Contents
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Reflection & Dialogue Regarding Scholarship
The questionnaire respondents indicated that Extension scholarship is
enhancing Extension programming, and indicated a strong positive shift
in this attribute since 1995. OSU Extension professionals are undertaking
scholarship activities with a variety of purposes in mind, and they use
various means to validate and communicate their scholarship activities.
Two of the mid-1990s innovations are relevant.
- The new definition of scholarship which encompasses discovery of knowledge,
the integration and application of knowledge, and creative artistry.
- The expectation that all Extension faculty will devote part of their
time to scholarship.
Extension scholarship may be based on any of the modes identified by
the new definition of scholarship.
- Discovery of new knowledge
- Integration of knowledge
- Application in practical situation
- Creative artistry (which might be understood to include the creative
work of developing effective Extension programs and information-products.)
Extension scholarship may be directed toward advancing either the content
or the process of Extension programming, or both. Process-oriented Extension
scholarship could include formative or summative research on Extension
methods and their impacts; integration of knowledge from diverse sources
regarding methods that optimize the transfer of information, knowledge,
and skills; or the creative process of developing new alternatives for
delivery of knowledge to Extension’s clientele.
These various modes of Extension scholarship are all consistent with
and part of the notion of reflective practice – a concept which is
described in the Discussion section of this report as a core process for
ongoing improvement of professional activity in general and Extension
program effectiveness in particular.
Questions regarding scholarship
- Are Extension faculty in all departments sufficiently secure about
how research and teaching faculty members serving on P&T committees
will judge Extension scholarship – and whether these non-Extension
colleagues will be satisfied with scholarship activities that do not
fit traditional academic expectations? If not, can these concerns be
addressed by guidelines, training, and other means?
- Are the formal guidelines regarding scholarship clear? Are they accurate,
or are they contradicted in practice?
- What sorts of scholarship activities have been found acceptable in
the course of P&T reviews? Are P&T committees’ judgments
about acceptable forms of scholarship consistent with the full range
of activities included in the university’s definition of scholarship?
- Is there consistency about this across colleges and departments, or
are there department-to-department variations?
- Has mentoring regarding scholarship been helpful to the Extension
faculty members who have received it?
Recommended indicators of success regarding scholarship
- Success of Extension faculty at promotion and tenure (P&T) review.
- Favorable peer review, as documented in P&T dossiers.
- Evidence of quality improvements in Extension programming which is
directly linked to Extension scholarship activities.
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