Contents Executive Summary Situation Statement The OSU Innovations Introduction to the Study The questionnaire Study Findings Results by Theme Integration Scholarship Responsiveness Flexibility Innovations Results Breakouts Types New Activities Resources Outcomes Discussion Recommendations

New Activities The group of items regarding types of flexibility (Question 7) takes a forward-looking view and provides no "then-now" comparison, so it offers no insight regarding changes in attitude that may have been induced by the Third Mission innovations. However, it does offer the basis for potentially useful speculation about how Extension people may respond, and what may need to happen, if Extension-type capacity is to be expanded into new areas. As long as one of two main program variables – content or audience – remains relatively unchanged, Extension professionals’ attitudes are likely to be favorable. If program content and audience both change, Extension professionals’ attitudes are likely to be skeptical. Follow-on questions could be useful in order to determine the underlying reasons for the skepticism. One can speculate about possible reasons. Concern about being asked to carry out programming which is beyond the scope of one’s professional preparation and competencies. Concern about the possibility of declining priority on the programming which one was hired to do. Concern about increased workload and increased competition within the organization for limited support dollars. Concern about loss of organizational focus. Loyalty to existing clientele. For Extension and University leaders who perceive the need or opportunity to launch new types of Extension activity, especially if they represent "entirely new program areas," it may be useful to identify which of these concerns are in play and to address them proactively. It will also be useful to understand that Extension programs are likely to expand and evolve up to a point but that such evolution will be subject to spontaneous internal constraints and limits. If new efforts are needed which fall beyond those constraints and limits, decisive and well-chosen initiatives on the part of OSU Extension leaders will be required. previous page top of this page next page