2009 PSD Highlights
From Extension Collaborative Wiki
3. Briefly describe your program highlights for 2009
Georgia
ExTEND Program - In an effort to prepare for the future, ExTENDis an opportunity for Extension Academy for Professional Excellence graduates who have a serious interest in furthering their professional leadership development and making a significant contribution to Georgia Extension. As a follow-up to the Extension Academy, ExTEND is based on the same program objectives and participant commitment, but with an in-depth, individualized focus. An application process was used, followed by interviews. A group of 14 have been accepted into the program which will begin Fall, 2009.
The program will include required professional development sessions as well as self-directed activities based on individual interests and goals as part of a Personal Action Plan. An international experience will be designed for the group’s interests. Participants will contribute to planning content to assure that the program is relevant to the needs and interests of the group and each individual. They will also contribute to the development and implementation of the third Extension Academy class.
South Carolina - Clemson University
Clemson hosted Dr. Laura Kalambodikis, University of Minnesota, to conduct a training on Identifying and Buidling the Public Value of Clemson University Extension Programs.
New Employee Orientation was conducted using Adobe Connect. The Staff Development Department’s web site and educational modules have been updated. Clemson is using a new content management system.
Strengthening Extension Advisory Leaders (SEAL): Della Baker served on the 2009 SEAL Writing Team and developed an educational module on New Styles of Volunteering. The lesson was taught during one of the concurrent sessions at the SEAL Conference that was held in Charlotte, North Carolina, May 19 – 21, 2009.
Needs Assessment An assessment was conducted to determine the proficiency levels of new agents. The assessment helps in determining training needs for new and current agents.
Mentoring Training A mentoring training was conducted for 33 agents. The training formalized expectations of mentors and proteges, identified areas in the system that needed strengthening and identified stategies that needed to be revised.
Mississippi
In-Service Update
Devoting adequate time and effort to employee in-service training continues to be important in Mississippi. Consider these statistics for the 2008 in-service year that began 10/1/07 and ends 9/30/08:
- 197 distinct courses and 250 sections offered
- 237 in-service training hours were offered via Interactive Video
- 1,012 hours offered in total (571 total hours in face-to-face sessions, 293 in "Core" types of training - eg. computers, communications, leadership).
New Employee Orientation
New employee orientation conducted this year included both new agents and specialists in the same group. This orientation provided both groups with the opportunity to better understand the roles and function each provide within the system. Having both groups in the same training created some really good dialogue in regard to how programming is conducted by agents at the county-level, and how specialists support that programming effort.
New Agent Mentoring Program
Quarterly evaluations provided by the new agent and their mentor during the twelve-month mentoring period show the program is continuing to work extremely well. As a result of these quarterly evaluations, we have the opportunity to assess how the new agent is progressing during the first year of employment. We also receive feedback from both the new agent and mentor as to how we can improve the program to make it even better.
Mississippi Women In Agriculture Program
The purpose of the Mississippi Women In Agriculture (MSWIA) program was to increase the knowledge and skills of farm women in business management. The objectives of the program were: (1) provide workshops on risk management topics, (2) provide videoconferences that address the issues, and (3)develop a MWIG website that contain information that participants can review and reinforce concepts learned at regional workshops.
In Mississippi, women play a significant role in the farming business, either as the primary operator or as the spouse of a farmer. Although women's involvement in the decision-making and financial management of the farming operation is critical, they often lack knowledge and skills of how to approach the operational part of the business. This program is designed to help increase the knowledge of the women on the farm.
In this case, the program focused on a group (women in agriculture) that has been historically underrepresented. This lack of attention often leads to the underrepresented group having negative feelings due to the lack of attention paid to them as compared to others. These negative feelings may include inadequacy, unimportance, or irrelevance. Both the program and the evaluation procedures had to be developed while taking this likely attitude into consideration.
