Extension ConnEXTion

July 2010 (print-friendly version)

From the Desk of the Associate Vice Provost, Deborah Maddy

SOARS tells of your good work!

On June 30, we received word from our federal partners that the OSU Extension Service 2009 Report of Accomplishments (ROA) and the 2011 Plan of Work (POW) were accepted.  For access to these documents go to http://extension.oregonstate.edu/internal/reporting-and-accountability 

Thanks to each of you who made a contribution to the submission. Your individual contribution came through SOARS, Extension’s electronic Stories, Outcomes, and Accomplishments Reporting System.  I’m happy to announce that SOARS provided a 100% of the information needed to complete the federal ROA and POW. 

Overall, the quality of the information within SOARS continues to improve, with the impact statement still being the weakest component.  Impact statements should be an executive summary of evaluation report with “Impacts of the Program” reporting knowledge gained, behavior changed, practices adopted, or economic, environmental or social benefits achieved.  I am looking for a clear and concise statement that can be used in a number of marketing and reporting venues.  Of course faculty members want to provide details of the inputs and the process, but that information belongs in the narrative.  The narrative is where the faculty members’ supervisor/supervision team goes for gathering detailed information for the annual performance review; the impact statement answers the question “so what” for the organization and serves as a marketing voice for your program success.

Interesting facts that I discovered about you in SOARS includes:

  • 157 impacts statements were submitted for 2009; a 41% increase from 2007 . . . I depended heavily on the impact statements to complete the federal report; these provided the best examples of the difference your work made.  If you conducted a program evaluation that resulted in knowledge gained, actions taken or behaviors changed, you will want to also complete an impact statement.  This section of SOARS is our most valuable resource for creating marketing materials, news stories, talking points and general reports for use with our stakeholders and the public. I did not read all 157 impact statements this year.  I asked program leaders to direct me to the ones that best matched the objectives outlined in the 2009 POW.  Although I didn’t read all the impact statements, you can bet your program leader did.
  • 447 grants were awarded in 2009, resulting in nearly $35.9 million of revenue; a 56% increase in new revenues coming to Extension during the past 12 months . . . The grants varied in size from a few thousand dollars to a million-plus figure.  If you are serving as a PI, please add new grants to SOARS when awarded.  Leveraging state dollars is one of the key objectives that our state funders use to measure Extension’s success.  I was recently asked by the President’s office what was the total grant dollars for Extension in 2000.  At $6.1 million in 2000, Extension has increased its grant revenues by nearly 6 in less than 10 years
  • 497 publications were authored by Extension faculty in 2009, with 18% (89) considered intellectual work validated by peers and communicated . . . The medium and the review processes varied greatly, but the creative and intellectual work of OSU Extension faculty is being validated by peers and communicated.  Scholarship continues to be a core value of the academy and the Provost asks annually for a listing of Extension-authored publications.  If you are the lead author of a publication, please remember to list it in SOARS when it is accepted for publication.
  • 83 awards were earned by Extension faculty and staff in 2009 . . . Congratulations to all who were honored.  It is a continued privilege to work with such a dedicated and high performing group of people.
  • 18,089 volunteers helped with Extension outreach . . . You believe that Extension can achieve greater results and build community capacity with the help of volunteers.  It is obvious that you value the public good that comes from collaborating with volunteers.
  • 2,038,760 Oregonians engaged at some level with Extension during 2009, compared to 672,396 reported in 2000 . . . These numbers include contacts made in group educational events or via phone, interactive video, mail, e-mail, newsletters, site or office visits.  They do not include web hits or mass media.

I was very pleased with what I learned about you and the quality of your work through SOARS.  What I like best about SOARS is its role as a database for easy and timely retrieval of information about the successes of OSU Extension faculty and staff.  SOARS gives me and other Extension administrators the most accurate, up-to-date information for representing you with our stakeholders, from elected officials to university administrators to the news media.  Your help in keeping SOARS current and relevant will be even more powerful as we prepare for the 2011-2012 biennium.

Save the date

Save the date for a reception honoring Teresa Hogue for her 36 years with the OSU Extension Service.  September 23rd, 3:00-5:00pm at the Deschutes County Extension Office Conference Room. 

Teresa’s last day will be September 30th, so please join us in thanking her for her contributions to the organization.

OSU Libraries and Oregon Explorer Update

By Bonnie Avery, Natural Resources Librarian

OSU Libraries’ services and Oregon Explorer TM
This summer look for entries on OSU Libraries’ services and its Oregon Explorer TM endeavors on alternate months.  If you have suggestions about any topics you think might be helpful, feel free to contact me at: bonnie . avery (at) oregonstate  . edu 

Changes this year at the Library
The library is changing fast thanks to the University Librarian Karyle Butcher’s enthusiasm for supporting new ideas and an influx of new librarians who work hard to take her up on this support.
Changes include:

  • Initiated document delivery of journal articles to faculty on campus, 
  • Began the migration of the Oregon Explorer portals to an open source software, 
  • Ran a successful pilot project of 24 hours (Sunday-Thursday) service during spring term, supported in part by ASOSU,
  • Added “text-a-librarian” reference service in addition to our usual chat, email and walk-up service,
  • Arranged for patron access to many more e-books
  • The search box on the library home page was revamped and is far more useful for one stop searching across our e-journal content.  
  • And more...

