Progress 10/01/04 to 09/30/05
Outputs
The horticulture program has been offered at Lehigh Carbon Community College (LCCC) since fall semester 2002. Twenty-nine students are currently enrolled as horticulture majors, and six have completed the degree requirements. Three students recently graduated (May 2005): one is employed by a local wholesale perennial nursery, one is employed at Rodale Working Tree Center and plans to earn a BS in biology or nutrition at a local private college, and another is employed at a local native plants nursery and plans to earn a BS in horticulture at Delaware Valley College. Of the six graduates the program has produced to date, five are locally employed in the field of horticulture, and three are either enrolled in or soon plan to be enrolled in a BS degree program in horticulture or a closely related field. Our students continue to express interest in diverse careers such as landscape design, organic farming, and production of perennials. We are continuing to improve our
campus greenhouse, our collection of cultivated woody and herbaceous plants on the campus grounds, and our collection of horticulture-related books and videos in the campus library.
PRODUCTS: With materials provided by the project co-director, students in one of LCCC's computer courses developed a horticulture webpage. Links to the horticulture webpage are available on LCCC's main website. This horticulture webpage is linked to Temple University and Delaware Valley College's horticulture websites. Most of the greenhouse renovations are complete. Expanded metal benches, high-pressure sodium lamps, horizontal air-flow fans, and a new floor have been installed. An automatic watering and misting system with digital programmable timers will be installed by the end of the current semester. The assistance of the Horticulture Advisory Board was solicited to assist in planning the campus arboretum. Members of the board feel the concept of utilizing the entire campus for arboretum specimens best serves the students, campus community, and surrounding community. One of the horticulture advisory board members, a locally respected registered landscape architect generously
volunteered to prepare (free of charge) a professional landscape plan that incorporates appropriate new species into existing landscapes on campus. It includes 35 new species of trees. The specimens have been selected and installation is scheduled for later this fall (provided we get some rain). The installation will be planned for a day when students may participate and observe. The three pamphlets describing our horticulture program are being revised based on recommendations of the horticulture advisory board. Copies will be distributed at campus events such as Open House and Career Day (when interested individuals or local high school students visit the college). Two additional educational pamphlets are being developed: one about invasive plants to send to local horticulture businesses, and one about soil biodiversity to send to local high school biology teachers. The project co-director (who teaches many of the horticulture courses) attended a conference about Invasive Plants at
the University of Philadelphia, sponsored by the Morris Arboretum and the University of Pennsylvania, the Mid-Atlantic Exotic Pest Plant Council, and the Penn State Cooperative Extension Service. The conference provided valuable information about noxious plant management, ecological impacts of invasive plants, and educational initiatives in preventing the spread of invasive plants, all of which will be useful in teaching various horticulture and plant science courses. Handouts that summarize this information are being developed and will be distributed to classes and horticulture club members.
OUTCOMES: The campus arboretum will resemble arboretums at other colleges and universities with reputable horticulture programs. The diverse collection plants will include species that are commonly used in local landscapes or have particularly interesting or useful characteristics. The completion of the arboretum (scheduled for this semester) will reduce the number of off-campus class meetings for students to study woody species. Horticulture students have organized a campus horticulture club. The club is generously providing scholarships to qualified horticulture students through the club fundraising efforts. An admissions representative from Temple University has been regularly corresponding with an LCCC Transfer Counselor about progress toward a formal horticulture articulation agreement between Temple and LCCC. We expect the agreement to be completed by the end of the current semester. We have two other articulation agreements: one with Delaware Valley College (DVC) near
Philadelphia, and one with the Lehigh Career and Technical Institute (LCTI). Students completing the LCCC horticulture program may transfer seamlessly to DVC to earn a BS degree in Ornamental Horticulture and Environmental Design, General Horticulture, or Landscape Construction and Management. Students completing the LCTI horticulture program with a B or better average may receive 3 credits toward their Horticulture AAS degree at LCCC.
DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES: A horticulture webpage developed by students in an LCCC computer course and the project co-director is now linked to the LCCC main website. This horticulture webpage is linked to Temple University and the Delaware Valley College horticulture websites. The LCCC Office of Institutional Advancement plans to issue a press release when the installation of the new arboretum species is scheduled later this fall. This will provide the community not only information about the arboretum, but raise awareness of the LCCC horticulture program. In addition to fundraising efforts, educational experiences, and community service, the student horticulture club is interested in disseminating information about the LCCC horticulture program. Members set up an educational booth at the 2005 Allentown Flower Show last March where they actively promoted the LCCC horticulture program. This activity was featured in the local newspaper (The Morning Call). The three pamphlets describing
our horticulture program and a horticulture newsletter have been distributed at campus events such as Open House and Career Day (when interested individuals or local high school students visit the college), and to local high school guidance counselors, garden clubs, and horticulture-related businesses. Two additional educational pamphlets (under development) will be sent to local high school biology teachers and horticulture businesses.
