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.

ECOP Monday Minute 1.14.2013

Reminder: Communications and Marketing Briefing 1.15.13  -- Scott Reed, AES-CES Communications and Marketing Committee Co-Chair invites you to join the ECOP sponsored teleconference 11-Noon, ET, Tuesday, January 15, 2013 for a Communications and Marketing Briefing. The call in number is 213-493.0700, Passcode 388936#. kglobal, has prepared an overview slide set http://portal.sliderocket.com/kglobal/APLU-Jan-2013 which you are encouraged to view prior to the teleconference. Daryl Buchholz, ECOP Chair; Darren Katz, kglobal, and Hunt Shipman, Cornerstone Government Affairs, will be featured on the call. Due to the nature of the information, the teleconference will not be recorded.

NEDA 2013 Hotel Reservations and Registration Update -- The National Extension Directors and Administrators meeting will be held March 18-20, 2013 at the Hyatt Regency San Antonio. Registration information has been delayed as the Hyatt Regency is currently updating their Spring menu for 2013.  The following dates and times are offered for travel planning purposes. Please note there are three separate meetings, all held at the Hyatt Regency.

Hotel Reservations
Hotel reservations need to be made by February 25 in order to receive the discounted room rate. They can be made online at: http://resweb.passkey.com/Resweb.do?mode=welcome_ei_new&eventID=9619313 or by phone at: 1-888-421-1442 using the Group Block Name and Code: G-APLG



Dates and Times
1. Northeast Extension Directors (NEED) Regional Meeting 
      8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday, March 18, 2013
2. National Extension Directors and Administrators (NEDA) Meeting
       6 p.m. Monday, March 18  - 1 p.m. Wednesday, March 20, 2013
3. Extension Committee on Organization and Policy (ECOP) Meeting
       1 p.m. Wednesday, March 20 - Noon Thursday, March 21, 2013

ECOP 4-H Working Group Update (by Chuck Gay, Chair, Utah State University)  -- The ECOP 4-H Working Group is composed of a director or administrator and 4-H program leader from each of the five Cooperative Extension regions.  The purpose of the working group is to reflect the perspective of the state-level Cooperative Extension Services (CES), represented by ECOP. Preliminary reports will be provided at national meetings to 4-H program leaders in February and directors and administrators in March. Three focus groups are working on recommendations to be presented to ECOP at its March 2013 meeting in San Antonio. These are: 1) recommendations for organizational changes in the ECOP structure to ensure that 4-H, as the  premier youth development program in CES, has the national leadership and representation to sustain the program, 2) recommendations for a Memorandum of Understanding between USDA-NIFA, ECOP (representing Extension in the land-grant universities), and National 4-H Council to foster coordination and collaboration among the three entities, and 3) recommendations that ECOP may use to negotiate a structure for USDA-NIFA that would provide the support needed from the federal partner for the 4-H program.  ECOP will provide leadership for the next steps in this process which will engage the other two critical partners to the 4-H program -- USDA-NIFA and the National 4-H Council.

Extension Featured at USDA's 89th Annual Outlook Conference -- The 2013 Agricultural Outlook Forum - Managing Risk in the 21st Century is February 21-22, 2013, at the Crystal Gateway Marriott, Arlington, VA. Twenty-five sessions with more than 85 speakers will focus on managing risk; food prices and farm income; commodity outlooks; trade; global crop insurance; natural resource conservation for water, soil, and forests; nutritious diets; local foods; and food safety. Daryl Buchholz, Kansas State University; Tom Coon, Michigan State University, and Dr. Albert E. Essel, Associate Dean for Cooperative Extension at Delaware State University, are among those representing Extension views during sessions at the conference. Visit http://www.usda.gov/oce/forum/ for more information.

2013 APLU Annual Meeting Registration -- The pre-registration rate of $475 for the 2013 APLU Annual Meeting is available through January 31, 2013 at http://www.cvent.com/d/wcq308/4W. The meeting is November 10-12 at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, DC. The conference room block will be available in March.

Feeding a Hungry Planet, Youth Ag Summit -- The US has been invited to identify 10 young people (age 18-25) and 2 adult mentors to participate in a youth Ag Summit in Calgary Alberta Canada on August 19-25, 2013. Applicants will submit a 2000 word essay or a 7 minute video describing what the underlying causes of food insecurity are, the effect it can have on people, how sustainable agricultural practices can address the issues, and how the applicant plans to use the Youth Ag Summit to advance their solution. Participants have been invited from 21 countries. Completed application materials are due by February 15, 2013 and those selected will be notified by the end of March. Application guidelines, including information about the submission form, can be found at: https://www.aplu.org/document.doc?id=4286. For questions or further information contact Nadica Koskarovska at the National 4-H Council, nkoskarovska@fourhcouncil.edu, 301.961.2866.