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March 25, 2009
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The executive summary and detailed explanation are posted on the OSU Extension site via specially marked icons on the right side of the page. The PDFs linked to the icons have been updated slightly from the original copies that were distributed; some minor wording was adjusted to clarify a couple of descriptions.
The FAQs were updated twice last week. The new questions are also marked with the date they were posted, so you can tell what has been updated most recently. If you have additional questions or need clarification on something, please send a note to Cheryl Buck (buck.19@osu.edu).
As the CEDs prepare for the April 2 meeting in Columbus, please communicate your additional questions or concerns to them. On April 2, we will begin an in-depth discussion about the restructuring implementation. This will be an all-day, in-person meeting in Columbus, and specific meeting information will be sent to all CEDs. All counties should be represented at this meeting.
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We have been asked to provide information for all OSU Extension employees about best practices for working with clientele who want to advocate on behalf of restoration of OSU Extension and OARDC funding through the current state biennial budget process.
Our clientele do not work for Ohio State, so they can do whatever they want to do. However, if they use the information provided by the OARDC and Extension Advisory Committees, they are likely to be more effective advocates. Many Extension employees are unsure how to connect clientele to these resources.
First of all, Ohio State resources are not to be used for political purposes. This includes office computers, copy machines, postage, paper, etc. It also includes Ohio State employees, who are not to be engaged in any political purposes during their regular work hours. Advocating for restoration of funds in the state budget is definitely a political purpose.
However, there are ways you can be helpful to your clientele. For example, if you want to forward the e-mail from State Extension Advisory Committee to other people, the best thing to do is forward it to your personal e-mail address and distribute it from that personal address during non-working hours. An even better alternative is if you have a volunteer who can send it out to list-serves that you use for programming by "reply-all" to a previous message sent from the Extension office on a different topic. If you want paper copies of something to distribute, look for a volunteer who could provide copies as an in-kind contribution.
If you have questions about a specific case in terms of what is and is not appropriate to do, contact Gwen Wolford, director, Government Relations (wolford.1@osu.edu; 614-292-0877).
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As we moved into 2009, pulse survey participants were asked to share their insights about Extension for the new year. Suggestions received were shared with the Administrative Cabinet and task force as they worked on plans for restructuring the organization. Here are some of the responses submitted to the question, “In the year ahead (2009), OSU Extension will need to…”
- market itself in new and innovative ways. Measure its success in different or new ways, and find ways to help its staff measure impact more successfully and more meaningfully than the “traditional” methods….
- reduce operations. Based on all that is happening in the economy, it is inevitable. Several program areas can function from a regional or cluster basis …
- refocus and determine what our core efforts need to be and how to structure staff without losing county funds in the process.
- retool and be prepared to suffer staff losses…assist those being lost in finding new positions and dealing with depression, etc...
- continue to reward employees who are strong contributors…
- restructure county staffing and business operations
- improve communication between Administration and counties. Place a much stronger emphasis on involving county personnel in the decision-making process as it relates to the future of OUR organization.
- continue to be up front about the budget situations; honesty goes a long way.
- down-size and focus more on rural Ohio mission.
- make some major shifts to adapt to the current economic realities. I’m afraid that these realities will not be short-lived, but make a major change in how we do business now and into the future. The counties (like us) who dodged the bullet this year (so far) will be in line for it next year unless there are major and quick improvements in the world’s economies. No matter how much we are liked (and valued), I don’t see how there will be enough monies to fund us as we have been funded. I don’t like “doom and gloom,” but a downturn is certainly on the horizon for us as an organization, as a state, nation, and world.
- remember that we are here to serve the needs of our community members, not the other way around. Concentrate on quality programs (old and new) that meet the needs of our local communities.
We appreciate your participation in the monthly Pulse Survey. To view all of the comments received, visit: http://www.zoomerang.com/Shared/SharedResultsOpenEndedResultsPage.aspx?ID=L23NHLZ59JJY&REQQUEST=comment_9.
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A new Web site design for OSU Extension is being implemented in mid-2009. A “design requirements” team of Extension personnel across the organization met for nearly a year in 2008 to determine basic site needs, county and state-level information requirements, and design suggestions. This team also incorporated suggestions from a focus group of Ohio State and consulting Web experts.
All county Web pages will be updated as of early June, followed by the state site update in mid-August. Each county page is a vital link between OSU Extension and local citizens, and these valuable “front doors” to the University need to be updated as soon as possible. At this time, CommTech is clarifying technical requirements and developing a prototype to demonstrate how the new sites will work and meet the requirements of the design team. More information will be available soon via a link/section on the OSU Extension home page.
All county sites will be converted to Extension’s new web architecture, which uses the Plone content management system. The state site will undergo the same updates. This will standardize the look and basic content for all OSU Extension sites. Ultimately, program area and other unit sites will be incorporated into the new design plan as well. Templates for the county Web pages, the transfer of information to the new sites, and training opportunities/technical support are being carefully planned before implementation. Additional details, including an implementation calendar and answers to FAQs, will be shared as they become available.
