November Video Communiqué Available Online and on DVD

The Video Communiqué is available for your viewing online at this link: http://clickvideo.ag.ohio-state.edu/communique_1108/1108.html. DVDs are also being mailed to every county in the weekly mail packets to arrive on November 24.

Dining with Diabetes - A Signature Program

Cindy Oliveri
Leader, Dining with Diabetes Signature Program Team

Diabetes is the fifth-leading cause of death in Ohio and the number one cause of adult blindness, amputations, and kidney failure. More than $130 billion is spent annually on diabetes care and management. Dining with Diabetes helps individuals with diabetes (and their families) learn ways to manage their disease - and uses an informal classroom setting to help participants learn from each other. It includes a three-month follow-up reunion after the class. Dining with Diabetes was first offered by OSU Extension in 2003. It is now offered in 70 counties with about 2,000 Ohioans taking the classes each year. The OSU Extension Diabetes Education team works with the Ohio Department of Health and other health education partners. A summary about Dining with Diabetes is attached.

Pulse Survey - A Summary

We will continue to seek your input, suggestions and opinions through the monthly Pulse Survey. Every employee will have the opportunity to respond twice each year, once every six months, to the Zoomerang survey which is sent via e-mail. If you have not had the opportunity to participate in the Pulse Survey at least once this year, please contact Debby Lewis (lewis.205@osu.edu); she will make sure your name is on the mailing list.

By compiling responses received in a recent survey, we found that your peers and colleagues shared the following opinions:

*Mean scores could indicate strong agreement … 

• A wide range of technology should be used in local Extension delivery. (mean score of 8.24)

*Mean scores could indicate agreement …

• OSU Extension’s clientele base is changing. (mean score of 7.50)
• Extension benefits from having faculty positions in the field. (mean score of 7.49)
• OSU Extension needs a diverse workforce. (mean score of 7.11)
• I am experiencing a significant amount of work-related stress. (mean score of 6.30)
• OSU Extension is regarded by others as an organization that brings people together to address emerging statewide issues. (mean score of 6.0)
• There is a lack of Extension outreach into urban areas. (mean score of 5.89)

*Mean scores in the middle of the scale between agreement and disagreement …

• The most important needs of Ohio citizens are not addressed by Extension programming.
  (mean score of 5.0)

*Using a scale of 1 (strongly disagree) to 10 (strongly agree)

Although the mean scores above provide insight, we also saw a great deal of difference among individual responses. To see the complete range of scores to these questions, click on the following link: http://www.zoomerang.com/Shared/SharedResultsSurveyResultsPage.aspx?ID=L23JXQF2WF85

At the site, you will also see the responses to the three questions we continue to ask each month: 1) OSU Extension is heading in the right direction; 2) I am committed to OSU Extension; and 3) I receive adequate support in completing my job responsibilities. These three questions are repeated monthly, and compiled each six months.

Extension Annual Conference - Early Registration Due November 24

Registration for the Extension Annual Conference, Now Is Our Time, is now open! The conference will be held on December 17-18 at the Ramada Plaza Hotel and Conference Center in Columbus. Early-bird registration is available until Monday, November 24, with the final deadline for registration on Friday, December 5. Visit http://extensionhr.osu.edu/ac2008.htm for the schedule and registration link.

A block of rooms is being held with a special conference rate of $79 plus tax at the Ramada. Please call 614-846-0300 by November 24 and mention the OSU Extension Annual Conference when making your reservation. If you have questions about your registration, please contact Terri Gustafson (gustafson.29@osu.edu). We look forward to seeing you!

Competency Study - Developing World-Class Extension Professionals

As you know, OSU Extension released a new strategic plan in May. One of the performance goals in the plan is to “Develop and sustain world-class Extension professionals.” To meet this goal, strategy #4 is a transition to a competency-based approach to human resources. A first action step in this strategy is development of a competency model. The model developed will contain descriptions and illustrations of core competencies.

From earlier communication about this project, several of you have shared resources or ideas that have been helpful. We will need more help to successfully meet this goal!

For the first step, research is needed to develop and validate a competency model for OSU Extension. The model we develop will contain descriptions and illustrations of core competencies (basic knowledge, skills, attitudes, and observable behaviors that contribute to excellence in the workplace). The research will consist of multiple phases to review existing information and to gather input from key internal stakeholders and individuals from across the organization. There will be opportunities for a number of individuals to be involved. Graham Cochran will be conducting the research to develop a competency model for OSU Extension.

