Horticulture I Course Re-launched

Horticulture I was the first course we ever developed; way back in 1979; and at times over the years, annual enrolments in this course have exceeded 250 people. We have frequently revised this course; and have noticed a significant increase in interest over recent months. This has prompted us to re-launch the course in this newsletter.
Why Horticulture I? This course is a tried and proven way of developing a very solid foundation for building a business or lifetime career in horticulture. It has worked for thousands of people in the past, it can work for you.

OVER $250 EXTRA VALUE!!!
Enrol before the end of November for our Special Offer: We will supply 9 ebooks written by our staff and principal, and chosen to be particularly useful for students studying this course:
Trees & Shrubs, valued at $24.95, Plant Pests & Diseases, valued at $34.95, Tropical Plants, valued at $21.92, Growing Conifers, valued at $19.95, Fruit, Vegetables & Herbs, valued at $32.50, Climbing Plants, valued at $32.00, Growing & Knowing Annuals, valued at $32.95, Growing & Knowing Bulbs, valued at $32.95, Weeds, valued at $21.95. To read an outline for each of these ebooks, take a look at our bookshop: www.acsebook.com

For more information on the Horticulture I course, click here.

ACS Distance Education Staff Update

New Staff- Karen Cripps (PhD, MSc, BA Hons)

Karen has qualifications up to Doctorate of Philosophy level in Tourism. Her PhD examined sustainable supply chain management in tour operations. Her previous post was held in lecturing in tourism management at The University of Nottingham Business School, and she is actively involved in research and publications. Her background also includes Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), in which she is qualified to Diploma Level and has extensive professional experience.

Previous Staff- Paul Plant

Paul worked as a tutor, course writer and academic officer in the QLD office of Australia for ACS for 8 years from early 1992. Today he is the founder, publisher and editor the quarterly magazine “Sub Tropical Gardening”.

Current Staff- Barbara Seguel

Congratulations to Barbara Seguel from our Academic Staff who is relocating. Barbara will continue to work for us as a tutor.

E Book News- Landscaping with Australian Plants to be released this week
Landscaping with Australian Plants by John Mason & Staff of ACS Distance Education.
A huge ebook with around 200 pages and more than 200 stunning colour photos.
Chapters
1. History of Australian Gardens - early influences
2. Landscaping Applications
3. Functional Uses of Australian Plants
4. Growing Natives
5. Components of a Landscape
6. Native Trees
7. Shrubs
8. Flowers
9. Ground Covers & Climbers
10. Conifers & Palms
11. Ferns
$34.95 from ACS Ebookshop

We want your opinion!

We’re thinking about developing a course on Alcohol & Drug Addiction Counselling. Let us know if you would be interested in studying this. Email Denise at Denise@acs.edu.au

An Inspirational Student

Mudete Aggrey, Agronomy Course
Meudete Aggrey is one of those special students that really stands out. Yvonne Sharpe, one of our tutors, had this to say about Aggrey: "At ACS we have a huge diverse membership of students who come from all manner of backgrounds. They are all very special people, and some who have qualified with us put this to such good use it is an honour to teach them.

One of our students in very trying conditions, and in a country that is rebuilding after many years of war has done just this. We take for granted our internet connections, and in some places in the globe it is very sparse and people work alone or travel may miles to submit their work. He went out into the bush camping to teach other farmers what he had learnt. Coupled with his own background he has helped many farmers travelled many miles at his own expense relaying on his information. His special project was submitted using his travels, and how he gave his time and energy to others. It was the most moving submission that has come to me at ACS and this gentleman is a credit to his fellow countrymen and an example of how we all can share experiences and information with each other."

Yvonne was Mudete's tutor throughout the Agronomy course and wanted to share with us just what an inspirational student Mudete was. And a final word from Mudete:

"As I always say, the redesign of food production and the economic solutions in the world rests with the farmer."

Learn more about studying Agronomy here.

What's the problem with University Graduates today?

"Graduates today can often have trouble thinking on their feet and dealing with real world problems in the workplace; because they have become too used to using mobile devices to find solutions"...
This sentiment has come to us via a number of employment counsellors. We asked our community on Linkedin if they agreed; and while some disagreed, most agreed this is a problem with graduates today, and this problem did not exist a decade or two ago to the extent it does today.
The Lesson here is: Learn to Use Technology; but be careful you do not rely on it, otherwise you may not develop advanced problem solving faculties - a skill which adds value to any workplace.

AIH Awards Dinner

John Mason (Principal) attended the annual awards dinner of the Australian Institute of Horticulture in Brisbane last Friday (Oct 25).
John is seen here with other Fellows of the institute; a wonderful gathering of some of Australia’s leading horticulturists.
ACS Distance Education has had a special relationship with AIH for over 3 decades, and is a Preferred Member Training Provider. As such, ACS students who meet AIH criteria are entitled to subscribe to AIH as a Category 2 student member. To find out more about AIH, visit their website: www.aih.org.au

Flavour of the Month

Below are the two most viewed course pages on our Australian and UK websites over the past month - an interesting indication of where interest lies at the moment around the globe.
EVENT MANAGEMENT -in Australia
COUNSELLING TECHNIQUES –In the UK