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Extension Faculty: A reminder that April 6 is the deadline for submitting vitas for the spring preview by the Department Promotion and Tenure Committee. This is for faculty seeking a promotion and probationary faculty considering promotion and tenure, fourth-year review, and A&P educators seeking a transfer. We strongly encourage all second-, third-, and fifth-year probationary faculty to also submit vitas for preview, as the Promotion and Tenure Committee will assign mentors for those who submit vitas by April 6. This will be very advantageous in fine-tuning your vitas for the required review in the fall. Submit 10 copies of your vita to Ken Martin by April 6. For tensure faculty seeking a promotion, submit 10 copies of your vita, along with a letter requesting consideration for promotion by April 6. Click here for the current Appointments, Promotion, and Tenure document. Click here for the 2009/2010 Promotion and Tenure Dossier Outline. Questions: Contact Ken Martin (martin.1540@osu.edu).
For those requesting A&P promotion, submit 10 copies of your vita to your regional director by April 1, along with a letter requesting consideration for promotion or transfer. An outline of the entire process is available online at: Guidelines and Process for A&P Promotion. Questions - contact your regional director or Garee Earnest (earnest.1@osu.edu).
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All Venture Funds budgeted previously have been allocated. Therefore, there will be no call for proposals for the April 24 deadline. We are hopeful we will be able to replenish the Venture Fund account in July and accept proposals.
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Registration is open for the Leadership for Tomorrow: Exploring New Approaches conference to be held on April 28-30 at the Ramada Plaza Hotel in Columbus. Visit the registration page at http://www.leadershipfortomorrow.osu.edu/. Discounted early registration pricing ends March 28.
The time to lead is NOW. This is a difficult financial time, but also a time when strong leadership is especially needed. More than ever, your staff and clientele look to you for leadership. Although it's easy these days to bypass professional development opportunities to focus on day-to-day challenges, it's also time to cultivate and display the leadership your organization needs. This conference brings together outstanding speakers to address the challenges of today - including time, energy, capacity, and perspective. At the Leadership for Tomorrow Conference: gain a new perspective on current leadership research and thought processes; re-examine your leadership "toolbox;" and think about your own approach to leadership. Learn how to handle today's challenges with focus, resilience, and sensitivity. Attend and get real answers to help you move forward.
Please forward the conference information to any of your leadership contacts. The conference overview and schedule are attached.
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The County Extension Director workshop will be held on April 28, in conjunction with the Leadership for Tomorrow conference. The April 28 agenda is attached. The CED workshop will join the conference opening lunch and speaker on Tuesday. All pricing and registration information are available on the Leadership for Tomorrow Web site.
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Thoughts posted in a recent newsletter...(March 11, 2009 ExchangeEveryDay, a free service of Exchange Magazine)
Communicate and interact with others. Get together with people who can share or understand your experience. Collective support from a group can lift your spirits and increase your ability to find a solution for the problem at hand. The energy of the whole has a multiplying effect. Talking and laughing (and crying) together offers a tremendously beneficial release.
Decrease the drama. It's natural to vent, especially during the first phase of a crisis. But excessive drama is draining and it blocks solutions. When you catch your inner dialogue looping with fearful projections or you hear yourself dramatizing the downside of a situation in conversations, tell yourself: that will not help change what's already happened. Practice realigning your thoughts, feelings, and conversations with ideas that support your needs and action plans.
Manage your reaction to the news. Practice listening to the news from the "state of neutral." In other words, don't jump to conclusions or focus on worst-case scenarios...Don't pour your emotional energy into replaying something you heard or read.
Practice heart-focused breathing. Imagine your breath passing in and out through your heart. Breathing in the "attitude" of calm and balance can be an emotional tonic to take off the rough edges.
Avoid comparing. Making comparisons between what's happening now and how things used to be - or might have been - is a natural response. But it's more constructive to use your energy in ways that will allow you to regain stability and move forward with your life.”
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A Message from Provost Joseph Alutto...
Dear Colleagues: I have recently developed a number of principles for guiding faculty rewards in today's high-performance academic culture. You will find a copy of these principles on the Extension Human Resources site at: http://extensionhr.osu.edu/resources/perfreview.html under the Educator and Specialist section.
The principles have already been shared with deans and department chairs for their use in planning for their units' ongoing excellence. I would now like all my faculty colleagues to be aware of these principles so that we have common expectations about how professional performance is valued and recognized at Ohio State.
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A “Write Winning Grants” workshop will be held on Saturday, June 6 from 8:30 am - 4:30 pm. The deadline to register is April 28. If any seats remain after the registration deadline, we will open the workshop to folks outside our colleges. Online registration is now available at: www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/grantsupport.
The "Write Winning Grants" workshop is a partnership between: the College of Education and Human Ecology; the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences; the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center; and Ohio State University Extension. Target audiences -- EHE, CFAES, OSUE and OARDC faculty, research staff, post docs, and Ph.D. candidates.
Key topics will include:
- The fundamental principles of grant writing
- How to develop an irresistible, fundable idea for a grant application
- Tips on how to write for reviewers
- How to identify the most applicable source of funding for an idea
- How to use the Internet to your advantage
- Tips and strategies for resubmitting proposals
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The last Towers Blood Drive of the school year will be held on Thursday, April 2 from 10 am-4 pm in the Agricultural Administration building auditorium. See the attached flier for appointment information.
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