Annual Passing of Gavel and 2020 Report!

At the 2020 NEDA Cooperative Extension Section meeting on September 24^th, the ECOP Chair gavel was officially passed from Mark Latimore, Jr., Associate Dean for Extension at Fort Valley State University to Christopher Watkins, Professor and Director of Cornell Cooperative Extension. Dr. Watkins’ vision as ECOP Chair is to ensure that the ECOP Strategic Directions is a living document that guides the Committee in a fashion that enhances relevance to its membership, and provides outcomes for the Cooperative Extension System that advance the goals of delivering evidence-based education to all U.S. citizens. Our sincere appreciation for the outstanding leadership and commitment to the mission of Extension by Dr. Latimore over the past year. 

A year in review was provided by Dr. Latimore. The complete 4-page 2020 Cooperative Extension Section Annual Report is available here to view and download. Watch for progress of the detailed 2021 Action Plan by Dr. Watkins here in the ECOP Monday Minute throughout the year.

Carolyn Williams, Prairie View A&M University, and Ed Jones, Virginia Tech, were recognized for their service to ECOP, the body of decision makers for the Cooperative Extension System. Please welcome 3 new members of ECOP. Left - Right below are Rosalind Dale, North Carolina A&T State University, Brent Hales, Penn State, and Laura Perry Johnson, University of Georgia:

The complete list of ECOP members is located here. 

Invitation to the Mental/Behavioral Health - A National Summit and Resource Gathering Opportunity for CFERR Members and their Stakeholders: In this unprecedented time, we are witnessing mental health challenges playing out across our nation, impacting all communities and creating stress and hardship across all sectors of society. Making available science-based mental health resources to our communities and institutions has never been more important. On behalf of Noelle Cockett, President, Utah State University and Commission on Food, Environment and Renewable Resources Executive Committee Chair, you are invited to attend the CFERR National Virtual Mental Health Summit on Oct. 1 from 11:00 AM-12:30 PM ET with a focus on what the five CFERR Boards are doing within their disciplines to address concerns about mental health and well-being across their sectors. Please register and join us for this important and timely event.



Association of Extension Administrators (AEA) Executive Committee Launches Newsletter - Extension Today is a monthly newsletter that highlights Cooperative Extension and provides updates across the 1890 land-grant system. It is published by the Association of Extension Administrators and the Marketing and Communications Committee. Contact communications@1890aea.org for more information, or to join the mailing list.

Virtual NEDA Meeting Breaks Record

Registration for this week’s National Extension Directors and Administrators (NEDA) Meeting, Leading in a Time of Social, Economic and Political Disruption, September 23-24, 2020, has broken records of all previous years for face-to-face meetings. The average participation is 104 colleagues from 64 of a possible 76 land-grant institutions. At last count, there will be 154 participants from 71 universities participating this week! Last week everyone was invited to read materials posted in the "Prepare" menu (upper right) at neda.extension.org. Stay tuned to the ECOP Monday Minute for the release of meaningful outcomes from this historic meeting!

Communications and Marketing Roadmap Draft Framework Available for Review/Comment - The Board on Agriculture Assembly, Cooperative Extension, Experiment Station and Administrative Heads Sections has engaged Forbes Tate Partners to develop a new strategic communications plan roadmap. The draft of the initial framework of that roadmap includes an overview of the plan objective, strategy, a sample menu of potential tactics, and some information on best practices for the BAA to ultimately, fully realize and execute a plan. This outline is representative of what needs to be considered in developing the final plan and building a communications process – it is not intended to be the plan itself. As such, the message frames and communications tactics are examples, and are not meant to be exhaustive or exclude additional ideas. Rather, it is a guide that will allow the BAA to build a comprehensive, effective messaging effort to support its advocacy goals. Private comments on the draft can be sent to FT-BAA@forbes-tate.com. 

FANR Meetings Schedule During the APLU Annual Meeting - The 2020 APLU Annual Meeting will be held virtually. The office of Food, Agriculture, and Natural Resources (FANR) continues to work on the agenda’s, minutes, speakers, and special events that are typically a part of the APLU Annual Meeting. Information on various meetings, some of which involves participation of Cooperative Extension Section membership, and events that are associated with the APLU Annual Meeting are located at this link. Invitation(s) to register coming soon from the FANR Office and the APLU Office of the President.

  

May 2021 National Urban Extension Virtual Summit - After discussion and thoughtful consideration, the National Urban Extension Leaders (NUEL) has decided to postpone the May 2021 National Urban Extension Conference (NUEC), until May of 2022. Details on the 2022 NUEC will be forthcoming. In lieu of holding the conference face-to-face, NUEL will host a National Urban Extension Virtual Summit on May 18-20, 2021. Please save the dates! A detailed agenda and registration information will be released in early 2021.