Three regional three-day workshops and one regional one-day workshop were conducted across the state. Fifty-one pre and posttests were collected from the three regional three-day workshops and 13 were collected from the one-day workshop. All of the participants were female; the participant’s age ranged 40 to 59 years old. Eleven percent was single, 84% were married and four % were widowed. T-Tests were conducted on the means to reveal the significant differences between the pre and posttest. Participants indicated their knowledge level increased on all topics.
Virginia
Impact Reporting The College of Ag and Life Sciences administrative leadership continues to focus on strong economic, environmental, and social impact reporting. Training and technical assistance continues with agents, specialists, district program leaders, and planned program teams. Specialists and teams have developed impact report templates for statewide programs to aggregate data and streamline data collection and reporting. Guest lectures and presentations on impact reporting and the public value of Extension across the nation are frequently given. Nancy also serves as the chair of the ECOP Excellence in Extension Implementation Team focused on collecting data on nationwide impact indicators for Extension Directors and Administrators.
Program Evaluation To improve program quality and impact reporting, faculty increasingly search for ways to improve program evaluation to enhance program quality and impact. Training and technical assistance continues with agents, specialists, district program leaders, planned program teams, and select volunteer groups. The goal is to build evaluation capacity and evaluative thinking in these audiences. Heather and Nancy also serve as officers of the Extension Education interest group of the American Evaluation Association and are presenting a number of workshops at AEA this year.
Programming Cycle Work continues to institutionalize a consistent and systematic programming cycle for Extension programming at the state level across program areas. Nancy and Heather work with administration and program leaders to implement timelines, tasks, and tools for the internal audiences involved.
New Agent Professional Development Framework A framework was developed and implemented to help new agents gain competencies for sustained and effective employment. This includes new faculty orientation held at VT and VSU, mentors training and support, the Extension Programming Institute, individual technical assistance, small group training, and an orientation ring binder awaits each new agent on their start date.
Community DECISIONS This interdisciplinary research, teaching, and Extension project focuses on community collaboration to plan watershed management. Heather serves as the program evaluator for the project and conducted a one credit evaluation course for VT students engaged with the project.
How Farmers Learn Research This Southern SARE research grant examined how farmers in Virginia prefer to learn and what that means for Extension work. Fifteen focus groups were conducted with farmers, agents, and specialists in Louisiana, Tennessee, and Virginia. Several reports, posters, a logic model, a voice over power point, and journal articles of the results and implications have been shared. Extension faculty inservice based on the project results has begun.
PLN Research This project examined the value of the Southern Region PLN for its members and Extension in general. Five focus groups and an electronic survey were conducted. Results were shared with ASRED and the PLC. An article on the results and implications has been submitted to the Journal of Extension
AEE Department Activities Nancy and Heather participate in all the usual great department functions – student advising, guest lecturing, committee leadership and membership, seminars, etc.
Kentucky
New Agent Web Site The site (http://www.ca.uky.edu/extensionjobs/newagent/orientation.php)has been developed to guide learning activities of newly hired County Extension Agents through the first year of employment. It includes topics to be addressed on the 1st day of employment, followed by the tasks to be completed by the 1st week, the 3rd month and the 6th month. The site identifies a list of 55 topics or tasks ranging from “discuss county office safety & security” processes to “discuss with the Regional Program Coordinator the effectiveness of various program delivery methods.” In addition, for each task the current employee who is responsible for initiating the dialogue is listed. In some cases it is the County Staff Assistant. Other times, it is an administrator or another agent in the county or district. The site is designed to provide “just in time” learning experiences for newly employed staff as they progress through their first year as a County Extension Agent.
In-Service System Redesigned The in-service education system simplifies submission of trainings and provides agents more flexibility in managing their trainings. Agents receive automatically generated e-mails confirming enrollment and it will not allow duplicate enrollment in any one session. Agents receive an e-mail notice of an upcoming in-service session in which they are enrolled seven days prior to the session. When entering the system the agents automatically see every in-service session they are enrolled in and the list of other enrollees. (This is especially helpful for coordinating travel in a tight budget environment.) The in-service session contact will receive an e-mail reminding them to post attendance and a link to that site. Agents may view and print a transcript of their participation in in-service sessions for support in Career Ladder activities.
