Robin Fruth-Dugstad
HH108
Matt Hoffman
HH107
RCTC Horticulture Instructor honored with the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Excellence in Teaching Award for 2008!
Robin Fruth-Dugstad, RCTC Horticulture Instructor, was recently honored with the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Excellence in Teaching Award for 2008. Only four faculty from all of Minnesota’s two and four year colleges are selected to receive this high honor. Robin is the second RCTC faculty member to be honored with the Minnesota State Excellence in Teaching Award.
Robin melds theory, practice, and service learning to prepare her students for the multifaceted demands of the horticulture profession. Her teaching engages students in academic study using discipline and industry-based, problem-solving activities to promote critical thinking. Robin also provides students with a sturdy, content-rich foundation for a range of horticulture careers such as environmental, retail or technical. Her faculty colleagues note that her organizational skills, and her ability to “think outside the box” as she prepares her curriculum and students for a more global 21st century, make her an exemplary teacher.
In 2001, Robin developed a service-learning based course in world horticulture, an innovative curriculum that brings students to various environments to apply horticultural theory while gaining local knowledge. In Hawaii (2001 and 2003), students had the opportunity to study its unique crop and agricultural industry; in the Amazon (2007), students learned to identify plants that local tribes use for food and medicine; in Costa Rica (2005) students toured and worked in a living ecosystem laboratory.
Robin sets high standards for herself and her students. Robin calls herself a “motivator”. She motivates her students to learn, inspires them to raise their skill levels, encourages students to ask good questions and helps them to become critical thinkers and problem-solvers. Robin also encourages lifelong learning, a commitment to the industry and an awareness to the needs of the planet.
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You can get information about our Horticulture Program by calling: 507-285-7557 or e-mail at admissions@rctc.edu