Economic Development & Community Engagement RFP for 2021 Summer Meeting - Please Save the Date, June 14-16, 2021, and Submit Session Proposals for APLU’s 2021 CECE Summer Meeting, to be held in Pittsburgh, PA. Meeting registration will open in  January 2021. The theme is Maximizing Public Value through Partnerships and will allow Extension Directors and Administrators and their colleagues opportunities to reflect and strategize around how the “engagement” mission of public research universities can advance the economic and societal good in meaningful, intentional and substantive ways. The deadline for proposals is Friday, October, 2, 2020, 5:00 PM PST. Questions regarding the RFP process or the meeting may be directed to APLU’s Milan Ephraim.

NIFA Releases Projected FY21 RFA Publication Timeline - NIFA has released the Projected RFA Publication Timeline for fiscal year (FY) 2021 for non-AFRI competitive programs. These are target timelines only and are subject to change until the RFAs are published in Grants.gov. The current list applies to new RFAs, continuations, directed and multi-year solicitations. Bookmark this list and check back often for updates as target dates draw near. A new notification will signal when AFRI RFAs are added to the schedule. Questions regarding this timeline, should be directed to the NPL with the associated program or email policy@usda.gov.

Agency Related Survey Action Request

On behalf of the leadership of  National Coalition for Food and Agriculture Research (NCFAR), the insight of the ECOP as a member and/or sponsor is requested. ECOP Monday Minute readers are asked to share how their institutions value USDA programs in the research, extension and education (REE) mission area. Toward that end, please take a moment to complete a short survey at https://aavmc.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_4TqsGbJPVlwo6qx. For more information, go to www.ncfar.org. 

Rural Broadband and Digital Tools in Ag Conference Opportunity - APLU’s Office of Economic Development & Community Engagement is currently soliciting Expressions of Interest from researchers and Extension professionals working at the intersection of community broadband access and the application of digital tools in agriculture to participate in an online conference. Extension Directors and Administrators and their associates are invited to complete this online form to express your interest. The deadline is 11:59 p.m. ET on September 30.

4-H Congressional Staff Briefing - In 2019, ECOP approved the formation of a subcommittee of the ECOP Budget and Legislative Committee (BLC) to increase government funding for Extension/4-H from sources other than USDA. On September 8, 2020, the ECOP BLC Subcommittee for 4-H partnered with the 4-H Congressional Caucus to host a virtual 4-H Congressional Staff Briefing to raise awareness of the diversity and relevance of today’s Cooperative Extension’s 4-H program and to thank Congress for their support of 4-H funding through 1890 Extension and Smith-Lever, the 4-H Mentoring (OJJDP) funding, and other opportunities. Speakers included ECOP Budget & Legilsative Committee Chair, Jon Boren (New Mexico State University), Jennifer Sirangelo (National 4-H Council), Clyde Van Dyke (4-H Member from NY) and Congressman Mike Conaway (TX).

eXtension Foundation Meeting Invitation - The eXtension Foundation invites all Extension Directors and Administrators to attend the eXtension Foundation Meeting on September 24th from 2:15 PM - 3:45 PM ET, as part of NEDA. During this meeting, eXtension and ECOP will be facilitating a discussion on the results of the National Action Dialogue for Extension Futures including infrastructure needs, training needs, and other emerging themes. The eXtension Climate Fellows will also provide a report to the CES section on their work followed by a short presentation on how the eXtension Foundation has been serving the system through its New Technologies for Ag Extension Accelerator Program and its Impact Collaborative program. NEDA registration and details are available at neda.extension.org.  

NIFA 1890 Centers of Excellence Program Opportunity - Nineteen Land-grant Universities associated with the Cooperative Extension System  are eligible to apply for NIFA Centers of Excellence Program. Originally established in 2015 in conjunction with the 125th Anniversary of the Second Morrill Act of 1890, he 1890 COEs goals are: 1) increasing profitability and rural prosperity in underserved farming communities; 2) addressing critical needs for enhanced international training and development; and 3) increasing diversity in the science, technology, engineering, agriculture and mathematics (STEAM) pipeline. Read RFA/Apply here. Last year's recipients are found here.

Military Family Readiness Academy: Disaster & Hazard Readiness 101 - The Military Family Readiness Academy opens its 2020 series on September 16 with a session entitled Disaster and Hazard Readiness 101 from 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. ET.  The session will provide a bird’s-eye view of disasters and hazards. Dr. Angie Lindsey, University of Florida/IFAS, begins with a high-level overview addressing terminology, phases of management, and types of disasters and hazards. Dr. Lindsey will also provide insights into significant research guiding disaster and hazard readiness and response, as well as the role and impact of media, and emergent conversations around the COVID-19 pandemic. The 90-minute session is free and several continuing education credits are also available. For more information and to register go to:   https://militaryfamilieslearningnetwork.org/event/mfra2020