OSU’s institutional repository of digital documents

Thanks in no small part to the contributions from Extension and Experiment Station Publications and Forestry Communications, the ScholarsArchive@OSU, OSU’s institutional repository of digital documents has grown this year and is ranked  23rd of 400 worldwide (see all institutions at: http://repositories.webometrics.info/top400_rep.asp). More about this next month! Meanwhile, give it a try and let us know what you think.    

Diversity in our Workforce

In order to be successful in reaching Oregon’s increasingly diverse population, we must strive to better reflect the State’s diversity within Extension.  Extension’s Diversity Action Plan speaks clearly to this goal. Read the Extension’s Diversity Action Plan (PDF).

The OSU Extension Service strategic plan and our diversity plan are in alignment with the university’s mission statement:  “We value diversity because it enhances and provides tools to be culturally respectful, professionally competent, and civically responsible.”

I encourage each of you to visit the diversity section on our website to learn more and to read through the Plan and make a personal commitment to advancing diversity among our learners and our workforce!

 

Awards, Recognitions and Recent Publications

Congratulations to the following faculty, staff, volunteers and clientele who have recently received awards of recognition.

Maureen Hosty, Gary Delaney, John Williams, Deb Schreiber and Jed Smith:  received acceptance for their  4-H Urban-Rural Exchange for a sustainable Future program into the national Programs of Distinction data base.  The honor of being recognized by peers for developing, delivering and evaluating a high quality youth development program is rare but well deserved.

Sam Angima, Lincoln County received the National Epsilon Sigma Phi Early Career award. 

 

2009-2010 Promotion and Tenure

Garry Stephenson, Crop & Soil Science – Promotion to Professor

Wendy Hein, Clackamas County – Promotion to Senior Instructor

 

ANREP Annual Awards

ANREP Bob Wheeler memorial 5K fun run

Three way tie for 2nd place for women – Nicole Strong, Benton;  Amy Grotto, Columbia; Janean Creighton, Forest Ecosystems & Society

2nd place for men – Jim Johnson, Forestry Program Leader

Viviane Simon-Brown and her co-authors -  won the Bronze award for the Long Extension Publication for 2009, for Living Sustainably -- Its Your Choice.  The National Network for Sustainable Living Education, which Viviane directs, received the 2009 ANREP Award for Best Innovative Program, and she was also on a team of co-authors that won a 2009 ANREP Silver award for best Refereed Journal Article, namely, Sustainable Living Education: A Call to All Extension, published in the Journal of Extension. 

Steve Fitzgerald won the 2009 Short Extension Publication Gold award for his Fire Resistant Plants for Home Landscapes. 

Rob Emanuel, Derek Godwin, and Candace Stoughton won the Silver award for Long Extension Publication for 2010 for their The Oregon Rain Garden Guide - A Step-by-Step Guide to Landscaping for Clean Water and Healthy Streams. 

Bob Parker, Glenn Ahrens, Steve Fitzgerald, Paul Oester, and Chris Labelle won the 2010 Gold award for Best Web-Based Course for their How to Manage Your Forest. 

 

American Evaluation Association Fall Conference Presenters

Dave White and others on Youth Participatory Evaluation
Marc Braverman, Roger Rennekamp and others on Standards of Evidence for Determining What Works
Roger Rennekamp and others on Evaluation Capacity Building
Mary Arnold and others on Assessing Science Process Skills
Molly Engle and others on the Evaluators Role in Organizational Transformation
Molly Engle and others on Evaluation Skills Needed after Course Work

 

ACE Annual Critique and Awards Presentations

Graphic Design

Erik Simmons: Posters—Gold Award for 4-H Clover Poster

Mark Anderson-Wilk: Cover—Gold Award for A New Pest Attacking Healthy Ripening Fruit in Oregon

 

Publishing

Peg Herring, Erik Simmons, Tom Weeks, Tiffany Woods, Judy Scott, Lynn Ketchum, Karen Zimmerman: Magazines and Periodicals—Gold Award for Oregon’s Agricultural Progress

Peg Herring, Erik Simmons, Tom Weeks, Tiffany Woods, Judy Scott, Lynn Ketchum, Karen Zimmerman:
Electronic Publications—Gold Award for Oregon’s Agricultural Progress Online


Photography

Lynn Ketchum, Erik Simmons, Judy Scott:
Photo Series—Silver Award for Savory Images—Web slide show

Lynn Ketchum:
Environmental Portrait or Personality—Bronze Award for Seafood Chef


