New CSU-System online university will meet current market and job demands

CSU System Board of Governors approved the creation of a new online university that will bring the University’s excellence to individuals who might not otherwise have the opportunity to enroll.

The Colorado State University System is making educational access with success a reality. The CSU System Board of Governors in August approved the creation of a new online university that will bring the University’s excellence – from CSU in Fort Collins and CSU in Pueblo – to qualified individuals who might not otherwise have the opportunity to enroll. CSU-Colorado will offer students an online learning program that will meet current market and job demands.

"The Colorado State University System is committed to its outreach mission of dramatically increasing access to a high-quality education in Colorado without the infrastructure costs of a traditional campus," said CSU System Chancellor Larry Edward Penley. "To address the Colorado paradox and substantially increase opportunities for Colorado residents, we must reach broader student populations, particularly those who are geographically isolated or fall into non-traditional categories because of family, work, and financial need."

Partners in education

To dramatically increase access to public higher education, the CSU System and the Colorado Community College System are working together to ensure that students have four-year and advanced degree options in their communities.

"The ability for the faculty from both systems to collaborate on the design and implementation of programs specifically designed to meet the unique needs of Colorado communities is a win for everyone but most importantly for the students of Colorado," said Nancy McCallin, Colorado Community College System president.

The program also will target qualified non-traditional students capable of earning an advanced degree, but do not want, or cannot afford, the traditional university experience.

Meeting needs

CSU-Colorado is timely. Demand for higher education in the state is expected to more than double in the next 20 years. Distance education will absorb much of this growth, which is expected to increase at a compounded rate of 33 percent, according to a recent study.

The program will seek independent degree-granting authority and full accreditation, enabling it to more quickly adapt curriculum to meet the changing needs of the state's employers and workforce.

CSU-Colorado expects to enroll students the second quarter of 2008 with classes beginning in the third quarter. Additional baccalaureate, master's degree, and professional development programs are scheduled to debut continuously. Courses will normally run eight weeks; high-enrollment programs eventually will begin every four weeks.

Cost effective

Similar online learning programs, such as the University of Massachusetts, have demonstrated they can generate significant cash flow and offer a significant source of funds for their systems. In addition, a recent Sloan Consortium report indicated that high-quality online programs are as effective – if not more effective – than classroom instruction.

"Today's technology and proven online teaching and learning techniques enable a new form of university extension, leveraging our current academic resources. Colorado needs such innovative solutions or we will face increasing numbers of poorly educated young people with inadequate skills," said Penley.

Colorado's agritourism market climbing

Colorado's abundant wildlife, vineyards, and vast agricultural landscapes help draw thousands of visitors to the state and have potential to anchor emerging agritourism markets, according to a recent Colorado State University study.

Hunting and fishing excursions, camping, wine tasting, wildlife viewing, food festivals, and visits to microbreweries, farms, and ranches are elements of the state's agritourism sector.

The study found that farm and ranch activities, which include camping, bird watching, wildlife viewing, fishing, and horseback riding, were the top draw (60 percent of visits in south-central Colorado; 61 percent in the mountain region). Culinary activities came in second (39 percent of Western Slope visits; 34 percent of Front Range visits). Heritage activities such as visiting farms, ranches, or museums that showcase the state’s agricultural history were third.

Counties in Colorado's Central mountain region witnessed the most agritourism visits in the state followed by the West Slope and Southwestern Colorado. A large number of Colorado's counties (45 of 64) hosted visitors.

Ag activity boost

Summer and fall had the highest agritourism visitation rates, said Dawn Thilmany, professor in CSU’s Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics and co-leader of the study with Colorado State Extension and the Colorado Department of Agriculture Market’s Division.

"In a state known for its skiing, agricultural activities have shown the potential to provide a real boost to Colorado's tourism efforts outside of the winter months," Thilmany said.

More than 20 percent of those surveyed took more than three agritourism trips each year, offering great potential for farm and ranch enterprises considering agritourism activities, the researchers said.

Tourist spending

Tourists from outside Colorado spent an average of $860 per trip and in-state tourists spent an average of $368, according to the report. Both in-state and out-of-state tourists said they would spend more during their next trip to Colorado ($450 for state residents; $1,023 for out-of-state tourists). Among the more frequent agritourism travelers, about 56 percent were Colorado residents.

"We found there is sufficient interest in agritourism in Colorado to warrant active joint planning by communities and the agritourism enterprises they support," said Thilmany. "Many regions of Colorado already see significant visitors to farm- and ranch-based diversions. Through coordinated marketing efforts, these regions can continue to capitalize on agritourism activities.”"

Access the full economic development report Of Wine and Wildlife: Assessing Market Potential for Colorado Agritourism.

New wheat variety will benefit Colorado farmers

Dr. William M. Brown (Bill) - Colorado State University Agricultural Experiment Station has named the new wheat variety in memory of Bill Brown, the late CSU plant pathologist, who devoted his career to the improvement and management of diseases of wheat and other grain crops.

A new high-yielding, stress-tolerant variety of hard, red winter wheat is going to seed in Colorado – to commercial seed producers that is. The Colorado State University Agricultural Experiment Station has released the “Bill Brown,” a new seed variety that after 10 years in development has demonstrated high yields in Colorado and shown excellent defense from both leaf and stripe rust diseases.

Named as a tribute to the late Colorado State University professor and plant pathologist, Dr. William M. Brown, the Bill Brown has shown exceptional yield under both non-irrigated and irrigated conditions, very high test weights, and good milling and baking qualities, said CSU wheat breeder Scott Haley, whose research team focuses on improving wheat varieties for Colorado's farmers.

Topping the trials

"The Bill Brown has been a top-yielder over a three-year average in the dry land trials," Haley said. "Bill Brown has also topped our irrigated trials and has the potential to be the standard for irrigated wheat growers."

In an agreement between Colorado State, the Colorado Wheat Research Foundation, and the Colorado Seed Growers Association, ownership and marketing rights of the Bill Brown will be offered to the Colorado Wheat Research Foundation.

Bill Brown may be grown and sold only as a class of certified seed by Colorado Seed Growers Association members licensed by the Colorado Wheat Research Foundation. The foundation will obtain a certificate of plant variety protection for these new varieties under the federal Plant Variety Protection Act.

Royalties paid to the foundation by certified seed growers from the sale of these varieties is returned to Colorado State to support continued wheat research and variety development.

Colorado State's wheat breeding program has established itself as a dependable developer of new, productive wheat varieties for Colorado growers. In 2007, about half of all wheat acreage in Colorado was planted with varieties developed by Colorado State.