February 11, 2011
AMES, Iowa — Iowa State University has recently earned accreditation status with the Professional Landcare Network (PLANET).
PLANET's accreditation program is driven by the needs of the landscape industry. It provides local and national recognition for schools with Bachelor of Science and Associate of Science degree programs that meet industry needs. It is the only nationally recognized endorsement offered to colleges and universities with landscape and horticulture curricula. Twenty-seven institutions of higher learning now have programs accredited by PLANET.
The site visit team for Iowa State University granted full accreditation through 2017 to the school's landscape design, installation and management program in the Department of Horticulture. The team was led by Greg Jolley, associate teaching professor at Brigham Young University, and included Steven Cohan, professor at the University of Maryland, and Jay Long of Ruppert Landscape in Laytonsville, Md.
The nearly 3,500 member companies and affiliates of PLANET and their employees represent more than 100,000 green industry professionals. Some of these professionals have taken the extra step of becoming certified through PLANET and bear the distinction of being known as Landscape Industry Certified. Visit http://www.landcarenetwork.org for more details.
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