FUTURE INITIATIVES: In the third year of this project, we will continue to pursue articulation agreements with four-year colleges and universities that offer a horticulture program. We will also continue our student recruitment efforts by improving existing recruitment and educational pamphlets, developing new ones, and distributing them to local high schools and horticulture businesses. We anticipate the entire greenhouse renovation to be complete. We will collect assessment data about our horticulture course objectives. We will continue to improve our collection of horticulture materials in the campus library. We plan to follow the progress of our horticulture graduates. The project director and co-director plan to develop a lab manual using the Constructivist educational philosophy for one of our horticulture laboratory courses.
Impacts
Trees, shrubs, and perennials purchased for the campus arboretum/horticulture garden will be available as a living classroom for future horticulture students as well as interested community members. The greenhouse renovations will make it possible for students to conduct laboratory experiments using a variety of living plants, and we will be able to maintain a collection of potted plants for future students to study. Based on the evidence so far, we predict that graduates of our program will continue their study of plants at four-year colleges and universities and/or be employed by local horticulture businesses and organizations. We can provide the community with knowledgeable personnel educated in environmentally responsible horticulture, and thus contribute to a reduction in some of the environmental problems associated with excessive pesticide use and invasive plants.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 07/01/03 to 06/30/05
Outputs
The horticulture program has been offered at LCCC since fall semester 2002. Eighteen students are currently enrolled as horticulture majors, compared with an initial number of nine enrolled at the beginning of the grant period (Spring 2003). A total of nine have graduated, and another six plan to graduate by the end of the current academic year. Of the nine graduates, five are locally employed in the field of horticulture, and two are enrolled in the Temple University Bachelors degree program in horticulture. We have completed renovations and improvements to the campus greenhouse. We have successfully established a collection of trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plant species on campus used by students, master gardeners, and the public. We have established two formal articulation agreements with area schools: one with Delaware Valley College and one with Lehigh Career and Technical Institute. We have also established a diverse collection of horticulture related books and
videos in the campus library to enhance the horticultural and agricultural education of our students. We have established working relationships with ten local horticulture businesses eager to hire or offer internships to our horticulture graduates or students. Eight local horticulture professionals comprising LCCCs horticulture advisory board frequently offer advice and make themselves available as guest speakers in our horticulture classes.
PRODUCTS: An arboretum and horticulture garden have been established on campus. A professional landscape plan including 35 new species of trees was prepared by a local registered landscape architect. The specimens were installed in November of 2005, and have been utilized as study specimens by horticulture students and local master gardeners. The funding provided by this grant allowed a total of 77 new species of trees and shrubs, and 81 species of herbaceous plants to be planted on our campus. Many of these specimens were planted and maintained by horticulture students. The project co-director led two tours of the campus arboretum: one for the general public in July 2006 and one for the Pennsylvania State University Cooperative Extension Service Lehigh County Master Gardeners in September 2006. Additional tours are planned for the future. Greenhouse renovations are complete. Expanded metal benches, high pressure sodium lamps, horizontal air flow fans, a new floor, and an automatic
watering and misting system with digital programmable timers have all been installed. The greenhouse is stocked with a variety of plastic pots, flats, organic pest control items, and growing media. Students enrolled in the Plant Propagation course have successfully conducted experiments and grown plants in the greenhouse. A variety of supplies (such as soil tests, insect collection supplies, laboratory investigation kits, and garden tools) required for a hands on approach to teaching are now available for use in horticulture and botany courses. A horticulture internship course has been implemented. Students choosing to participate can enroll in a Community Experience course where they may receive from 1 to 6 credits. Ten local businesses or organizations have agreed to supervise our horticulture student interns. To date, three students have successfully completed the internship, each at a different garden center. Recruitment pamphlets describing our horticulture program have been
designed. Copies were distributed at campus events such as Open House and Career Day, and were mailed to local horticulture businesses and high schools. An educational pamphlet about invasive plants was developed and mailed to local horticulture businesses and garden clubs. A horticulture webpage describing LCCCs horticulture program has been developed and is linked to the websites of potential transfer institutions (Temple University and Delaware Valley College.) The project co-director attended two particularly relevant conferences: The Native Plants Conference at Millersville University in June 2006, and the Invasive Plants Conference at the University of Philadelphia in August of 2005. Course materials used in the Woody Plants I and II and Herbaceous Plants I and II courses are being updated with information from these conferences.
