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Unique partnership means more hands-on experiences for ag studentsUnique partnership means more hands-on experiences for ag students

The ability to offer students more hands-on opportunities has led to a strengthened partnership between NCTA in Curtis, Neb., and UNL CASNR in Lincoln.

Don McCabe, Nebraska Farmer Editor

February 3, 2025

4 Min Read
Summer ranch crew students load calves going to pasture at Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture in Curtis, Neb.
HANDS ON: Summer ranch crew students load calves going to pasture at the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture in Curtis, Neb. NCTA and the University of Nebraska College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources in Lincoln are forging a more steadfast partnership to the benefit of ag students on both campuses. Curt Arens

A stronger link between the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture in Curtis, Neb., and the University of Nebraska College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources in Lincoln will benefit students at both locations. And it should help bolster efforts to fill the growing demand for jobs in technical and digital agriculture.

NCTA began in the 1960s as a unique two-year ag school that graduates students with degrees in hands-on courses such as welding, veterinary technology, ag mechanics, agribusiness, equine management and precision ag technology. Many students return to the farm or ranch after graduating from NCTA, but 10% to 20% go on to CASNR to obtain four-year degrees.

CASNR in Lincoln graduates hundreds of students each year with four-year degrees and advanced degrees in a wide variety of ag programs. In fall 2024, CASNR had a total enrollment of more than 3,000 students. That includes 640 first-time freshmen and transfer students, making it the second-largest incoming class in CASNR history.

Perfect partners

The realignment in the works will create a seamless pathway for students pursuing high-demand ag careers, says Mike Boehm, UNL vice chancellor of the UNL Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

The gist of this change? “Students at Curtis will have the opportunity to dual-enroll in CASNR, gaining access to advanced coursework and pathways into four-year degree programs or specialized certificates,” Boehm says. “Every NCTA credit will transfer.”

Related:More than just a successful harvest field day

On the flip side, students in Lincoln at CASNR will benefit by gaining skills through coursework and hands-on learning at NCTA. They will have the option to earn associate degrees or certificates while working toward their bachelor’s degrees. Boehm offers a couple of examples: a biological engineering student in Lincoln who takes a welding course at NCTA, or a pre-vet major taking veterinarian technology at NCTA.

Although he leads an institution producing four-year degrees, Boehm has always stressed the need for hands-on practical and technical agriculture experience, something he says is lacking in many of today’s bachelor’s degree students. “This demand exists at the same time that Nebraska has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the nation,” he says.

This restructuring will begin in the fall semester, but more details need to be fleshed out. As this was written, listening sessions were being planned to gather input.

One detail is the future leader of NCTA. Larry Gossen has been the dean since 2020 but plans to retire soon. Since the realignment means closer ties with UNL, it’s possible the person who leads NCTA could have the title of associate dean or the dean of technical agriculture reporting to CASNR.

Related:Adopting innovative digital ag tools

“Curtis needs a leader at the campus, but that leader should have a stronger connection to the UNL campus,” Boehm says. “This is one decision we will consider.”

One challenge is the cyclical nature of enrollment at NCTA, which is about 180 to 280 students annually, but the restructuring could improve those numbers due to the dual-enrollment proposal. Boehm says NCTA has the capacity to take more students.

Gossen made improvements

During his tenure at NCTA, Gossen is credited with improving the facilities at the Curtis campus, using both federal, state and private funding.

Curt Arens - Larry Gossen

Gossen addressed deferred maintenance projects, including repairs of steam tunnels, roads, roofs and building exteriors. He led partnerships with CASNR to enhance workforce development and expand continuing education opportunities for Nebraska’s meat processors, Boehm says.

Gossen also helped secure a $644,489 grant from the USDA to develop a targeted curriculum for Nebraska meat-processing industry employees.

In addition, he aided in securing a $6 million gift from Barbara and Wally Weitz to renovate NCTA’s historic “barn” into a student success and activity center.

Learn more at ncta.unl.edu.

Boehm retiring as IANR vice chancellor

After almost a decade, Boehm is stepping down in the dual role as the University of Nebraska’s Harlan vice chancellor for the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources and vice president for agriculture and natural resources.

UNL-Mike Boehm

Boehm will continue in these roles through the spring semester before returning to a faculty role in the Department of Plant Pathology. Tiffany Heng-Moss, dean of CASNR, will serve as the interim leader of the IANR starting June 1.

Learn more at casnr.unl.edu.

About the Author

Don McCabe

Nebraska Farmer Editor

Growing up on a farm near Newcastle, Neb., Don McCabe was always interested in agriculture. After a four-year stint in the U.S. Navy, he earned his journalism degree from the University of Nebraska. He joined the staff at Nebraska Farmer in 1977, first as a writer and eventually serving for many years as the publication's editor. McCabe is now retired in Lincoln, but still contributes regularly to Nebraska Farmer as a freelance writer. 

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