This fall, the Institute of Applied Agriculture officially admitted the university’s first five “Agriculture Forward at Maryland” (Ag Forward) students. The Ag Forward program is designed to help students pursuing a two-year IAA certificate transition to a four-year degree track in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources at UMD.
“The benefits to students are tremendous,” Glori Hyman, IAA Director and founder of the Ag Forward program, said. “Students benefit academically, financially and employability wise.”
“Many Maryland students who were interested in agriculture were going to out-of-state schools,” Hyman continued. “Now they can stay in state, pay in-state tuition, and gain a top-notch education…[earning] both their degree and IAA certificate in four years, making them even more marketable when they search for a job.”
Hyman came up with the idea seven years ago, and with the assistance of Dr. Leon Slaughter, the retired Associate Dean of Academic Programs in AGNR, undergraduate admissions, the registrar, Provost, AGNR academic departments and IAA advisors, the program was submitted, approved, and student admission began this fall semester.
“The program is amazing and allows me to experience different aspects of what I can do with my major,” freshman animal sciences major and Ag Forward student, Ruby Fishbein, said. “Although some of the classes are a little different than what I am interested in, knowledge is power.”
Another Ag Forward student, freshman sustainable agriculture major Justin Hipp, echoed Fishbein’s thoughts.
“I hope to gain a better understanding and appreciation for agriculture, [and] I believe that one of the main benefits of this program is being able to have a more concentrated study and begin studying in your major from day one,” said Hipp.
In order to be admitted to the program, students must apply and be admitted into the IAA and enter into a degree program. Once accepted into Ag Forward, students must maintain a 3.0 GPA.
“The program also requires students to take certain agriculture classes,” Joanna Bell, freshman animal sciences major, said. “For example, I am taking INAG123 (sustainable agriculture), INAG102 (business operations), and INAG 250 (agriculture mechanics) this semester, which are all classes I need to take in order to eventually get my IAA certificate. However I also get to take classes related to my animal science major.”
For the time being, the program can accept 30 Ag Forward students. However, Hyman has high hopes for the future.
“I do anticipate the program growing tremendously in the coming years,” Hyman said. “My next goal for the program is to implement the reverse, enabling students who enter the university as degree-seeking students to earn an IAA Certificate as an add-on credential to their degree.”
“On campus, I hope it brings recognition to agriculture and its importance,” the IAA Director went on. “To the general community, I hope people recognize that we do care about the education of their children, we do want to preserve legacies, we do want to keep ag professionals in the state, and we want agriculture to flourish.”
For more information, students may visit the Agriculture Forward at Maryland | Institute of Applied Agriculture website, attend an IAA Open House, or contact April Brohawn, Assistant to the Dean for Recruitment, at 301-314-7222, or Christina Lorenz, IAA’s Student Services Coordinator, at 301-405-4686.
