Monday, July 22, 2013

ECOP Monday Minute 4.1.2013

ECOP Takes Next Step in 4-H Discussion – During ECOP action in late March 2013 in San Antonio, recommendations (https://www.aplu.org/document.doc?id=4423) by the ECOP 4-H Working Group, Chuck Gay, Chair, were accepted and a follow-up group was assigned. The charge for the new group is to: 1) work with USDA-NIFA and National 4-H Council representatives to finalize a partnership agreement, and 2) formalize recommendations to ECOP about representation for an ongoing ECOP 4-H Implementation Team. The implementation team would manage and encourage dialogue about 4-H in the Land-grant University System together with USDA-NIFA and the National 4-H Council and align expectations among all parties. This would include insuring clear communication with Cooperative Extension Directors, Administrators, and 4-H Program Leaders on the National 4-H Council Board of Trustees. ECOP has named five representatives to the new team -- Doug Lantagne, University of Vermont, will serve as chair; Beverly Sparks, University of Georgia; Celvia Stovall, Alabama A&M University; Renee McGee, Purdue University, and Deb Jones, University of Alaska. Jennifer Sirangelo, National 4-H Council, and a USDA-NIFA representative also will be part of the new team, which will report to ECOP at its July meeting in Manhattan, KS.

More on NEDA 2013 – Presentations and other documents from NEDA 2013 last month in San Antonio can be found here. You will information about new partnership opportunities, an explanation of the current federal fiscal environment, preliminary details of the Smith-Lever Centennial Celebration, guidelines for the new impact reporting section the Measuring Excellence in Extension database, and results from the 21st Century Extension Professional Project. Attendees have received an evaluation due today.

eXtension Critical Success Factors -- In 2012 14,214 people used Moodle, eXtension’s online course platform (campus.extension.org). 10,958 certificates were issued to users completing Moodle courses.  A 2012 customer survey found that Moodle is reaching new audiences: 34% of respondents did not know about Cooperative Extension before taking the Moodle course.  The full report can be found here: http://bit.ly/eXtCSF7.  eXtension reports annually on our Critical Success Factors (CSF).  These metrics are based on the 2011-2014 Strategic Roadmap and were formulated by a task force of Extension directors/administrators and approved by the Governing Committee.

4-H Alumni Research – 4-H programs in 10 states, National 4-H Council and 4-H National Headquarters have launched a joint, two-year effort to pilot scalable alumni engagement strategies that will mobilize alumni to come back and stand up for 4-H by giving, volunteering and advocating. Strategies and messaging will draw upon the findings from a nationwide alumni research survey recently conducted by National 4-H Council and its partner, Edge Research. For more information, see www.4-h.org/alumniresearch.

APLU Annual Meeting Proposals Due 4.22.13 -- For the first time, APLU is seeking submissions from our members for a limited number of sessions at the 2013 Annual Meeting in Washington, DC. To be considered, completed proposals must be submitted by April 22, 2013. Evaluation of proposals will begin April 24 and selected presenters will be notified no later than May 8, 2013. Member-submitted sessions will take place the morning of Tuesday, November, 12, 2013. For more information please contact David Edelson (dedelson@aplu.org), Teri Lyn Hinds (thinds@aplu.org) or Nathalie Argueta (nargueta@aplu.org). Click here to submit your proposals and click here for more information about the126th APLU Annual Meeting.

Water for Food Conference at UN-L -- Too Hot, Too Wet, Too Dry: Building Resilient Agroecosystems will be May 5-8, 2013 in Lincoln, NE. It is hosted by the Robert B. Daugherty Water for Food Institute at the University of Nebraska and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. For more information and to register for the conference, see http://waterforfood.nebraska.edu/wff2013.