Horticulture Program History

1970

• Leased the greenhouse facilities at Naperville Central High School to start the new program with 25 students enrolled.

1970

• Horticulture Advisory Committee is established, comprised of the most prominent leaders of the local community, representing a cross-section of occupational areas within the field of ornamental horticulture, providing a continuous check and review of the program.

1970

• Biology Instructor James E. Love is appointed as acting coordinator for the College of DuPage program in ornamental horticulture.

1971

• Construction of the first 1,600 square-foot greenhouse begins on campus.

1974

• Construction begins on another new 3,840 square-foot greenhouse on campus west of the N-4 and N-5 buildings.

1975

• Robert Huntley hired as the new horticulture instructor and coordinator of the department.

1975

• A new horticulture club is formed with 33 members.

1976

• Another new 1,300 square-foot greenhouse is constructed on the west side of campus behind the bookstore, along with plans for a 10-acre tree nursery.

1977

• Steve Raczak is hired as a full-time horticulture instructor.

1978

• The first plant shop, Leaves for Less, opens in a converted greenhouse.

1979

• The program includes 150 to 200 enrolled students.

1980–81

• Steve Raczak named coordinator of the Horticulture Department. Scott Gonderzik named new greenhouse supervisor.

1980–81

• Most daytime students in the program training for a career, while the majority of nighttime students are older and taking classes for personal interests.

1984

• Plans for a new horticulture facility comprised of the old Courier barn, the maintenance building and grounds storage building were proposed but later were abandoned due to bids coming in at 43 percent over budget for construction.

1985

• New plans for the ornamental horticulture facility are approved by the board which was located on the west campus surrounded by buildings J,K, L and M. The west end of the K Building was linked by a corridor to the 12,000 square-foot greenhouse structure made of glass. The southern corridor of the K Building was also remodeled to hold offices, classrooms, labs and horticulture workshops. This included four acres of outdoor lab area 1986 Julia Fitzpatrick-Cooper hired as full-time faculty and coordinator. Elizabeth Britt hired on as greenhouse manager and Jae Granrath, who was a student worker, continues on as a full-time staff employee. 1987 Judy (Schall) Burgholzer starts teaching part-time in the summer.

1990

• Judy (Schall) Burgholzer hired as full-time instructor in Ornamental Horticulture.

1990

• The Plant Shop is an important tool in educating students in the field of ornamental horticulture, which provides students with hands-on training in production and management of a business.

1992

The Ornamental Horticulture program grows to be one of the largest programs in the state of Illinois with Landscaping and Floral components continuing to be strong. Greenhouse management component appears to be growing.

1992

• During the 1990s, new 190 Special Topic courses offered in Gardening Basics, Flowers and Hearts, Computer Applications in Horticulture, Alternatives in Pest Management, Beyond Tulips and Petunias, Ornamental Grasses, Applied Horticulture Calculations, Floral Marketing, Horticulture Therapy and Horticulture Spanish.
  

1994

• In September, Judy Burgholzer takes over the duties as coordinator of the Ornamental Horticulture program.

1996

• As fall semester begins, faculty and staff have email capacity as well as their own fax machine in the Horticulture Department.

Dec. 5, 1997

• Ornamental Horticulture hosts 25th Anniversary Open House with speakers, exhibits, employer booths and alumni reception.

Feb. 1999

• The first Ornamental Horticulture Career Fair is held.

1999

• The department offers 29 classes in horticulture.

1990s

• Three Ornamental Horticulture students participate in the Walt Disney World Internship Program: Heather McDonald (1994), Amy Budzikowski (1998) and Julie Krzeminski (1999).

Spring 2000

• Ornamental Horticulture employs two full-time faculty teaching seven sections and eight part-time faculty teaching 12 sections of Ornamental Horticulture classes.

April 2000

• The Ornamental Horticulture program has more young students enter from out of high school. The male/female ratio was 28.2 percent male and 71.8 percent female for degree candidates and 38 percent male and 62 percent female for certificate candidates.

May 2002

• College of DuPage decides to convert from the quarter system to semesters and implement the change by Fall 2005.

Oct. 2004

• Plans begin to renovate the entire COD campus, including the new Technical Education Center, which is located west of Lambert Road to house many programs including Ornamental Horticulture.

2006

• The Student Plant Shop is renamed Plants Plus in the spring.

2006

• The first Vocational Skills Horticulture Skills classes in the fall provide training for disabled young adults from several school districts in horticulture techniques to help prepare them for possible employment.

2007

• The program is renamed as the Horticulture program in fall to more closely resemble the nomenclature used by both two- and four-year schools in the state and nationwide.

April 2008

• The Horticulture program celebrates their 35th anniversary by hosting an Open House in the K Building on west campus. Four free presentations and tours were available to guests.

2009

• The newly constructed Technical Education Center opens and includes a 12,000 square-foot greenhouse, which provides a hands-on laboratory for Horticulture students. The COD Plants Plus shop in TEC 0024 opened.

2009

• Landscape Design I students participate in the initial development of a Master Plan for the new Horticulture Landscape Lab in the fall, under the guidance of Laverne Bohlin, part-time faculty.

2010

• The program includes two full-time faculty, two full-time staff and 15 part-time faculty. The number of full-time faculty has not changed since 1990.

2011

• Eleven students from COD’s Horticulture program attend their first-ever PLANET Student Career Days hosted by Joliet Junior College.

2012

• Amy Hull is hired on as full-time greenhouse supervisor following retirement of Elizabeth Britt and Jae Granrath.

2013

• Marty Bartz is hired on as full-time lab assistant in March of 2013.

2013

• Don Orton, part-time faculty teaching both insects and disease classes, retires after 41 years, becoming the individual with the most years of involvement in our program. Horticulture Club returns after being inactive for many years.

2014

• Brian Clement is hired as a full-time faculty member in Horticulture following retirement of Julia Fitzpatrick-Cooper.

2015

• The Horticulture program at COD is accredited through the National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP) becoming one of only three Horticulture programs in the state to hold a national accreditation.

2016

• Fifteen new classes, two new degree tracks and two new certificates are added in the fall. Construction of new $300,000 Sustainable Urban Agriculture Lab begins in Fall 2016 that includes an 18’ x 20’ storage shed with a green roof for department equipment.

2016

• The Horticulture Department offers its first online class, Introduction to Horticulture. Programs of study are developed with Addison Trail, Metea Valley, Naperville Central, Naperville North and Nequa Valley high schools that were offering dual credit.

2017–18

• Judy (Schall) Burgholzer retires in December 2017. Frank Balestri is hired in Fall 2018 as full-time faculty member in Horticulture. Brian Clement takes over as Horticulture Department Chair.

2020

• The Power Equipment and Technology program was accredited through the Engine and Equipment Training Council (EETC).

2020

• The Landscape Contracting and Management Program at College of DuPage is approved through the National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP) as a provider for the National Apprenticeship Program.

2021

• College of DuPage launches an Apprenticeship program in conjunction with the Illinois Landscape Contractors Association and COD Project Hire-Ed.

2021

• A new agreement with the DuPage County Jail (JUST DuPage) in the fall provides inmates training, education and the opportunity to receive college credit.

2022

• The Horticulture Club at College of DuPage continues to grow holding meetings, guest speakers and events each month. Since 2021, more than 135 Horticulture students have participated in some Horticulture Club event.

2022

• 24 students to competed in the 47th annual NALP National Collegiate Landscape Competition in March 2023 at Mississippi State University. This is the department’s 12th competition.