Agriculture and Development
Regarding Professor [Leland S.] Shapiro’s letter (Feb. 21, Valley Edition) concerning the proposed developments at Pierce College: The humane care of laboratory animals and livestock is the responsibility of the Agriculture Department, not the developer. The developer will design and construct the new agriculture facilities in keeping with the department’s specifications. The facilities will be designed from the ground up, specifically for the animals used in the current curriculum, with adequate space, ventilation, sanitation and safety, rather than the conditions that exist in our 50-year-old facilities, which were not intended for their current use.
JAMES RIKEL
Professor of Life Sciences
Pierce College
*
I have been involved with the Pierce College land proposal since the beginning of the process several months ago. As part of the proposal, the developer, Qvale / Colbert, will contribute some $3 million to $4 million to build a new, state-of-the art animal science facility. This includes new classrooms, laboratories, stalls for horses, kennels for dogs, an indoor arena, an outdoor arena and faculty offices.
These will be college facilities and will be owned and managed by the college. The department responsible for managing them will be the Agriculture Department, and specifically those programs within the animal science area, especially the Veterinary Science program.
The college stands to gain a state-of-the art teaching and laboratory facility. The students will benefit from this state-of-the-art facility by gaining the type of skills that will make them more marketable in the agricultural industry.
This development proposal has been voted on and passed at all levels at Pierce College.
This proposal is the chance that all educators hope will happen during their careers, a chance to plan and develop a new facility to improve their educational programs so that their students will have a competitive edge in the job market.
Pierce College’s main priority is the students, and this proposal is a great opportunity for them.
DAVID BRAUN
Chair, Business Administration
Pierce College
Woodland Hills