OUTCOMES: During the summer of 2006, a survey was sent to all students who had either graduated from LCCC with an Associates Degree in horticulture, or who had completed all of LCCCs horticulture courses (a total of 14 students.) Among those who responded, fifty percent indicate they are continuing their formal education. Eighty three percent indicate they are employed in areas such as landscape restoration, maintenance and design, or by a nursery or garden center. Thirty three percent intend to become Certified Pennsylvania Horticulturists, while the others are either focusing on a higher academic degree or do not need the certification to achieve their professional goals. Two articulation agreements have been established: one with Delaware Valley College (DVC) near Philadelphia, and one with the Lehigh Career and Technical Institute (LCTI). Our courses also transfer to Temple University. Currently, two of our graduates are pursuing Bachelors degrees in horticulture at Temple. Among
the students currently enrolled in the horticulture program at LCCC, one will transfer to Temple and another to DVC next fall to pursue Bachelors degrees in horticulture. The campus arboretum now resembles arboreta at other colleges and universities with reputable horticulture programs. A diverse collection both woody and herbaceous species purchased with grant funds serves as a vital teaching tool in the Woody and Herbaceous Plant Identification courses at LCCC. It includes several underutilized or rare species such as Cercidiphyllum japonicum, Oxydendrum arboreum, Sciadopitys vertcillata, and Stewartia pseudocamelia. Greenhouse renovations and various laboratory purchases have permitted instructors to implement an investigative approach to teaching. Students in the Plant Propagation, Entomology, and Soil Science courses can grow plants, collect insects, operate laboratory equipment, and conduct independent research projects. Such activities allow students to develop scientific
reasoning skills, participate cooperatively within a team, and use current technology effectively. Library resource materials are utilized by students to prepare term papers, educational brochures, and oral reports. Such assignments encourage students to think critically and creatively, communicate effectively, and apply information literacy skills. Grades of horticulture students enrolled in the 2002-2003 academic year (prior to grant purchases) were compared with grades of students enrolled in the 2005-2006 academic year (final year of grant funding after most purchases were made). It is interesting to note that student grades generally improved (a 14 percent increase in the number of A grades) after grant purchases were available. Multiple variables may contribute to this increase. Several entrepreneurial students have been attracted to our horticulture program. They have organized a horticulture club and planned several fund raisers to provide scholarships to qualified
horticulture students. One particularly enthusiastic student, a retired medical doctor, has generously donated $4000.00 to LCCCs horticulture program. It will be used to add to the arboretum collection.
DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES: To advertise the establishment of 35 new species of trees on campus, LCCCs Office of Institutional Advancement issued a press release in November of 2005. A local newspaper (The Parkland Chronicle) sent a reporter to campus to write a feature and photograph students studying the new specimens during one of the classes. The feature described the new planting and the horticulture program. In addition to being an educational tool, the arboretum is a tool for disseminating information about our horticulture program. The project co-director recently led two tours of the arboretum for interested members of the public and for local master gardeners. A horticulture webpage has been developed and is linked to LCCCs main website. It provides links to Temple and Delaware Valley horticulture websites. Educational and recruitment pamphlets have been designed and mailed to high school guidance counselors and biology teachers, local horticulture businesses, and garden
clubs. The student horticulture club set up an educational display at the 2005 Allentown Flower Show last March where they actively promoted LCCCs horticulture program. This activity was featured in a local newspaper (The Allentown Morning Call).
FUTURE INITIATIVES: We are currently improving the horticulture curriculum to make it transferable to most any four year institution offering a Bachelors degree in horticulture. The program will continue to provide a broad education to prepare students for a variety of positions or for successful transfer. We plan to continue developing new educational pamphlets and distributing them to local high schools and horticulture businesses. We intend to follow the progress of our horticulture graduates by sending them two and five year follow up surveys. We will continue to add to the existing collection of plant species on campus.
