|
 The
agribusiness major will provide students with a strong foundation in
business and agriculture, along with a firm understanding of the
science behind crops, soils, animals and sustainability.
Specifically, students will learn how to navigate agriculture and
business operations, evaluate financial decisions in the agriculture
industry, make decisions about commodity markets and operate
analytical and managerial technologies.
Once they’ve completed the program, agribusiness majors will have
the business fundamentals and science background to excel in careers
spanning the wide scope of the agriculture industry, from banking
and commodities to elevator management.
Millikin’s decision to add an agribusiness major came from the sharp
increase in demand from students and the growing number of
management jobs in agriculture. RJ Podeschi, dean of the Tabor
School of Business, cited a significant increase in third-party farm
management for the surging demand for agribusiness candidates. The
Tabor School of Business also recently added Business Communication
and Cybersecurity degrees to their undergraduate programs.
Additionally, Millikin is filling a need for more agriculture
programs across Illinois. Of the 285 colleges in Illinois, only 32
schools offered agriculture programs. The major is also intended to
benefit local students interested in agribusiness. “Since the
relaunch of the agricultural program at Richland Community College
just over four years ago, enrollment has increased significantly,”
said Jess Smithers, Director of Agricultural Programs at Richland.
“We are excited to partner with Millikin to help ensure that the
talent needs of Central Illinois’ largest and most important
industry – agriculture – is sufficiently met.”
[to top of second column] |
Through a partnership with
Richland Community College, Millikin University is offering a
2+2 program agreement for students who graduate with an
associate of arts degree with an agriculture concentration from
Richland. “Richland Community College is pleased to partner with
Millikin in the development of a transfer agreement, providing
Richland agriculture students who complete the associate of arts
degree with the option to transfer seamlessly into Millikin’s
new agribusiness program,” commented Andy Hynds, Dean of Math,
Science and Business at Richland.
“I think this program is a great fit for Millikin and Tabor,”
said Podeschi. “We are seeing more students interested in
agriculture as a result of quality programming through Future
Farmers of America (FFA), and other initiatives at the middle
and high school level. Millikin’s Performance Learning approach
to education fits in with agribusiness in a very concrete way.”
Agribusiness students will also have a multitude of internship
opportunities in Decatur and around Central Illinois. With
several small grain elevators, cooperatives and agriculture
operations nearby to a large global commodity trading firm,
students will receive real-world experiences prior to
graduation. From flying drones over fields to determine crop
conditions to navigating the trading floor, the internship
opportunities are just one of exceptional aspects of Millikin’s
agribusiness program.
Millikin University’s Tabor School of Business develops students
into entrepreneurs, strategists and innovators. By engaging in
real-world business opportunities through professional
internships, student-run ventures and managing Tabor’s $500k
investment portfolio, graduates of the Tabor School of Business
have a 100% graduate success rate.
[Kendall Trump] |
