Polling Open Now: Private Resource Mobilization

ECOP Private Resource Mobilization Chair Scott Reed, Oregon State University, requests your participation in a poll at https://form.jotform.com/63072237527960. The purpose is for Cooperative Extension Section Directors and Administrators to indicate preferences and provide comment about an institutional home for fund development, a three-year development plan, and oversight responsibilities. For background, the survey includes video segments of the recorded webinar from 11.2.16. Following ongoing conversation with Cooperative Extension nationwide, the task force will make recommendations to ECOP early next year. 

Sally Rockey,
Executive Director, FFAR

Rockey to Address Extension Next Week – Sally Rockey, Executive Director, National Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR), will provide comment about Extension’s opportunities with the foundation at the Monday evening 11.14.16 Extension dinner meeting at the APLU Annual Conference, Austin, TX. Learn more about FFAR. The complete APLU Annual Meeting agenda is at http://www.aplu.org/library/2016-aplu-annual-meeting-program/file.

eXtension Launches New Diversity & Inclusion Issue Corps – The eXtension Foundation has issued a call for proposals for up to 35 projects for improving Diversity and Inclusion within Cooperative Extension, its partners, and the public. The Issue Corps experience combines virtual and face-to-face events to assist corps members in developing projects that can have a visible, measurable impact at the local level. Proposals are due December 5, 2016. Learn more about eXtension's first Issue Corps of 2017. 

Beverly Coberly, eXtension Foundation; Michelle Rodgers, University of Delaware;
George Czapar, University of Illinois; Gary Lemme, Auburn University;
Brian Higginbotham, Utah State University; Mark Latimore, Fort Valley State
University, and Dan Lerner, University of Vermont

ECOP Names NEDA 2017 Planning Team – Naming a theme and related programming for the 2017 National Extension Directors and Administrators (NEDA) Meeting October 2-4 at The Essex near Burlington, VT, is the charge of a new planning team. As immediate past chair of ECOP, Michelle Rodgers, University of Delaware, leads the effort. Together with the executive director and staff associate in the ECOP National Office, team members represent the views of the five Cooperative Extension regions. Members are Brian Higginbotham, Western Region; Dan Lerner, Northeast Region; Gary Lemme, Southern Region; George Czapar, North Central Region, and Mark Latimore, 1890s Region. The eXtension Foundation also is represented on the planning team by Beverly Coberly. In preparation for the first planning meeting, ideas can be shared with any team member by 12.1.16. 

FY 2017 AREERA Reporting Requirements – USDA-NIFA reminds Cooperative Extension that the FY 2017 Plan of Work update requirement has been suspended. Further, 2018-2022 Plans of Work will not be submitted through the online software in FY 2017. Reporting required from each state by 4.3.16 are the 2016 Annual Report of Accomplishments and Results, and the Multi-State and Integrated Activity Supplemental Forms (NIFA-REPT, NIFA-PLAN, Brief Summaries). To report, go to http://portal.nifa.usda.gov. Contact Katelyn Sellers at ksellers@nifa.usda.gov with questions.

Your Voice Matters: Private Resource Mobilization Webinar

Scott Reed, Chair, ECOP Private Resource Mobilization Task Force, Oregon State University, invites Extension directors and administrators, or their designees, to a webinar 4:00 – 5:00 p.m. ET, Wednesday, November 2, 2016. Connect at https://extension.zoom.us/j/879208803. (Please note this is a different URL than previously announced.) Using online polling, you will have opportunity to express your views related to an institutional home for this work, and to what extend you agree with the proposed three-year plan and configuration of an oversight committee. ECOP is expected to take action on the task force recommendations at its April 2017 face-to-face meeting. 

Jason Henderson, Purdue University

Henderson Named to NC-FAR Board – Purdue Extension Director Jason Henderson has been named as the Extension representative to the National Coalition for Food and Agriculture Research (NC-FAR) www.ncfar.org Board of Directors. ECOP maintains a membership in NC-FAR on behalf of the Cooperative Extension Section. Henderson replaces Tim Cross who served on the board until his recent transition to Interim Chancellor, University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture. 

