College board backs viticulture blueprint
TVCC will offer new educational program
By Larry Meyer
Argus Observer
Wednesday, June 17, 2009 10:52 AM PDT
| |
| A vineyard along Interstate 84 symbolizes the increasing interest in growing grapes in the valley. Treasure Valley Community College is set to begin offering classes to people getting into the industry. |
ONTARIO — Three new educational programs were approved by the Treasure Valley Community College board Tuesday night, including viticulture, structural fire science and geographic information systems technology.
TVCC’s viticulture program will primarily focus on vineyard management, Susan Tinker, dean of instruction, said.
Viticulture classes to be offered this fall include general soils and introduction to plant growth, which will be taught on the Ontario campus, and introduction to the wine industry, offered at the Caldwell campus.
The two-year Associate of Applied Science viticulture degree is designed to prepare students for jobs in the table and wine grape industry. In his document proposing the program, Roger Findley, chair of the agriculture department, said college officials worked with table and wine grape producers from the Snake River Valley American Viticulture Area, designated by the Alcohol, Tobacco, Tax and Trade Bureau. They found that acreage devoted to grape production had doubled from 2000 to 2005, and the number of wineries in the region had increased from 10 to 19. At present, no community college or university in the region offers courses specific to viticulture, Findley said.
The structural fire science program will prepare graduates to work as urban firefighters, emergency medical technicians or as fire inspectors. Representatives of the Treasure Valley Training Officer Association approached TVCC to request the program and have been involved in the development.
With the GIS training, students will learn to use the technology in such fields as agriculture, natural resources, geography and in construction and heavy equipment.
Classes for those programs will be announced.
College officials were working with Nampa fire training officers, Tinker said.
“Each program is unique. Each is partnered in some way,” she said.
While none of the three degree programs are designed for four-year institutions, some courses in the program are transferable. The structural fire science courses are closely matched with Eastern Oregon University for transfer.
In the viticulture class, there may be opportunities to transfer to Oregon State University’s viticulture program or related programs at the University of Idaho and Washington State University.