Look for information in the next few weeks about the Competency Study and the project overall. Later stages of the Competency Project will involve aligning many of our human resource functions with our competency model. If you have questions, please contact Chris Igodan (igodan.1@cfaes.osu.edu) or Graham Cochran (cochran.99@cfaes.osu.edu), project leaders.

2008 Cost Recovery Incentives/Rewards

Again this year we are rewarding great work in cost recovery. We need your help with two of the rewards programs by nominating yourself or others for these special recognitions - Creative Cost Recovery Ideas Award and Continued Excellence in Cost Recovery Award. A committee of peers will review and select the winners. Winners will be announced at Annual Conference during the awards dinner on December 17 and will also be highlighted in an issue of the Communiqué. 

1.      Creative Cost Recovery Ideas Award

• What is it? A pool of $3,000 for one-time cash awards of $300. These funds may be one-time salary supplements or deposited into an OSU Extension account for use by the recipient.
• Who is eligible? Any Extension employee (.5 FTE or greater), peer- or self-nominated.
• How to nominate? Submit a statement of 250 words or less indicating how the person’s efforts have results in:
• New and/or increased gifts and/or endowment contributions
  -from new sources or sponsors
  -finding new uses for endowment gifts received in the past
• New and/or increased cost recovery through user fees
• Creative funding partnerships resulting in increased support for Extension
• Strategy to reduce or contain costs of operation

2.      Continued Excellence in Cost Recovery Award

• What is it? A pool of $3,000 for one-time cash awards of $500. These funds may be one-time salary supplements or deposited into an OSU Extension account for use by the recipient.
• Who is eligible? Any Extension employee (.5 FTE or greater), peer- or self-nominated.
• How to nominate? Submit a statement of 250 words or less indicating how the person’s efforts have resulted in:
• Being a model early adopter of cost recovery through grants, contracts, gifts, user fees or securing donations toward programs of significant value
• Developing partnerships for programming that continue to assist in the financial support of the program
• Implementing model cost recovery programs for 3 or more years
• Hints and aids to prepare submission materials:
• Use the attached Continued Excellence in Cost Recovery Summary form (Excel spreadsheet) to list the grants, gifts, and contracts you wish to include. Submit the form with your brief narrative.
• Include contracts with start dates between November 1, 2007 and October 31, 2008.
• List a grant or contract received for multiple years such as 2004-2008. Show the range of the amounts during those years from smallest to largest such as $12,345-$23,000. Show the total received to date (i.e. $65,050). See the attached spreadsheet for an example. List other grants, gifts, and contracts that reflect ongoing success in obtaining external funding over the past five years.
• A particular grant, gift, or contract may be listed once by one person.

If you have any questions in preparing your nomination, call Jackie LaMuth (614-292-6470).

All nominations are due by December 2. Nominations should be submitted electronically as a Word document to Micki Daniels (daniels.14@osu.edu). Nominations must include the following:

• Type of Award  (Creative Cost Recovery Ideas Award or Continued Excellence in Cost Recovery Award)
• Pre-Statement Information:
• Project/Program Title
• Funding Source - agency or foundation or individual
• Type of Funding - gift, grant, fees
• Years
• Funding Amount
• Statement of 250 words or less (statements over 250 words will be eliminated!)
• Table showing cost recovery funds generated

Contact Ken Martin at martin.1540@osu.edu if you have questions. Don’t miss out on these reward opportunities - submit your nominations!

OSU Distinguished Service Awards

Dear Colleagues:

We are now seeking nominations for the 2009 Distinguished Service Awards to honor individuals who have rendered exceptional service to the University. We welcome your nominations of any person you deem worthy of this honor and encourage you to seek input from your faculty and staff in identifying individuals for recognition. We hope that this year’s nominations will include a diverse group of candidates with different strengths and backgrounds.

Please note that all nominations and letters of recommendation must include specific examples of accomplishments and activities that reflect distinguished service to Ohio State, as well as endorsement of the senior administrator of the nominating unit. Insufficiently prepared nominations may be returned and thus not considered for the 2009 award.

Visit this Web site for complete information about nomination requirements, award guidelines and a printable nomination form: www.osu.edu/facultystaff/university_awards/dist_service. After review of nominations by the Executive Committee, recommendations for the 2009 Distinguished Service Awards will be presented to the Board of Trustees for approval. The awards will be presented at four commencement ceremonies beginning with Spring Quarter 2009.

