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Students can take U of M Animal Science classes in Caledonia in 2008-09
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By Daniel McGonigle
Argus Managing Editor
Students who are interested in animal science at Caledonia Area Schools will be able to kill “two birds with one stone.” (Pardon the pun).
A program in conjunction with the University of Minnesota will provide next year’s juniors and seniors the opportunity to take a four credit Intro to Animal Science classes through the University of Minnesota, which would provide University credit, as well as credit towards graduation.
Brad Harguth, current Ag instructor at Caledonia, will be teaching the class.
“It is a great opportunity to keep the student here in school and yet offer the opportunity for them to earn University of Minnesota credits,” he said.
The classes are limited to those students who rank in the top 50 percent of their class. Seventy-five percent of those enrolled must be enrolled for college credit. However, 25 percent of the students in the class can take the class for high-school level credit and don’t need to be among the top 50 percent of their class.
No additional cost to the student
As any of us who have student loan payments can attest, college is expensive. Not only does this program provide the student an opportunity to get four credits out of the way while still in high school, the district also covers the cost of the program.
“When you consider what four credits at the University of Minnesota costs, that is a significant savings to the students,” added Harguth.
There is a potential downside to the class. If a student enrolls and finds that it is too rigorous to keep up with, that too will show up on a college transcript.
“If the students realize after two or three weeks into it that they can’t handle the rigorous expectations they have the right to withdraw, but that will show up on their college transcript,” said Harguth.
Additional training
“I guess you could say I’ll be on the University of Minnesota teaching staff,” said Harguth. “In a small way.”
Harguth has to attend some training on teaching the class.
“Mainly to familiarize myself with how they do things at the university,” he noted.
Students will attend the class on the campus of the University of Minnesota once during the semester-long class.
There will also be different labs offered than students might be used to at Caledonia High School.
Harguth has been in preliminary discussions with the Chatfield school district which offers a similar program. There may be some cost sharing opportunities on text books which can run from $100-$120 a piece. That too is a cost carried by the district.
You can contact Daniel McGonigle at
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