Professional Presentations

 Transformers: Case Studies in Transformation

Peg Herring, Oregon State University
Aimee Viniard-Weidman, University of Minnesota
Jacy Johnson, Iowa State University

 

Panel Discussion on Social Media Best Practices and Guidelines

Anne Mims Adrian, Auburn University
Elaine Edwards, Kansas State University
Jeff Hino, Oregon State University
Elizabeth Gregory North, Texas AgriLife
Peg Hull Shiffstall, Penn State University

 

Developing a Shared Digital Work Space in Central America

Dave King, Oregon State University
Don Poucher, University of Florida
Luz Marina Alvare, International Food Policy Research Institute

 

Assessing County Extension Program Readiness to Adopt Technology: They Don‘t Know What They Don’t Know

Jeff Hino, Oregon State University

 

Creating a Spectrum of Access: Linking What You Do to the University as a Whole

Jeff Hino, Oregon State University
Dave King, Oregon State University

 

Rethinking the Delivery of Extension Education

Steve Dodrill, Oregon State University 

 

Writing for Dollars: Funding Communications Programs with Grants

Jeanne Gleason, New Mexico State University
Dave King, Oregon State University

 

Who Knows What About Organizing and Archiving Video: A Panel Discussion

Lynn Ketchum, Oregon State University
Craig Woods, Oklahoma State University
Brad Beckman, University of Idaho

 

Steve Dodrill completed a year as ACE president, and Jeff Hino completed two years on the ACE Board of Directors.


Journal of Extension – June 2010

Education in the Face of Controversy: When Water and Politics Mix
Welch,
Teresa; Braunworth, William S., Jr.

Participatory Evaluation with Youth Leads to Community Action Project
Ashton,
Carolyn; Arnold, Mary E.; Wells, Elissa E.

Polk County Staff News

Effective July 1 2010, Jim Hermes became the head student advisor for the Department of Animal Sciences, in addition to his duties as Extension Poultry Specialist.  We appreciate Jim’s service as Staff Chair in Polk County for the past 5-1/2 years and for helping recently pass a service district for Extension in Polk county.  Jim had the added challenge of having campus-based duties while administering a county from a distance.

Upon Jim’s departure, Derek Godwin has been appointed to assume the role of Staff Chair for Marion and Polk Counties. Derek has served as Staff Chair for Marion County since 2005; Marion and Polk counties share faculty and programming.  In addition to his  administrative duties; Derek will continue to devote .20 FTE to Extension programming related to watershed education.

Joys, Sorrows and Well-wishes

Births

Shevon Hatcher, Umatilla County Office Coordinator and husband Joe are the proud parents of a baby boy Joseph Eugene Hatcher.  Joey was born June 10, 2010 weighing 8 lbs., 9 oz. and 20 inches long.  Both are doing well!

Get Well

Mike Bondi, Clackamas County, who is recuperating from an encounter with a chain saw.  Fortunately Mike won, however he will be home recuperating for a few weeks.

Deaths

Our sympathy to Sister of Lorena Becker, Josephine County, passed away on May 27, 2010.

Out-of-State Travel Update

The Provost has lifted the requirement that all out-of-state travel authorizations be approved by the Vice Provost.  Extension continues to follow the original requirement that all out-of-state travel authorizations need to be approved by the immediate supervisor. 

The online authorization system has been adjusted to reflect the changes.  

Personnel Updates

Provided by: UABC-HR

New Hires

  • Wayne Jardine – Operation Systems/Network Analyst - ECTU, 06/28/2010
  • Lena Downs - Seed Certification Aide 1 – Marion County, 06/01/2010
  • Jean Bremer – Office Specialist 1 – Clackamas County, 06/01/2010

Transfers

  • Denise Ashley - from Lane County Extension to Extension Administration

Retirements

  • Robert McReynolds – North Williamette Research & Extension Center
  • Janet Drollinger – Extension Administration
  • Fern Wilcox – Wasco County
  • Helen ‘Holly’ Berry – Marion County

Recruitment Updates: Unclassified

  • #0005306 Instructor – Clackamas Co. Ext.
    Committee Chair: Wendy Hein
    Status: Offer pending
  • #0005485 Education Coordinator – Crook Co. Ext.
    Committee Chair: Tim DeBoodt
    Status: Offer pending
  • #005531 Education Coordinator – Tillamook Co. Ext.
    Committee Chair: Troy Downing
    Status: Interviews in progress
  • #0005626 Executive Assistant – Extension Administration - Corvallis
    Committee Chair: Lonnie Morris
    Status: Interviews completed

Recruitment Updates: Classified

  • #0005677 – Education Program Assistant, Jackson Co. Ext.
    Committee Chair: Phil Van Buskirk
    Status: Offer Extended
  • #0005695 – Education Program Assistant, Deschutes Co. Ext.
    Committee Chair: Glenda Hyde
    Status: Offer extended
  • #0005812 – Accountant 1, Lincoln Co. Ext.
    Committee Chair: San Angima
    Status: close date 07/09/10