Please submit nominations for the Distinguished Service Awards to the Office of University Development, 1480 W Lane Ave, attention Peter Weiler, by December 15. All nominations are considered for three years; therefore, nominations previously submitted need not be resubmitted. However, an update of information already provided will be accepted.

Recognizing significant service to Ohio State through the Distinguished Service Awards is one of our University’s greatest honors and finest traditions. Thank you in advance for your enthusiastic support.

Sincerely, E. Gordon Gee - President

Ohio State Award for Outreach and Engagement - Nominations Due

Nominations are invited for the outstanding outreach and engagement projects for recognition at the 2009 James F. Patterson Land-Grant University Lecture. Two of these projects will be submitted by President Gee for regional recognition through the Outreach Scholarship W. K. Kellogg Foundation Engagement Award. Five regional winners will be selected; they will then compete for NASULGC's C. Peter Magrath Community Engagement Award. The regional winners are expected to receive $9,000 each, and the national winner will receive an additional $20,000.

To apply, submit a 500-word abstract that summarizes the engagement partnership. The application also requires two or three impact statements that summarize what was accomplished. These statements need to answer the question “What difference did this project make?” and describe how the findings will be used. Go to http://outreach.osu.edu/oe_awards.php and click on “link to nomination form” to submit your abstract online by Friday, December 19. Applicants are encouraged to include photos that help tell the story in their abstract. All types of outreach and engagement partnerships are eligible for this award - including ones that may be championed by individual faculty members and those that require multi-college commitments.

Submitted abstracts will be:

• reviewed by leadership within the university
• recognized at the April 24 James F. Patterson Land-Grant University Lecture
• showcased in news stories throughout the year
• featured on Web pages

Ohio State’s two nominees for this award will be determined by mid-January, and the nominees will need to submit their application for the regional award by March 2, 2009. Ohio State received the North Central Region award in 2007 and 2008. Please see http://outreach.osu.edu/oe_awards2008.php for information on last year's award nominees.

National Outreach Scholarship Conference Call for Proposals

The National Outreach Scholarship Conference on Pathways of Engagement: Connecting Civic Purpose to Learning and Research - Locally and Globally will be held at the University of Georgia on September 28-29, 2009.

All proposals must be submitted online and are due by February 25, 2009. To submit a proposal, go to www.uwex.edu/ics/nosc2009.The submission system is user-friendly and allows for multiple co-presenter information. Successful applicants will be notified via e-mail by April 15, 2009.

Presentation Options: Oral presentations will be 45 minutes; 30-minute presentations with a 15-minute moderated participant discussion. Panel sessions: Some proposals may be grouped together with two other presentations around a central theme. In this case, each of the three presenters will have 10 minutes to present the central theme of their topic, and 15 minutes will be left at the end for a moderated participant discussion.

Posters will be continuously on display. To encourage networking and discussion about the displays, multiple sessions will be scheduled at which the presenters will be expected to be at their posters.

Conference attendees will discuss the scholarship of outreach and engagement with colleagues from around the country. The focus in 2009 will be on:

• The Institution: Providing Institutional Support and Incentives for Doing the Scholarship of Outreach and Engagement
• The Community: Building Strong Relationships between Communities and Universities: Access, Reciprocity, and Sustainability
• The Faculty: Doing the Scholarship of Outreach and Engagement: Evidence-Based Practices, and the Impact on Faculty Members from Interconnecting their Research, Teaching, and Outreach and Engagement Roles
• The Student: Contributing to Outreach and Engagement: Evidence-Based Practices and the Impact on Students from Connecting Student Learning to Work in Communities

Sponsored by the Outreach Scholarship Conference Partnership: Michigan State University; North Carolina State University; The Ohio State University; The Pennsylvania State University; Purdue University; The University of Alabama; The University of Georgia; University of Kentucky; and University of Wisconsin-Extension.

Leadership for Tomorrow Conference - Proposals due November 30

OSU Extension’s Leadership for Tomorrow Conference: Exploring New Approaches is scheduled for April 28-30, 2009. This conference will explore in-depth new approaches to leadership from Extension professionals, scholars, educators, business, law, military, and community practitioners.

Proposals are due November 30. The topics will include: Next Generation of Leadership · Changing Definitions of Leadership · New Leadership Models · Leading in Times of Change · Changing Demographics · the Future of Leadership.

For more information about the conference or to submit a proposal, please go to: http://leadershipfortomorrow.osu.edu/. The call for proposals is also attached. Sponsored by OSU Extension, the Gist Endowed Chair for Extension Education and Leadership, and Epsilon Sigma Phi - Alpha Eta Chapter (Ohio).