Impacts
The most significant impact of the grant accomplishments on students in the region has been access to quality college level horticulture courses within their own community. When we started the horticulture program in 2002, our greenhouse was in disrepair, there were no laboratory materials for the Soil Science course, and there were very few horticulture related books in our library. Most of the woody species appropriate for study in identification courses were off campus, and there were only a few appropriate herbaceous plants. Students and faculty now have greenhouse facilities and a collection of plant species appropriate to a horticulture program at an institution of higher learning. Trees, shrubs, and perennials purchased for the campus arboretum and horticulture garden are available as a living classroom for horticulture students and interested community members. The greenhouse renovations now allow students to conduct experiments with living plants in a
controlled environment. Local business owners tell us they are pleased with our program and would like to see it continue. We can provide the local community with personnel educated in environmentally responsible horticulture.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 10/01/03 to 09/30/04
Outputs
The first semester we offered our horticulture program (Fall 2002), 9 students had declared horticulture as their major. The following year (Fall 2003), the program had a total of 26 enrolled as horticulture majors. In the current semester (Fall 2004) there are 27 horticulture majors. Students have diverse career goals; most common among these are: landscape designer, horticulture therapist, nursery or garden center owner, plant propagator, landscape architect, sales manager for agriculture product or chemical company, and arboretum or park director. An informal survey indicates over half of our students are non-traditional students (not recent high school graduates, but rather students mostly over the age of 25 who have families and are employed full or part time). Several already own their own horticulture businesses. Over 90% of students surveyed would consider continuing at a four-year college to have the career of their first choice. LCCC now has an articulation
agreement with Delaware Valley College. DVC offers a B.S. degree in horticulture. LCCC students completing the AAS degree in horticulture may transfer to one of DVCs programs (Ornamental Horticulture and Environmental Design, General Horticulture, or Landscape Construction and Management.) A horticulture internship course has been implemented at LCCC. Horticulture students who choose to participate in an internship may sign up for CED 272 (Community Experience). This course allows students to work in a supervised internship in the community and receive between 1 and 6 credits. A horticulture advisory committee composed of nine horticulture professionals has been assembled and provides a valuable resource for our program. LCCCs collection of horticulture-related library materials has been improved. Approximately 72 books, 22 videorecordings or slide sets, and 2 educational CDs have been purchased and are available to students. A horticulture webpage is currently being developed and
will include information about our program, careers, the horticulture club, scholarships, and internships. Several classes (Woody Plants I and II and Herbaceous Plants I and II) have developed portions of a landscape plan for anarboretum/horticulture garden on the LCCC campus. Trees, shrubs, and perennials have been purchased, and students have panted them. The greenhouse is being renovated. Lamps, fans, and benches are being installed. LCCCs horticulture program has 3 graduates so far: one has transferred to Temple University, one works for a local greenhouse, and one continues to run his business.
PRODUCTS: Three pamphlets describing our horticulture program have been developed: one for high school students, one for people already working in horticulture, and one for home gardeners. A summer newsletter was also developed. A Horticulture Internship course has been implemented. Students who choose to participate may sign up for an existing course - CED 272 (Community Experience). This course is designed to allow students to work in a supervised internship in the community, and receive between 1 and 6 credits. For each credit, students must work 75 hours. Three credits are recommended. A master course outline specifically for horticulture students has been developed. To qualify for the internship, students must have completed 12 credits of horticulture courses with a grade of C or better. Students apply the knowledge acquired in horticulture courses at LCCC to concrete situations, acquire skills specific to the area of horticulture chosen by the student, and gain practical
experience working with professionals in the field. Specific course objectives are developed for each internship site. Appropriate sites include: plant nurseries, garden centers, landscape installation firms, landscape design firms, private research institutes, seed companies, parks, zoos, greenhouses, farms, golf courses, or nature organizations. Approximately 11 local businesses or organizations have agreed to utilize our interns. Students in the Woody Plants courses have developed portions of a landscape plan for creating an arboretum/woody plant collection at LCCC. Other classes (Herbaceous Plants I and II) have incorporated herbaceous perennials into these landscapes so that future students will have a garden to study. Thirty eight species of trees and shrubs and approximately 65 species of herbaceous perennials have so far been planted by students in the horticulture program. These projects have given students the opportunity to gain hands-on experience. Students have made
permanent plant labels for the woody and herbaceous ornamental specimens they planted so far on campus. Greenhouse renovations have begun and we expect them to be complete within a year. Approximately 76 books, 22 videorecordings or slide sets, and 2 educational CDs have been purchased for the LCCC library. Grant funds were used for about half of these. Topics include woody plants, perennials, annuals, cacti, insects, plant diseases, weeds, integrated pest management, medicinal plants, lawn care, pruning, grafting, landscape design, gardening with native plants, nursery management, organic farming, herbs, tissue culture, soils, house plants, hydroponics, and composting. A horticulture webpage is being developed. The instructor in LCCC CIS 142 (Client-Side Scripting) course uses development of the horticulture webpage as a class project during fall 2004. The webpage will include general information about horticulture, careers, frequently asked questions, the horticulture club, a
horticulture scholarship, and the internship. There will be links to course descriptions, financial aid, admissions, institutions with whom we have an articulation agreement, and other useful websites.
