It takes very little water and grows well in various soils. Offering numerous benefits that make it a reliable and sustainable option for regions facing climate challenges, sorghum has the potential to transform diets, support smallholder farmers and promote sustainable farming practices worldwide. The Sorghum United Foundation’s goal is to promote greater awareness of our grain among consumers and producers. We believe in the positive impacts of sorghum in both human and animal diets, renewable industry processes, and as a climate-smart option for farmers who value water conservation, soil health and carbon sequestration. Its adaptability and drought tolerance are two of the many reasons we believe sorghum is a wonderful tool for p

Healthy potato harvests surpass odds

Andy Diercks, a fourth-generation potato farmer from the small village of Coloma in central Wisconsin, is blunt about the difficult realities facing family-owned farms today. “There are days when the choices aren’t always good, and you’re making the least bad choice,” he said. “But we’ve survived well. I’m proud of what we do here.” For decades, Diercks’ family and farmers across the state have worked closely with vegetable researchers at the University of Wisconsin to ensure a healthy harvest, from the initial seed supply to disease prevention and management. Amanda Gevens, a UW-Division of Extension specialist and the department chair of plant pathology, knows all too well the high stakes for Wisconsin farms. She arrived at the university in July 2009 — the same month that a late blight epidemic hit the state for the first time in nearly a decade. Gevens had to learn how to relay critical information to farmers in a timely useful manner so that they could take action against the d

Farmers, artificial intelligence have key roles

It’s now 2025 and following intense rhetoric from governments, dairy farmers accept and understand they have key roles to play in reducing emissions produced by their herds. In fact, they’ve always accepted cows produce methane and that it can be harmful to the environment. And farmers know there are a number of management decisions they can take to help reduce greenhouse-gas production from livestock. As the payload of science intensifies, and new research becomes available, dairy farmers are willing to embrace the new knowledge and implement it on their farms. Their only hope is that other industries, outside of agriculture, also realize, admit and accept that they, too, have major responsibilities in helping countries reach their net-zero targets. Management decisions first steps Tinkering with feed, both in concentrate form and grass, can help reduce the overall amounts of gases being produced by cows. Cows produce methane when the feed they consume is digested in their gastroin

Polycrops: Challenges, Triumphs and Valuable Lessons from Beef Producers

Polycrop forage blends have become a popular tool among beef producers to increase soil health, manage grazing, improve cow performance and enhance resilience to changing weather conditions. However, as with any farming practice, the results can vary based on location, weather and management strategies. The practice of using polycrops, also known as cover crops, forage mixtures or cocktail crops, is intended to increase the diversity of plant species in a pasture. Increased plant diversity can enhance soil health, increase water infiltration, reduce fertilizer needs and provide higher quality forages for cattle. One of the objectives of the Living Lab Central Prairies has been growing polycrops on producer operations and evaluating both the long- and short-term impacts. The Living Labs program allows producers like Erika Stewart, John Griffin and Carmen Jackson to use polycrops on their operations, and they have encountered both successes and challenges with the practice. Their

Public comment period open for pullet and laying hen handling practice amendments

Canadians have until the end of May to provide feedback on hen and pullet handling

© 2025   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service