May 12, 2017
CapitalPress.com
11
Students more successful
with experiential learning
By DAN ARP
Dean, OSU College of Ag Sciences
Courtesy of BMCC
From left, Kodi Wolf, Kelsey Kane, BMCC Ag Instructor Nick Nelson, Johnathan Throop, Derrick
Murchison, Zack Meyers, Austin Kaseberg, Tanner Sandquist, Cody Johnson, John Greiner, BMCC
Ag Technician Dave Grimes and Robert Stoddard.
Get caught up with BMCC’s
Agriculture Department
There probably isn’t a
busier educational depart-
ment at Blue Mountain
Community College than the
Agriculture Department.
With two new buildings
in the works as well as new
programs and student enroll-
ment at a historical high, the
BMCC Agriculture Depart-
ment is in fast-forward, pro-
viding education with inno-
vative programs and learning
resources to students who
have choices and choose
BMCC!
Scheduled for completion
in June, the Precision Irri-
gated Agriculture Facility
next to OSU’s Experiment
Station in Hermiston, Ore.,
will provide learning labs
and classrooms with and for
the high tech world of preci-
sion agriculture.
Precision Irrigated Ag
teaches students how to be
good stewards of our pre-
cious water resource.
They will learn how
to use variable rate con-
trollers to deliver water
where needed and when
needed.
Unmanned aerial vehicles
can be used to scout fields to
determine crop water needs.
Infrared photography can
tell of plant stresses that
need to be addressed.
Soil mapping aids in
knowing how much water
can be stored in the soil and
how much will infiltrate
and at what rate.
And, of course, pivots are
now able to be managed re-
motely.
Utilizing this technology
requires some training!
“It’s all hands-on, hands-
in learning at BMCC,” as
Crops faculty member Pres-
ton Winn says all the time.
Learning is relevant, fun and
high energy at Blue Moun-
tain Community College.
CORVALLIS, Ore. — Na-
tional studies have shown that
students who are engaged in
experiential learning are more
successful in college and be-
yond.
Employers are taking note.
A recent study by the Associa-
tion of American Colleges and
Universities found that four in
five employers want colleges
to place more emphasis on in-
ternships or field projects that
teach students to apply knowl-
edge and skills in real-world
settings.
Experiential learning is a
priority for student success
here at Oregon State Univer-
sity’s College of Agricultural
Sciences. We offer each student
the opportunity to participate in
research, internships, service
learning, global experiences
and leadership development in
real-world settings.
Student success is a hall-
mark of our college, which is
ranked in the top 15 agricul-
tural sciences programs in the
world.
Lynn Ketchum/Oregon State University
Student success at OSU’s College of Agricultural Sciences is
supported by $500,000 in student scholarships each year. Part
of those funds support internships, such as watershed research
conducted by OSU students in eastern Oregon.
To support student success,
we offer every student the op-
portunity for experiential learn-
ing. We ensure quality learning
experiences through effective
design of outcomes, reflection,
and assessment of benefits that
follow after graduation. Expe-
riential learning is integrated
into all core curricula at the
college.
At OSU’s College of Ag-
ricultural Sciences, we offer
learning experiences to inspire
students to become leaders, to
solve society’s most pressing
challenges, and to create new
opportunities for the future.
OXARC Welding Schools offer latest technology
Classes at OXARC Weld-
ing Schools start every Mon-
day at two locations, in Spo-
kane and Pasco, Wash.
Investing in education is
a serious decision. When you
explore training options that
may increase your salary lev-
el and employment potential
you are, in effect, investing in
yourself. At OXARC, we en-
courage a student population
of responsible adults because
we know that they are the best
learners. When personal suc-
cess is the end product of the
training process, it virtually
guarantees the success of any
academic program.
At OXARC, we concen-
trate on job-specific training.
Our welder training program
is based on industry needs. As
industry makes changes and
new technologies are devel-
oped, the welder training pro-
gram at OXARC will be up-
dated to keep pace with these
changes. Our goal is to pro-
vide quality training in key
skill areas in the most prac-
tical, justifiable timeframe.
We will concentrate on mak-
ing your welding experience
meaningful and enjoyable.
Our welding courses are
for the self-motivated adult
who recognizes the need to
keep ahead of the job market.