New PSD Web Site The Program & Staff Development web site was reorganized to be more user-friendly. A design using folder tabs identifying topics from one linking program development information to a tab for Extension Specialists guide users through the site. The front page will be used to post direct links for report forms and other documents when agents are completing reports or submitting plans of work . Visit the site at: http://www.ca.uky.edu/psd/index.php
Kentucky State University This new role was initiated in January 2009 and focused on updating all staff on development of logic models, using and submitting reports and impact statement; identifying training and development needs of KSU staff; developing evaluation tools for specialists' presentations; and building relationships with internal and external support systems.
Arkansas
Department Organization: The PSD Interim Department Head, Dr. Mike French retired in January of 2009. Karen Ballard was appointed Interim Department Head in March 2009, and has served in this capacity for the remainder of the year. In 2009, discussions continued regarding the merging of the Extension Program and Staff Development Department with the UA-Fayetteville’s Department of Agricultural and Extension Education (AEE). Due to the vacancy of the Arkansas Associate Vice President for Agriculture – Extension, all planned Extension organizational changes have been placed on hold until this position is filled.
Faculty Leadership Program: Since the 2008 PLN meeting, the fourth Faculty Leadership Program class has started. Sixteen faculty members from a pool of 22 were selected. The program began in January 2009 and the class members have participated in four of the seven seminars. The topics of the four seminars were: Understanding the Organization, Professional Development, Problems Solving, and Professionalism. During the Problem Solving Seminar the class members participated in one of two decision making scenarios. One scenario focused on onboarding new employees and the other scenario addressed new recruitment and retention of employees. In June, as a follow up to the seminar the class presented their recommendations to the Executive leadership team. As a result, the FLP class members have continued to give feedback to the PSD department regarding ongoing projects related to a new onboarding system and a new supervisor training system. FLP class members have been selected to serve on these workgroups and are excited about the opportunity to influence two real organizational decisions. In October, FLP class members will play an integral role in a new onboarding training “Check In and Tune Up.”
Supervisor Training: Since January 2009, 27 Extension faculty, county agents and administrators have retired. Fifteen or 55 percent of these retirees were supervisors in upper level administration, middle management (district directors and department heads), or staff chairs. As a result of these retirements and the need to provide skills for new supervisors PSD has been charged with the responsibility of initiating supervisor training system. The PSD department met with the Executive Leadership Team in conjunction with the Faculty Leadership Program presentation of their recommendations to the new employee onboarding and the recruitment and retention scenarios. As a result of the meeting a supervisor workgroup has been appointed and will meet for the first time on August 25 to address training needs for new supervisors and to design and implement a training continuum for supervisors.
Allisen Penn is also working with the Southern Region Management Workgroup. The Workgroup conducted as survey with Extension Directors and Administrators, Department Heads, County Directors and Program and Staff Development faculty to identify the most important competencies to the success of Extension manager/supervisors, the competencies in which new supervisors are the least skilled, and to identify existing resources for training supervisors. The results of the are being presented during the PLN meeting.
New Employee Orientation: New Employee Orientation (NEO) was conducted in October 2008 for 24 Extension faculty and staff. The one day orientation includes an administrative welcome, an overview of all the program areas by upper level administrators, a tour of the state office and an overview of benefits with time for question and answers. As part of NEO, the Information Technology department has an online training module. Since NEO is limited in scope, faculty and CEA’s are encouraged to register for the Filling Your Extension Toolbox In-Service, which focuses on process skills Extension professionals need to be successful educators. The spring NEO which is typically conducted in May was suspended until a new employee onboarding system can be implemented.
Informed by a robust organizational survey on needs assessment for training conducted in May, the design for a New Employee Onboarding Program is underway. The onboarding program’s proposed design features an online New Employees Welcome Center, a one-day “Check in and Tune Up for New Hires” face-to-face event, a mentoring and job shadowing program, and training for supervisors of new hires. All four pieces will help a new hire get "onboard" and be successful within the first 12 months of their new job. A key consulting group comprised of internal Faculty Leadership Program members has been actively involved in the program’s design and delivery.
