North Carolina A&T Goes the Distance to Curb Shortage of Agricultural Education Teachers
By Ronald Roach
GREENSBORO, N.C.
In an effort to boost the number of North Carolina’s agricultural education teachers, North Carolina A&T State University has introduced an online degree program to allow community-college graduates to attain a bachelor’s degree in agricultural education.
The program, known as the 2 + 2 Online Studies in Agricultural Education, gets fully under way this fall semester, and is targeted toward people who hold associate’s degrees in a landscaping, turf grass or a horticultural field from 10 North Carolina community colleges. The curriculum includes a 15-week student-teaching requirement, as well as general education requirements in English, biology, math and other subjects that can be satisfied at any community college or four-year university.
“In North Carolina, we have a shortage of teachers in all curriculums. The shortage in agricultural education is especially severe,” says Dr. Antoine Alston, coordinator of the agricultural education program at North Carolina A&T.
