Mid State Board approves two 24-credit agriculture technical diplomas

Mid State Technical College’s Board of Directors on Monday approved two revised agriculture-focused technical diplomas, converting each from a 27-credit embedded credential into a standalone 24-credit technical diploma.

Doctor Chris, who presented the proposals, said advisory committees recommended reducing credits and adding targeted coursework — for agronomy, irrigation and an ag diesel course; for farm operations, more ag automation (circuits, hydraulics, pneumatics, robotics/drones) and ag mechanics — while preserving federal student aid eligibility. Doctor Chris moved to approve the Agronomy Technician technical diploma; the motion was seconded and approved by roll call. The Board then voted to approve the Farm Operations technical diploma.

The college stated the change is procedural: it requires notifying the system office to “unembed” the programs so they operate as standalone technical diplomas. Doctor Chris said the revised diplomas will remain financial-aid eligible and are intended to create shorter, more industry-aligned pathways based on employer feedback.

Roll-call responses were recorded by Angie during each vote; names were read aloud and recorded as in the meeting transcript. The roll calls for the agronomy and farm operations approvals showed affirmative responses from the members listed during the vote. No member voiced opposition during the recorded roll-call tallies.

Next steps: the college will coordinate with the system office to finalize curriculum details and submit the unembedding request for state approval or notification as required. The Board will review implementation and curricular specifics as they are finalized.