Karen Johnston, University of Delaware; Elaine Johannes, Kansas
State University; Lisa Washburn, University of Arkansas; Carol
Smathers, Ohio State University; Matt Devereaux, University of
Tennessee, and Maureen Toomey, University of Idaho. Not pictured,
Anne Iaccopucci, University of California; Martha Ravola, Alcorn
State University, and Sekai Turner, North Carolina A&T University.

Health Team Requests Survey Response – The ECOP Positive Youth Development Health Action Team seeks information about Extension professional’s involvement in policy, systems and environmental change; community development, and individual development. All Extension professionals are encouraged to complete the survey at https://delaware.ca1.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_cXQJYl5CNwHWPTT. The team serves to build Cooperative Extension capacity to promote health and prevent illness amongst youth. Information collected from this survey will help identify how to best support work that is already being done and stimulate the development of new program and professional development opportunities. Results will be available in spring 2017. 

Fatemeh Malekian, Southern University; Sarah Bercaw, University
of Delaware; Sonja Koukel, New Mexico State University; Nancy
Crevier, University of Wisconsin; Cathy Newkirk, Michigan
State University; Belinda Letto, University of Tennessee; Jatunn
Gibson, Auburn University and Lisa Barlage, Ohio State University.
Note pictured - Linda Quade, South Dakota State University.

Health Literacy on ESP Conference Agenda – ECOP Health Literacy Action Team member Lisa Barlage, Ohio State University, along with Sarah Bercaw, University of Delaware, and Belinda Letto, University of Tennessee, offered a concurrent session Cooperative Extension and Health Literacy: A National Focus at the Epsilon Sigma Phi National Conference last week in Cape May, NJ. Speakers gave an overview of health literacy at the national level, the challenges of health literacy education, educational resources, and the emerging role of Extension. Other team members are Chair Sonja Koukel, New Mexico State University; Nancy Crevier, University of Wisconsin; Jatunn Gibson, Auburn University; Fatemeh Malekian, Southern University and A&M College; Cathy Newkirk, Michigan State University, and Linda Quade, South Dakota State University. 

Deadline Tomorrow for Volunteerism Conference Proposals – The 2017 National Extension Conference on Volunteerism is April 10-13 in Asheville, NC. You have until 11.1.16 to submit a proposal at https://go.ncsu.edu/necv. This conference is designed for all Cooperative Extension professionals who manage volunteers as a part of their programs. Questions can be directed to Doug Swanson, USDA-NIFA National Program Leader, dwswanson@nifa.usda.gov. 

Request Comment on APLU New Engagement – Several Extension Directors and Administrators were members of the recent APLU Planning Team on the New Engagement. There is a link to the planning team’s report on the APLU web site and also a link to a feedback form. Please use the form to express your views. Your comments will help inform the naming and charge for an APLU Task Force on New Engagement.

Board on Agriculture Assembly Launches Farm Bill Planning

Jane Schuchardt, ECOP National Office; Albert Essell-Lincoln University,
Ron Brown-Assoc. of Southern Region Extension Directors; Rick Klemme,
University of Wisconsin; L. Washington Lyons, Assoc. of Extension Administrators;
James Trapp, Oklahoma State University, and Sandy Ruble, ECOP National Office.

The Extension Farm Bill Coordinating Committee co-chaired by James Trapp, Oklahoma State University, and Albert Essel, Lincoln University, appreciates participation by Cooperative Extension directors and administrators in a recent farm bill survey. Results were contributed to the work of the APLU Board on Agriculture Assembly (BAA) Committee on Legislation and Policy (CLP), Greg Bohach, Chair, Mississippi State University, last week in Washington, DC. In preparation for the next farm bill, expected in 2018, CLP reports to the BAA Policy Board of Directors chaired by Jay Akridge, Purdue University, on reauthorizations as is or with change, plus any new ideas. The PBD makes decisions about the direction of BAA advocacy on behalf of all members, including Cooperative Extension, Experiment Stations, insular universities, non-land grant agriculture programs, academic programs, international programs, veterinary medicine, and human sciences. Consistent with advocacy for appropriations, Cooperative Extension’s primary platform is expansion of capacity funds along with support for competitive funds. Discussions about funding infrastructure for science and education (e.g. deferred maintenance) also is supported as long as there is no negative effect on capacity and competitive funds. 

