Quality pledge on agribusiness degree

The standard of the agribusiness degree at Muresk Institute will remain high, as will the quality of education for remaining students, despite news funding was to end for the course and classes would cease in mid-2020, according to Muresk School of Agribusiness head Dr Christine Storer.

She said staff had met several times since October to plan strategies to ensure morale and quality remain high during the “teach-out” of the degree.

“The quality of face-to-face learning experiences in classrooms and laboratories and off-campus will be the same high standard that has been a feature of the degree course so far,” she said.

“Businesses that employed our first graduates have applauded the degree and keep demanding more of the same.”

Most students have undertaken several months of work placement in the summer break, including at businesses conducting research to improve agricultural production in WA.

Woodanilling’s Ulla Crossley and Jessica Herzer of Northam worked with Australian Grain Technologies in plant breeding trials.

Ms Herzer said she and the other students from Muresk had harvested trial plots using headers designed for the purpose at sites across the Wheatbelt, from Eradu in the north to Merredin and south to Gnowangerup.

It had been a great learning experience and was work she would consider after graduation, she said.

“We weren’t only involved in harvesting trail plots but got to see the effects of soil type, climate and plant breeding on yields,” Ms Herzer said.

Corrigin student Jorden Mills worked for CBH in grain quality control and has accepted a job with Rabobank while continuing to study part-time for her degree.