Extension Agent Core Curriculum Training System Development: An effort is underway to identify the core competencies needed by county agents to effectively carry out the duties of their positions. In addition to identifying these competencies, a protocol will be developed to incorporate agent competencies into the hiring and professional development training procedures currently utilized by the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service. The goal of this effort is to help identify professional development needs of agents and to then provide those professional development opportunities.
Managing in Tough Times (MiTT) National Extension Initiative: PSD faculty Karen Ballard and Rich Poling have served on the leadership team for the Managing in Tough Times National Extension Inititative. The purpose of the MiTT Initiative is to provide Extension educators across the country with access to educational resources, produced mainly by fellow Extension educators, for use in their educational programs. (For more details, look under the “LIST 2009 COLLABORATIVE ACTIVITIES AND FUNDING SOURCES” section of this report.)
Extension Support Staff In-Service: The annual Extension Support Staff In-Service training was conducted in April, 2009. One hundred fourteen classified support staff participated in the two-day training. Classes included topics related to management, technical and personal development skills needed by classified support staff.
Small Group Mentoring: A group of three to four agents in two of Arkansas’s Extension Districts participated in small group mentoring sessions. The purpose of the mentoring sessions was to provide less experienced agents peer support, as well as support from an experience, non-administrative professional. Each group has identified three to four topics or areas in which they need the most help. These areas include working with advisory committees and key stakeholders, time management, program planning, program evaluation and reporting, working with volunteers and professional confidence (teaching, networking and image). Feedback from the district teams indicates that each member of the mentoring group improved their performance in at least one of the areas identified by the group.
Strengthening Extension Advisory Leaders (SEAL): Allisen Penn serves on the SEAL planning committee. The fourth Seal Conference was held in Charlotte, North Carolina, May 19 – 21, 2009. Allisen and Jeanne Davis (KY) made up the Empowering Advisory Leaders writing team and developed three lessons for the module. The three lessons are: Building Partnerships and Communicating with Policymakers, Understanding Adult Learners, and Advocating for Extension: Storytelling. The each of the three lessons were taught during three concurrent sessions. Four modules make up the 2009 SEAL curriculum. A general presentation about the SEAL conference, including evaluation results will be given during the PLN conference.
New Online Course Site Launches: On July 1st, a new online course site powered by Moodle launched at http://courses.uaex.edu. This site offers free courses for both Arkansas Extension employees and our public. Many core competency courses intended for internal Extension agent are also open to the public. Courses currently open are: Core Plant Pathology, Years 1 and 2; Core Entomology, Years 1 and 2; Core Aquaculture, Year 1; Core Horticulture, Year 1, Part 1: Foundations and Ornamentals; Fly Integrated Pest Management on Dairies; Basic Home Food Preservation (open to FCS agents only); Presentation Skills for Extension Educators; Southern Extension History; Core Health, Year 1: Truths and Myths Confronting the Health Consumer; and Core Gerontology, Year 1: Introduction.
New Multimedia, Core Horticulture Course Developed with Articulate Studio: The new core Horticulture course, Year 1, Part 1: Foundations and Ornamentals features animation, narration, music, embedded questions, and interactivity developed using the Articulate Studio plug in for PowerPoint. Articulate allows the publishing of content to both Moodle and CD-Rom for those with portable learning needs or those without reliable highspeed internet access. In Fall of 2009, it will be publicized to new Arkansas master gardeners to supplement their 7-week training. Feel free to check it out and provide feedback at http://courses.uaex.edu.
Program and Staff Development Website Development: With a new content management system being implemented for the University of Arkansas Extension Website, the Program and Staff Development Department is in the process of updating, revising and adding content to its Web pages to provide easier access to resources provided by the department.
