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This week, we have posted online information about the latest budget update, brief talking points, FAQs, and the restructuring process. It includes information about making the correct contacts if you have specific questions. Please, ask whatever questions you have; there's a good chance that someone else will have the same question too, and we would rather be able to pass along correct answers to everyone than have many incorrect ideas circulating. We will post and date any updates to the FAQs regularly. You can find this information at http://extadmin-cms.ag.ohio-state.edu/navigational-notes-structure-status-report.
Please understand, this is still an ongoing discussion as we move forward at the college level, and no final decision has been made yet. I realize this is an extremely challenging time, but I ask that you continue to do your best work while we work through this process on main campus. We are working as quickly as we can.
As I updated the County Extension Directors earlier today, I took a basic plan to Bobby Moser and the Vice President’s Cabinet this past Monday (February 9). The plan was well-received, and we were given the green light by the Vice President to move ahead. A small group is now adding more detail to the plan, using the information that was given to me by the restructuring task force and the Administrative Cabinet. I will be working with this group first thing next week as well. Remember, this plan needs to be expanded upon and then examined with our clientele and the university. We need their support and endorsement to make this work.
In fact, this very morning, Bobby Moser and I met with representatives from the major Ohio commodity organizations to explain the situation, outline some of our worst budget impact scenarios, and get their input and support on some of the overall restructuring plan ideas. Bobby then joined me at a similar meeting with a few key staff of the County Commissioners Association of Ohio and a group of county commissioners to discuss the same things. These were excellent meetings with positive suggestions and overall support.
I really can’t list very specific information yet, because we need to see if/how some of the thoughts might work. There are so many variables, I’m sure you can understand this challenge of putting the right pieces together to continue making OSU Extension a viable resource for Ohio citizens. We want to do it right the first time.
The general information that I can share at this point is this:
- We will have to reduce the number of employees across the state who are paid with state and federal money.
- We are developing a plan centered around education and research delivery areas - approximately 8 to 10 Delivery Areas (DAs) across the state.
- There will be shared educator expertise within each DA. For example, at least one educator would be housed in each county, but would work within the entire DA.
- We will offer programming from all four program areas in each county - 4-H Youth Development, ANR, CD and FCS - focusing upon our four impact areas and six signature programs. We will use metrics to determine more specific programming needs within each DA (ag statistics, Ohio Department of Development statistics, Health and Human Services Statistics, etc).
- There will be program assistants/coordinators in each county to “manage” local 4-H program activities.
- We will maintain county cost share.
- Program availability will be proportionate to funding from the individual counties within the DA. Counties that provide more financial support will receive more from OSU Extension. While our mission remains to educate all Ohioans - in keeping with the land-grant model, we must also work more cooperatively with local entities that support our work financially. We cannot do this alone.
- Counties that can afford additional educators can still do that if they have the need.
- There will be shared administrative services within support staff functions (fiscal, etc) within the DA. What this looks like is still to be determined.
Once again, the parameters of this process are listed here for your review. These DO guide the discussions and the decisions that are being made.
Parameters
- Use OSU Extension mission/vision, strategic plan as our guide
- Continue with four program areas included
- Presence (flexible) in every county
- Interact with the larger University
- Best infrastructure to maintain and increase support
- Partnership between federal/state/county
- Partnership between OSUE/CFAES/OARDC/Other Colleges
- Final recommendations go to CFAES VP Cabinet/University - plan could change and/or be tweaked
- Cuts made only once
- Savings used to advance strategic plan, technology, etc
- Decisions for the betterment of organization without biases
- Holistic view - systemic
- Err on the side of saving the organization
- Flexibility to make decisions/changes
- START implementation by mid-February; will continue to progress with actual pieces over possibly one year
- Keep FNP and EFNEP
Again, please be patient as we work through the details of how best to make this happen. We know this is not an easy process for anyone, but PLEASE, continue the good work you are doing for the organization and the citizens of Ohio. You are all doing great things in every county; we know these challenges are because of the economy and not our work, and we must continue to show our relevance and importance to all Ohioans in the midst of the fiscal challenges we are facing. Extension will survive and thrive, regardless of what our exact structure looks like - and we must keep looking forward and be guided by our strategic plan, even while we’re looking to restructure ourselves to meet our fiscal challenges.
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