By keeping up with the weld-
ing standards in the industry,
you will experience career
satisfaction and enjoy the
economic and social rewards
of a position ideally suited to
your interests and abilities.
Experience-Based
edu-
cation at OXARC offers all
training sessions in a stand-up
lecture basis with an empha-
sis on hands-on experience
learning. This methodology
ensures that students receive
the technical industry termi-
nology and standards while
learning hands-on skills.
We believe that all students
Tips for getting into the college of your choice
You will increase your
chances of getting into the
colleges of your choice by fol-
lowing these tips:
• Get the best possible
grades you can during all four
years of high school.
• Take academically rig-
orous classes all four years.
You should carry as many
challenging courses as you
can handle — college prep,
Advanced Placement (AP),
honors and International Bac-
calaureate.
• Practice taking the SAT
or ACT. Become familiar with
the types of material covered
and the test directions.
• Try taking both the SAT
and ACT. Colleges will accept
either test. You may do better
on one test than the other.
• Take SAT Subject Tests
and AP Tests. Competitive col-
leges may require you to take
some of these exams and they
take note of exam results.
• Spend sufficient time de-
veloping your college essays.
Think and reflect before you
write. Write, edit, rewrite.
This is your opportunity to
sell yourself. Convey who you
are in your writing: energetic,
exciting, passionate and in-
tellectually curious. How can
you make the real “you” stand
out from the rest of the crowd?
Get feedback on the essays
from your teachers and/or oth-
er school personnel.
• Become involved in
your school and/or commu-
nity during all four years and
summer vacations. You need
to keep track of your involve-
ment in extracurricular and
co-curricular activities, sports,
and/or volunteer activities in
your community. Move up to
leadership positions. Demon-
strate growth. Develop a deep
interest or talent in one or
more areas.
• Ask your school counsel-
or and teachers who know you
well for recommendations. At
least a month in advance of
college deadlines for recom-
mendations, jog their memo-
ries by providing them with
a “personal data” or “brag
sheet” highlighting your ac-
ademic
accomplishments,
athletics, activities and com-
munity service and leadership
positions. Also, highlight any-
thing special you did during
the summer (for example,
foreign travel to improve lan-
guage skills, volunteer work,
projects).
ble through a combination of
qualified, experienced staff;
well-organized curricula and
contemporary
equipment,
which reflect current industry
standards.
In keeping with its mission
and purpose, OXARC strives
to:
1) Educate and train stu-
dents with the current weld-
ing equipment found in to-
day’s environment;
2) Assist students in devel-
oping their technical skills to
meet industry standards;
3) Provide students with
the most skilled and experi-
enced staff available who are
devoted to the personal and
career development of every
student.
Training Courses
OXARC offers multi-
ple welding classes at three
different levels and weld-
ing processes (Stick, Dual
Shield/Inner Shield, Mig or
Tig). Courses are designed
around the most common
industry standards: AWS,
ASME, API 1104, WABO
Welding Certifications upon
completion. For more info
call 509-535-7794 or visit
“Welding Schools” online at
www.oxarc.com.
Welding School
www.oxarc.com
Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced
“We teach you welding.”
Basic welding
to application and process
specific classes.
Stainless & Aluminum to
Steel and Exotic Metals.
STICK, WIRE, TIG WELDING
OUT-OF-POSITION WELDING
PLASMA CUTTING
PIPELINE WELDING
Classes Begin Every Monday
INDUSTRY STANDARD CERTIFICATIONS AVAILABLE
Welding Safety & Equipment Setup Training
716 S. Oregon, Pasco, WA
Call: 509-547-2494
4003 E. Broadway, Spokane, WA
Call: 509-535-7794
AgEd17-1/#6
AgEd17-7/#6
California Career Research Center
should have the opportunity
to develop the fundamental
and technical skills that will
enable them to secure and re-
tain productive and rewarding
career positions in the weld-
ing industry. OXARC is com-
mitted to providing welding
courses that deliver the max-
imum amount of training in
the minimum amount of time,
with safety and quality as our
goal.
The dedication to the
overall success of each stu-
dent forces OXARC to con-
tinually strive to maintain its
reputation of delivering the
highest quality training possi-
AgEd17-7/#5