OUTCOMES: LCCC now has a formal articulation agreement with Delaware Valley College (DVC). DVC is a 4-year college located in Doylestown, approximately 90 miles southeast of LCCC. It is one of three colleges within reasonable driving distance of LCCC that offers a Bachelor of Science degree in horticulture. LCCC students completing the AAS degree in horticulture may transfer to one of three DVC programs (Ornamental Horticulture and Environmental Design, General Horticulture, or Landscape Construction and Management) where they may continue their study and earn a Bachelors degree. According to the articulation agreement, all of the courses LCCC requires as part of its horticulture program will transfer to DVC if a student receives a passing grade (A, B, or C). As part of this agreement, we have agreed to: collaborate in providing students with information and academic advising about this articulation agreement, consult with each other upon implementing major policy or curriculum
changes, and develop advertising to promote this transfer agreement. Communication about an articulation agreement with Temple University is underway. Faculty at Temple are currently evaluating the LCCC horticulture master course outlines. We expect the articulation agreement to be complete by the end of the current semester. We have met with administrators and faculty at Lehigh Career and Technical Institute (LCTI), the local vocational institute for high school students in the region. We have discussed an articulation agreement which would allow students graduating from LCTI and having grades of B or better in their horticulture courses to receive 3 credits toward their Horticulture AAS degree at LCCC. Details are still being worked out. As a result of tree, shrub, and perennial purchases, students now have access to a greater variety of living specimens typical of a comprehensive horticulture program. Students completing our classes demonstrate an ability to identify specimens of
horticulturally important plant species. These plants provide a valuable resource for students and for the public. Students are well-prepared to transfer to a four year college.
DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES: The three pamphlets describing our horticulture program were distributed to local high school guidance counselors and biology teachers, local nature organizations and garden clubs, and local horticulture-related businesses. Pamphlets are also displayed on campus. The newsletter was sent to approximately 200 local businesses, garden clubs, advisory committee members, extension offices, and horticulture students. Our horticulture program has been listed among other programs offered by LCCC in major newspaper ads. A horticulture advisory committee composed of nine horticulture professionals has been assembled. Members include individuals who own and/or manage nurseries, landscaping firms, and organic farms. Individuals from Burpee Seeds, the Rodale Institute, and Penn State University are also members. They have suggested student recruitment strategies and have served as guest speakers in our classes or have given tours at their businesses or organizations. The
project director and co-director have attended annual campus-wide open-house activities to recruit new students. A poster was developed to show horticulture students actively engaged in planting shrubs on campus.
FUTURE INITIATIVES: In the second year of this project, we will continue our student recruitment efforts. We plan another mailing of pamphlets to local horticulture businesses and organizations, and high school biology teachers and guidance counselors. A second horticulture newsletter will be written next summer and sent to local horticulture businesses, organizations, area Cooperative Extension offices, and interested students. We expect to have a full articulation agreement with Temple University within the next year. We will consult with their faculty for advice about the content of our courses. We will continue to purchase trees, shrubs, and perennials for the campus arboretum/woody plant collection and horticulture garden. Horticulture students enrolled in our courses will continue to have an opportunity to plan landscapes and install the new specimens. We anticipate the entire greenhouse renovation will be complete within the next year. A concrete floor has been installed. Once
benches and lights are in position we can solicit estimates for an improved plumbing system. A follow-up survey for horticulture program graduates will be developed to find out what students are doing after graduation and inquiring how our program may have benefited students in their career. The horticulture web page is expected to be up and running by the end of the current semester (December 2004). Revisions can be made on an as-needed basis. We will collect data about use of horticulture library materials by recording use of specific sources in bibliographies of student term papers and projects. The library will continue to provide us with data about the number of horticulture items checked out.
Impacts
Several long-term impacts of the project are directly related to the purchases made with grant funds. Trees, shrubs, and perennials purchased for the campus arboretum/horticulture garden will be available as a living classroom for future horticulture students as well as interested community members. The renovated greenhouse will provide an up-to-date structure for future horticulture students to conduct experiments with plants. Graduates of our program will likely work in the local region providing valuable services and products to the community. Students educated in environmentally-responsible horticulture are more likely to be aware and proactive in reduction of environmental problems associated with use of pesticides, invasive plants, and poor land management practices. Existing local businesses will be able to hire knowledgable personnel who have either completed their education with an AAS in our horticulture program, or have continued thier study in horticulture
at a four-year institution.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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