ALEC

URBANA, Ill. – Think back over the last 24 months. If you’ve participated in any kind of professional training or development programs, chances are good the pandemic affected the way that program was presented or delivered to you.

As a participant in one of those programs, how did it go?

Students in one University of Illinois course are learning a valuable leadership lesson, especially in the COVID, virtual-work era—how to develop and conduct effective training programs.

URBANA, Ill. – Seven new faculty members joined the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) at the University of Illinois in the past year. Their expertise will add to the existing strengths in several academic departments and units, as well as University of Illinois Extension, a key part of the college.

URBANA, Ill. – Now more than ever, with an ever-evolving agriculture industry, support for global efforts in agricultural communication is needed. Journalists representing the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) from member regions across the globe are working together to make new recommendations for education, training, and professional development programs to provide that support.

URBANA, Ill. – Tami Craig Schilling, 1990 agricultural communications graduate, has loved the University of Illinois for as long as she can remember. A gift of Illini gear from her grandmother and trips to campus during high school were early influences in her choice to attend U of I.

Now, her Illini journey takes a significant step forward. As a member of the University of Illinois Board of Trustees, Craig Schilling will serve a six-year term.

URBANA, Ill. – Careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) are one of the fastest-growing areas of work in the United States, yet racial and gender disparities remain in STEM occupations.

A recent study from University of Illinois researchers examining reasons for such disparities shows the overall racial climate on a college campus—informed by experiences of racial microaggressions—is a contributing factor in the lack of representation of students of color in STEM education programs.

URBANA, Ill. – University of Illinois students and instructors are settling into a semester like none other thanks to a summer filled with preparations for online learning.

URBANA, Ill. ­–The Division of Nutritional Sciences graduate training program at the University of Illinois received a $150,000 Higher Education Challenge Grant from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture to jumpstart development of courses as part of a proposed new certificate program focused on food/ feed regulations and nutrition policy. The new program will prepare graduate students for leadership positions in industry and government.

URBANA, Ill. – The unexpected transition to online classes last school year because of COVID-19 taught students a lot about themselves. Many discovered they really like online classes, but also how much they value learning in person.

Tony Dupuis, a senior in Agricultural Education, learned about the important role educators play in easing concerns about the unknown and fostering a strong community of virtual students.

URBANA, Ill. – The College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois is proud to welcome nine faculty members who have joined since fall semester, 2019. Their expertise will add to the existing strengths in five academic units, as well as University of Illinois Extension, which is housed in the college.

URBANA, Ill. – This month, the Illinois State Board of Higher Education voted to officially approve the merger of the agricultural education and agricultural communications programs in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois. The new program, Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communications (ALEC), went into effect immediately following the decision. 

The merged program will host agricultural education, agricultural communications, and organizational and community leadership.