The Questionnaire Cover memo from Dean and Director Instructions Questionnaire

Cover Memo from Dean and Director To: OSU Extension faculty member From: Lyla Houglum, Dean and Director I’m writing to ask you to complete a brief questionnaire contained in this email. First, a bit of background: About eight years ago, Oregon State University launched into a cluster of innovations that changed the way we deliver on the land grant university’s “Third Mission.” Starting in 1995, we did some things that were unusual and unprecedented, such as the University’s new definition of scholarship. Our innovations have attracted attention from across the country, but until recently we have not really looked systematically at how well they are working for us, or what we may need to do in order to take full advantage of the operating framework that has been created here. The questionnaire asks some key questions that will help us to do that. Key findings will be presented at our Annual Conference in September. Also, your responses will provide guidance to the Extension cabinet as we set an agenda for continuing to strengthen the way Extension goes about serving the people of Oregon. Your participation in this study is completely voluntary and you may refuse to answer any question. Since this survey is only being sent to Extension faculty, your participation is vital to the study. Dr. Duane Dale is working with us on the study and will be analyzing the questionnaire responses. He is a former Extension specialist from Massachusetts who is also conducting a national study of Extension strategy and organizational effectiveness. So as to assure the confidentiality of your responses, you will be emailing your responses directly to him. Thank you in advance for contributing your viewpoints by means of this questionnaire.

Instructions Dear OSU Extension faculty member: The questionnaire that follows will take you about 10 minutes to complete. Your participation in this study is completely voluntary and you may refuse to answer any question. Since this survey is only being sent to Extension faculty, your participation is vital to the study. If possible, please complete it now and email it back to me. The deadline is Wednesday, August 8th. If you can’t complete it right away, would you mark it on your calendar so that you’ll be sure to do it? Please return the questionnaire by e-mail. Click "Reply" on your e-mail software, but please take a look at the "To" box to make sure it's going only to DFDassoc@mindspring.com, not to a list or any other individual mailbox. I assure you that I will treat your responses confidentially; this will include avoiding summaries in such small breakouts that responses from members of small groups can be identified. To complete the questionnaire on your computer screen, just type numbers or words into the blank lines provided. Just put your cursor somewhere in the blank line and start typing, __X__ or _+3_ __or words, like this__Thanks very much for your participation. If you have questions about this survey or the survey procedures, please contact me at DFDassoc@mindspring.com. If you have any questions about your rights as a participant, please contact the OSU Institutional Review Board (IRB) Coordinator at IRB@orst.edu or via phone at (541) 737-3437. -- Duane Dale