Scott Reed, Oregon State University

Private Resource Mobilization Discussion Continues – ECOP Private Resource Mobilization Chair, Scott Reed, Oregon State University, welcomes your participation in a webinar 4:00 – 5:00 p.m. ET, Wednesday, November 2, 2016. Connect either at https://extension.zoom.us/j/879208803. The purpose of the session is to continue discussion about ECOP’s leadership for private fund raising to complement public funding. During electronic voting at the Cooperative Extension Section meeting in mid-September in Wyoming, more than 90 percent of respondents (41 states represented) voted in support of seeking private resources as long as the effort is not in competition with specific active efforts at universities, and does not require additional assessments in the first year. On the webinar, the task force will seek your opinion on a case statement, a three-year development plan, membership and responsibilities of a coordinating committee, an “institutional home,” and estimated start-up costs. 

eXtension Announces Web Meeting on Proposed Changes to Ask an Expert – Recently eXtension led an assessment of Ask an Expert, the question and answer system which allows Cooperative Extension professionals (referred to as experts within the application) to engage with the public through the ask.extension.org website. Over the last eight years Ask an Expert has been an important client-serving application for some Extension groups and institutions. On Wednesday, October 12, 2016, at 3:00 p.m. ET, eXtension will host a web meeting to discuss the findings and seek get feedback on the recommended changes found at Recommendation for Ask an Expert Changes. For more information, to register for this web meeting, and to add this event to your calendar, visit learn.extension.org/events/2853. 

New 4-H National Mentoring Program Funding Announced – The U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) has awarded National 4-H Council $7 million for the 4-H National Mentoring Program, which comes as a direct result of Cooperative Extension’s success in providing youth mentoring services through local 4-H programs. Council is now formalizing the process with OJJDP and scaling the pre-award land-grant university applications to the amount of the award. Letters of Intent will be distributed to each awarded applicant in late October 2016. Contact Nina Lovelace nlovelace@fourhcouncil.edu with questions. 

Jimmy Henning, University of Kentucky

Henning Named Liaison to ESCOP – Former ECOP Chair, Jimmy Henning, University of Kentucky, has been named liaison to the Experiment Station Committee on Legislation and Policy (ESCOP). Henning will attend ESCOP meetings as needed, report on ECOP national leadership on behalf of Cooperative Extension state and local programming, and strengthen the strategic alliance between the Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Sections of the APLU Board on Agriculture Assembly. Henning replaces Tony Windham, former Extension Director, University of Arkansas.

ECOP National System Study Webinar 6.28.16

ECOP member and chair of the ECOP National System Task Force, Chuck Hibberd, Nebraska Extension, invites you to continued conversation about Cooperative Extension as a national system at a webinar on 11:00 a.m. ET, Tuesday, June 28, 2016. To connect, please go to https://zoom.us/j/445634779, or iPhone one-tap: 14086380968,445634779# or 16465588656,445634779#, or Telephone: Dial: +1 408 638 0968 (US Toll) or +1 646 558 8656 (US Toll), Webinar ID: 445 634 779. Hibberd will review the results of two national surveys related to themes describing Cooperative Extension, understanding of national presence and operations, and thoughts about branding. There will be opportunity for continued interaction by way of online “voting.” The webinar is designed for Cooperative Extension Directors and Administrators or their designees. This continued discussion is critical to positioning Cooperative Extension to respond to opportunities of multi-state and national scope. Your participation is encouraged. When using Zoom for the first time, take time before the webinar begins to download the Zoom launch application at https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/201362593-Zoom-Launcher-Plugin.

