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:
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 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.
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:
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.
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!
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.
Garry Stephenson, Crop & Soil Science – Promotion to Professor
Wendy Hein, Clackamas County – Promotion to Senior Instructor
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
Our sympathy to Sister of Lorena Becker, Josephine County, passed away on May 27, 2010.
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.
Provided by: UABC-HR