The Questionnaire 1. Please indicate your primary Extension assignment by typing the number 1 on one of the lines below. If you have a secondary assignment, type a 2 next to it. ___ 4-H Youth Development ___ Agriculture ___ Family and Community Development ___ Forestry ___ Sea Grant ___ Other: _________________________ ___ Not applicable ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2. In what year did you become an Oregon State University Extension Service professional? ______ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 3. PLEASE NOTE: The next several groups of items have two columns for response, one marked “THEN” and the other marked “NOW.” If you were an OSUES professional on January 1, 1995, the word “THEN” means 1995. If you became an OSUES professional more recently, “THEN” will mean the year you began. If you joined OSUES in the last year or two, it may be difficult to provide a “THEN” rating that’s much different from your “NOW” rating, but please do so as best you can. However, if you do skip any “THEN” items, please complete the “NOW” column regardless. Rate each item for THEN and NOW by typing numbers onto each of the two lines to the left, using this scale: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 low high      THEN NOW 3a. ____ ____ Your professional satisfaction as an Extension professional. 3b. ____ ____ Extension's success in making a worthwhile contribution to the quality of life in Oregon. 3c. ____ ____ Extension's success in making a worthwhile contribution to the quality of life in Oregon for those who need its help the most. 3d. ____ ____ OSU Extension Service’s overall health as an organization. 3e. ____ ____ The financial well-being of the OSU Extension organization. 3f. ____ ____ Extension professionals' sense of job security in Oregon. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 4. Continue, using the same scale: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 low high      THEN NOW 4a. ____ ____ Closeness of the working relationships between on- and off-campus faculty in your program area. 4b. ____ ____ Degree of integration of research & Extension in your program area. 4c. ____ ____ Degree to which academic units are implementing Extension as part of their fundamental missions in your program area. 4d. ____ ____ Degree to which research, instruction, and Extension have equal status and importance within your program area. 4e. ____ ____ Extent to which scholarship activities carried out by Extension faculty are enhancing Extension programs in your program area. 4f. ____ ____ Extent to which scholarship activities carried out by non-Extension faculty are enhancing Extension programs in your program area. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 5. Continue as before, responding for THEN and for NOW, but using this scale: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 disagree agree Where 1 means "strongly disagree" 4 is neutral 7 means "strongly agree"      THEN NOW 5a. ____ ____ My program area listens attentively to the people and communities it serves. 5b. ____ ____ My program area makes good use of the guidance it receives from program participants to shape its programs. 5c. ____ ____ My program area makes good use of the guidance it receives from the general public to shape its programs. 5d. ____ ____ When the public's input indicates the need for new research, my program area is able to influence the research agenda. 5e. ____ ____ My program area is able to respond quickly to develop and deliver programs when an issue is time-sensitive. 5f. ____ ____ My program area is providing staff development activities that help to prepare our professionals to work effectively with particular segments of the population that are growing (such as recent immigrants, the elderly, etc.). 5g. ____ ____ My program area uses new communication technologies when appropriate. 5h. ____ ____ Sufficient program support resources, including funding, are being allocated to my program area. 5i. ____ ____ Sufficient support staff are available within my program area. 5j. ____ ____ My program area has the ability to address the specific needs of clients. 5k. ____ ____ Departments welcome the involvement of Extension faculty from my program area in departmental and college issues. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 6. Continue, using the same scale. The items in this group have to do with OSUES as a whole. 6a. ____ ____ OSU Extension maintains financial reserves that could help us to weather hard times. 6b. ____ ____ OSU Extension has a group of supporters who are willing and capable at speaking out in behalf of Extension and its funding needs. 6c. ____ ____ The Oregon public understands what Extension does. 6d. ____ ____ Virtually everything that OSU Extension does is done well. 6e. ____ ____ Decisions about what programs OSU Extension will and won't do are guided by a strong sense of the Extension mission. 6f. ____ ____ Extension people are committed to adapting our programs and methods to the changing times. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 7. In order for OSUES to continue to make valued contributions and to thrive in the decades ahead, flexibility is needed. Several different types of flexibility are listed below. How important do you think each type of flexibility is to the future of OSUES? Rate each item by typing a number in the blank to the left of each, according to this scale: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 low high importance importance 7a. ___ Providing new services to existing clients. 7b. ___ Moving into entirely new program areas that Extension hasn’t addressed before. 7c. ___ Using new media and methods for program delivery. 7d. ___ Providing services to new client groups, previously unserved or underserved by Extension, and adjusting program content as necessary to serve their needs. 7e. ___ Forming new teams of Extension & non-Extension University people to provide needed services. 7f. ___ Hiring staff for emerging or short-term needs. 7g. ___ Other? (Add here and then rate it): ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 8. Do you have a position description for your job? [ ] yes [ ] no 9. If yes to question 8, during what year was your position description last written or updated (approximately)? ______ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 10. If you have a joint appointment of one of these types, use an X to indicate it: 10a. ___ research 10b. ___ teaching 11. If you have any of these administrative responsibilities, type an X to indicate it: 11a. ___ staff chair 11b. ___ program leader 11c. ___ department head 12. Are you tenured? 12a. ___ Yes, prior to January 1, 1995. 12b. ___ Yes, after January 1, 1995. 12c. ___ No, but I’m on tenure track. 12d. ___ No, and I’m not on tenure track. 13. Use an X to indicate where you are based: 13a. ___ a county extension office 13b. ___ the Corvallis campus 13c. ___ other (research & extension center, branch experiment station, Hatfield Center, etc.) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Optional Section: The remaining questions are optional. We would appreciate your completing them if time permits. 14. Considering just the scholarship portion of your Extension assignment, use an X to indicate the purpose(s) of your scholarship activities: 14a. ___ Assessment of local situation and/or needs, intended to guide Extension programming 14b. ___ Discovery adding to the pool of knowledge relevant to my type of Extension programming 14c. ___ Integration of knowledge, suited to the needs of Extension educators or clientele 14d. ___ Development of educational materials that integrate relevant knowledge and specific delivery methods for intended audiences 14e. ___ Evaluation intended to enhance the quality of future Extension programming 14f. ___ Other: _____________________________ 15. Which of the following approaches have you used to validate the newly discovered or newly integrated knowledge resulting from the scholarship portion of your Extension appointment? 15a. ___ Circulation to peers with feedback requested 15b. ___ Pre-publication review of manuscript or program material 15c. ___ Follow-up survey of program participants for usage and/or impact data 15d. ___ Survey of peer usage of program materials 15e. ___ Competitive grant funding 15f. ___ Other: ___________________________________ 16. Which of the following mechanisms have you used to communicate the newly discovered or newly integrated knowledge resulting from the scholarship portion of your Extension assignment? 16a. ___ Article in professional or scientific journal 16b. ___ Abstract in professional or scientific publication 16c. ___ Distribution of new or improved program material 16d. Presentation to a professional, scientific, or other peer group meeting. 16e. Poster presentation or demonstration to a professional, scientific, or other peer audience. 16f. ___ Extension publication 16g. ___ Experiment Station publication 16h. ___ Other: ___________________________________ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This completes the questionnaire. Please return it by emailing it to Duane Dale at DFDassoc@mindpsring.com. Thank you for your participation in

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