University News

The WIU Ag Mech Club's WIU Farm Expo is the largest student-run farm show in the U.S. More information about the annual show is available at www.wiufarmexpo.com.
[Download Print-Quality Image]

WIU students at the Ag Day event, which is held at Hanson Field during a home football game on WIU's Macomb campus.
[Download Print-Quality Image]

Win Phippen (center, purple shirt), professor in WIU's School of Ag, at an alternative crops field day event held by the School of Ag. Phippen recently received substantial funding from a USDA grant to research the alternative crop pennycress. You can learn more about Phippen's research via this video at www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwGRnyEtL-Q, as well as about the WIU School of Ag's new plant breeding minor at www.wiu.edu/ag/minors/.
[Download Print-Quality Image]

WIU School of Agriculture Annual Fall Open House Oct. 7

September 30, 2011

Share |
Printer friendly version

MACOMB, IL -- Western Illinois University's School of Agriculture will host prospective students at its Annual Fall Open House slated to start at 9 a.m. Friday, Oct. 7. At the open house, School of Ag faculty and current students will be on hand to answer questions and lead tours of the WIU-Macomb campus, University Farm and agriculture-related fraternities. A $100 scholarship will be given away to a random attendee, said Darcie Rahe (Bluffs, IL), a junior studying agriculture.

Rahe, who also serves as the School of Ag's student recruitment coordinator, noted that agriculture is a lot more than just cows, sows and plows. She said that students majoring in agriculture at WIU have many opportunities to learn — inside and outside of the classroom — about the wide-ranging ag industry.

"Students enrolled in WIU's School of Agriculture program have exceptional opportunities to learn about and experience many areas of the discipline," she added.

Those opportunities include getting hands-on experience at the School of Agriculture's farm and field facilities, including research areas in organic and alternative crops; working in the School of Ag's animal research operations; joining an agriculture-related student organization, (i.e., the Ag Mech Club, which annually hosts the largest student-run farm show in the U.S., the WIU Farm Expo, see www.wiufarmexpo.com); and more.

School of Agriculture Director William Bailey noted that this academic year (2011-2012), the School of Ag recorded its highest enrollment since 1990. He credits the increase of students studying agriculture at WIU to a vibrant employment outlook for them, strong industry support and the quality of the School of Agriculture's faculty.

"The number of students majoring in agriculture has increased 16 percent since 2007, with a six percent increase over last year," Bailey said. "Western's agriculture students often graduate with several job offers in hand. Employers recognize the quality of our students, which is underscored when non-agriculture firms seek them out."

The schedule for the WIU School of Agriculture Open House is listed below. For more information, contact the School of Ag at (309) 298-1080. You can register for the 2011 Fall Open House online, as well as view a campus map, at www.wiu.edu/ag/agopenhouse/scheduleofevents.php. Learn more about WIU's School of Agriculture at www.wiu.edu/ag and visit the School of Ag's playlist on WIU's YouTube Channel at www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL11363642B4A1B7EC.

WIU School of Agriculture Fall 2011 Open House Schedule

  • 9-10 a.m. — Registration/Student Organization Booths, WIU Livestock Center
  • 10-10:15 a.m. — Welcome by School of Agriculture Director William Bailey, WIU Livestock Center
  • 10:15-10:30 a.m. — Student Club Introductions, WIU Livestock Center
  • 10:30 a.m.-noon — Faculty Discussions (all faculty members), WIU Livestock Center
  • noon-1 p.m. — Lunch, WIU Livestock Center
  • 1-1:20 p.m. — Student Panel, WIU Livestock Center
  • 1:20-2:20 p.m. — Campus Tour, WIU-Macomb campus
  • 2:20-2:30 p.m. — Advising, Ember Keithley, academic adviser, WIU Livestock Center
  • 2:30 p.m. — Closing Remarks, WIU Livestock Center

Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
Office of University Communications & Marketing