Scott Reed, Oregon State University

ECOP Launches Private Resource Mobilization Task Force – ECOP member Scott Reed, Oregon State University, is chair of the new ECOP Private Resource Mobilization Task Force. The purpose of the effort is to recommend strategies for securing private resources for Extension as a national system as a complement to public funding. This task force will work closely with the ECOP National System Task Force led by ECOP member Chuck Hibberd, University of Nebraska, which is defining ways Extension can work more effectively as a national network when needed. Members of Reed’s team are Roger Rennekamp, Ohio State University; Bill Hare, University of the District of Columbia; Tony Windham, University of Arkansas; Ray McKinnie, Virginia State University; and Laura Johnson, University of Georgia. 

David Buys, Mississippi State University, left leads
Chronic Disease Prevention & Management Action Team.

Chronic Disease Prevention Extension Priority – The Chronic Disease Prevention and Management (CDPM) Action Team, a part of the ECOP-ESCOP Health Implementation Team, is working towards national recognition of Extension programs that address improving the quality and duration of an individual’s lifespan. The team led by David Buys, Mississippi State University, began with creating and disseminating an Environmental Scan of Extension CDPM programs to each state. Data has been collected to help identify gaps in education. They are continuing to distribute, collect, and evaluate results. The CDPM team has created a logic model and is now preparing for national presentations and professional journal articles to establish CDPM as an Extension priority, recognize current programs, provide professional development opportunities, and launch clear standards and expectations. Buys says alignment is needed with national, state, and local agencies, while continuing to serve communities and individuals through filtering information, facilitating educational opportunities, and connecting with individuals and families. For the team’s recent report, see https://www.dropbox.com/s/2jr3c9lhaojha97/Chronic%20Disease%20Prevention%20and%20Management%20Action%20Team_Mid-term%20report.pdf?dl=0. 

USDA-NIFA Message on DoL Overtime Rule – On May 18, 2016, the U.S. Department of Labor issued the Fair Labor Standard Act’s Overtime Final Rule, which is intended to ensure overtime protections for executive, administrative, and professional employees (“white collar”). The implementation of the final overtime rule is 12.1.16. Major provisions and changes from the initial proposed rule include: 1) Nonexempt employees working over 40 hours per week must be paid overtime pay for work in excess of 40 hours per week. Compensation for these additional hours must be no less than one and a half times their regular hourly rate; 2) Exemptions can be made for “white collar employees,” including teachers, and certain other categories of workers, and 3) For exempt employees, the minimum income threshold is set at $47,476, double the current salary threshold. No changes were made to the “duties test” and “teaching” exemptions. USDA-NIFA is closely studying the updated rule and its impact to our land-grant university partners, small business and other grantees. In the coming weeks, we will provide you more information and necessary guidance as it relates to our current and future funding opportunities and reporting procedures. 

4-H National Spokesperson Featured in National Media – See http://www.people.com/article/jennifer-nettles-4h-club-spokesperson for an article on country music star Jennifer Nettles and the effect of her 4-H experience in Georgia on her career. Nettles is national spokesperson for 4-H. 

USDA Launches Resource for Farmers, Ranchers – See www.FarmAnswers.org for a new USDA resource to help farmers and ranchers get easy to access, reliable information for technical assistance in getting their business started. Here find online courses, videos, presentations, apps, and other materials. FarmAnswers is supported by a grant from USDA-NIFA through its Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP) and was developed by the Center for Farm Financial Management, University of Minnesota. Items on the site can be filtered to the specific information the user wants and help them find educational programs in their localities. Toolboxes are available on topics such as business planning, marketing products locally, and accessing land. FarmAnswers is a key partner of the USDA-wide effort to make it easier for people to find USDA programs and services for new farmers through a streamlined web site and discovery tool at usda.gov/newfarmers. The NewFarmers website also includes information specifically for women in agriculture, youth, and veterans.