Two new distance-degree programs in professional agriculture are being offered through a joint effort between Iowa State and Kirkwood Community College. Non-traditional students in the Cedar Rapids area can earn a bachelor’s degree or master’s degree in the field at Kirkwood. ISU professors will teach the agricultural classes using the Iowa Communications Network (ICN), the Internet and videotapes. Richard Carter, professor of agricultural education and studies, said the agriculture department is trying to help nontraditional students get their degrees in a more organized manner. In the past, he said, these students have had a limited class selection. Carter said ISU students would receive priority scheduling at Kirkwood for the agriculture classes. One ICN classroom will be available each semester for the next five years. He said the classes are organized to help students get their degrees faster. “If we can get a group of students interested in pursuing those degrees, then we can provide more structure to the program, and we can have a particular schedule of class offerings,” he said. “From the students’ standpoint, that helps them as well as it does us. It’s a win-win situation.” A unique addition to the Kirkwood programs is the cohort group, which brings students together who want to complete their degrees, Carter said. “Our goal is to create a learning community for off-campus students in the Cedar Rapids area,” he said. Helen Olson, ISU academic adviser in agricultural education and studies, will advise students enrolled in the bachelor’s program. Olson said she thinks the cohort aspect will benefit students. She said in the past, many of the ICN classes have had only one student at a particular class location. “If they’re sitting in a classroom by themselves, it’s sort of hard to get into it,” she said. The cohort meetings are scheduled to begin Sept. 5 for the bachelor of science group and Sept. 18 for the master of science group. The meetings will be held at Kirkwood in Cedar Rapids, which is 108 miles east of Ames. Olson said financial assistance is available for qualifying students. Iowa State will offer an off-campus professional agriculture scholarship tuition grant specifically for these programs. Jerry Bolton, dean of the agriculture department at Kirkwood, said he is excited and pleased to be working with Iowa State on this endeavor. “I think it’s a wonderful opportunity for students, who are place-bound by family or job, who want to get a degree from Iowa State,” he said. Bolton said that in the past, it has been very difficult for off-campus students in eastern Iowa to get to Ames. He said he is hopeful that in the future Iowa State will offer degree programs through all 15 of Iowa’s community colleges. Carter said if the interest is sufficient in the Kirkwood programs, they hope to offer the professional agricultural degree programs in Fort Dodge and Carroll.