"Filling Your Extension Toolbox" Extension Educator Process Skills In-Service Training Course: In December, 2008, the PSD faculty and staff collaboratively developed and taught the third iteration of the Filling Your Extension Toolbox in-service training for new/relatively new Extension educators dealing with educational process skills. The in-service course incorporated both the four-day face-to-face learning experience and an additional eight hours of Web-based learning experiences utilizing Arkansas Extension’s “Educator” on-line learning platform. Fourteen Extension educators successfully completed the course.
Financial Security for All Community of Practice Evaluation: As a member of the Financial Security for All Evaluation Team, Rich Poling continues to provide consultation for the evaluation of FSA materials offered through eXtension.
Extension Program Planning and Accountability System Revisions: Successfully completed the modification of the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture program planning and accountability system to better parallel the CSREES planning and reporting system. The system went from 23 planned program areas in FY2008 to 11 program areas for FY2009. Efforts included training sessions for administrators and program team leaders. Assistance was provided to program teams and specialist contacts to merge programs and re-write plans of work.
Extension Continuing Education Credit Programs: One new program was certified to be eligible to award continuing education units (CEU) credits for participants in those programs.
Online Evaluation Resources: Karen Ballard developed web-based evaluation training modules and resource materials for CES faculty.
LeadAR Leadership Development Program: PSD faculty members Karen Ballard, Allisen Penn and Rich Poling continue to conduct educational program sessions for the UofA Extension LeadAR leadership development program.
Alabama
- The 4-H leadership in Alabama has taken on its own staff development and offered in-service training throughout the year. Topics ranged from volunteer training to grant-writing.
- The communications department initiated periodic 30-minute webinars. These in-service events focused on media training, telephone etiquette and writing for the web.
- The IT group has provided technical training throughout the year across the state and via Web. In addition, Anne Adrian has provided social media training in face-to-face meetings and at a distance.
- Additionally, the IT group has provided training and web conferencing with eXtension on social media and idea sharing among IT trainers.
- Ron Williams has provided accountability training for Extension educators and administrators.
- Over the past three years, the supervisors within ACES have participated in a “Legal Series” conducted by the Auburn University HR Office that included the following courses:
- LG100 Intro to the Legal Foundations of Supervising University Employees
- LG120 Conducting Legally Effective Interviews
- LG140 Preventing and Managing Absenteeism
- LG160 Employee Discipline and Poor Conduct
- LG180 Preventing Sexual Harassment
- LG200 The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
- LG220 Privacy Rules and HIPPA
- LG240 The Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
- LG260 Understanding the Americans with Disabilities Act
- LG280 Returning an Employee to Acceptable Job Performance
These courses are offered via distance technology and a large number of supervisors participate at remote sites.
- Additionally an online masters’ degree program has been established that many ACES employees are participating in via video conferencing. This is a masters in adult education with a focus on Extension.
Louisiana--LSU AgCenter 2009 has been anything BUT a normal programming year for Louisiana. The first part of the year was spent adjusting programming statewide to meet the demands created by hurricane Gustav and the second half of the year was primarily spent creating reports for the state legislature and those attempting to defend the LSU AgCenter's portion of the state budget.
ODE program highlights for 2009 included:
- Graduate level courses in program development, program evaluation and facilitation skills were taught by ODE faculty
- Statewide training on advisory councils was conducted
- Assisted departments with strategic planning
- Faculty Portfolio was revised to better connect the pieces between the issues identified by stakeholders and the programming conducted
- Tony Bridwell, Vice President of Partners in Leadership, conducted a presentation on The Oz Principle at Annual Conference. Since that time, regional directors and parish chairs have received copies of the book and the principles are being reinforced and modeled.
Texas 2009 was a successful year for the unit. New initiatives in the areas of onboarding and leadership development were launched. Both of these initiatives are major changes from the previous efforts. In addition, the unit received funding to evaluate the post recovery of Hurricane Ike.
2009 also allowed us to welcome new member to the unit. These new staff include Dr. Jeff Ripley, Ms Kate Bradley, Ms Jean Suh, and 6 individuals working on the Hurricane Ike project.
