| Following a review and incorporation of suggestions made by the Citizen
Task Force on the Future of Cooperative Extension, the University of
Wyoming has redrafted its long-term Cooperative Extension Service (CES)
Strategic Plan.
The CES plan, begun by the College of Agriculture in 1999, identified
five program initiatives that the college has been authorized to
implement. They are: profitable and sustainable agricultural systems, 4-H
and youth development, nutrition and food safety, sustainable management
of rangeland resources, and enhancing Wyoming communities and households.
UW President Philip L. Dubois formed the citizen task force in October
2000 to evaluate the objectives and strategies associated with these
initiatives; the allocation of resources among the five initiatives; the
organization and staffing of CES field offices; the adequacy of funding
levels currently allocated to CES by the federal, state, and county
governments; and the potential availability of additional resources, as
needed, to carry out the CES mission.
In its June 2001 review, the task force noted that, while the CES has a
long tradition of serving the citizens and communities of Wyoming, it
faces challenges including a demand for increased services, changes in its
traditional focus, and financial limitations that have made program
delivery more difficult. They endorsed much of the plan while recommending
additional steps to help CES be of even greater benefit to the residents
of Wyoming's 23 counties.
Recommendations
The following specific task force recommendations have been
incorporated into the plan:
Implementing the model proposed in the plan dividing the state into
nine extension areas, with area educators sharing expertise across county
lines. UW would retain a prominent role in each county and maintain an
office in each county with a county-based 4-H program and at least two
educators -- an area educator and an educator focused on the county's 4-H
and youth program.
Establishing an advisory board for each of the nine extension
areas, with representation on the College of Agriculture Advisory Council
to advise UW CES on area needs and to help guide the program. CES
Executive Director Glen Whipple said no plans have been established at
this time on how the advisory board will be selected, but he noted each
county will be represented and each area of service will be represented.
Creating within the Wyoming County Commissioners Association a
committee on cooperative extension, which would serve in an advisory
capacity to UW CES. UW CES administrators already have begun discussions
with the association.
Increasing cooperation among CES specialists, county-based CES
employees, and CES administration through a team-based program leadership
model, with incentives to reward cooperation and interaction.
Conducting a needs assessment in each extension area and working
with advisory boards, county commissioners, and other agencies to focus
local programming and to prevent duplication between CES family and
consumer science programs and county based social service programs.
Providing at least one full-time employee to be responsible for 4-H
and youth programs within each county, with one-half of the funding by
county government. Hiring would take place over time using available
resources.
Filling two UW CES positions currently in the search process,
bringing the state 4-H office up to four full-time specialists.
Creating a committee composed of UW CES program associates,
educators, and specialists to explore ways to expand promotion
opportunities for CES program associates and to recommend an advancement
system to college and university administrators.
Forming a committee to examine and revise the evaluation system for
CES employees to make it a more effective personnel development tool.
Focusing on team-building efforts during the CES fall 2001 annual
conference as a kick-off for an ongoing team-based program leadership
model.
Whipple said implementation of the Task Forces recommendations will
likely start early next year. He said comments are still being accepted
and the start of implementation depends on the type of comments received.
Dubois said, "We are confident that this plan is responsive to the
input we've had, and we are working to begin implementation early next
year. Still, we invite those interested in cooperative extension to again
review this draft and send comments by Dec. 19 to UW CES Director Glen
Whipple at P.O. Box 3354, Laramie, WY 82071-3354, or phone 307-766-5124,
or e-mail glen@uwyo.edu."
Whipple said the extension area that will include Big Horn County will
be composed of Big Horn, Park, Washakie and Hot Springs counties.
We began work on this proposal 18 months ago and we havent
received a lot of input on the re-organization of the Big Horn Basin,
Whipple said.
Currently Big Horn County is served by one CES ag educator, Troy
Cooper; one family and consumer science educator, Patricia Booher,
currently on a one-year education leave; and a 4-H program associate,
currently vacant after Carolyn Karhu retired last spring.
Park County has a family and consumer science educator but vacant ag
educator and 4-H positions. Washakie County has an ag educator and a
family and consumer science educator. Their 4-H position, Whipple said, is
going to become vacant soon.
Hot Springs County has an ag educator and is currently searching for a
4-H program associate.
Whipple said the 4-H program will be county based and not cross county
lines. However, he said, the purpose of the extension areas is to provide
the expertise of educators in certain counties to assist other counties in
their extension area.
Traditionally, he said, each county had an ag educator and a family and
consumer science educator and those educators had to be all things to all
people.
The educators had difficulty in keeping up to serve the countys
needs, Whipple said. The new model allows educators to specialize in
specific areas. For example, he said, one countys ag educator could
specialize in crops, another in livestock, another in animal health.
This will allow them to serve the people in the entire extension area a
little better, Whipple said.
Overall strengths
Among the overall strengths of CES noted by the task force are the
unique support the program provides Wyoming residents in agriculture,
family and consumer sciences, natural resources, community resource and
youth development, cultural experiences, appreciation for common values,
citizenship, and a sense of community; loyalty and commitment on the part
of CES employees and interest in CES on the part of Wyoming residents.
The task force also identified specific strengths of the strategic
plan, including the establishment of collaborative and creative statewide
teams for support of the plan's five initiatives, the formation of nine
extension areas that will combine the expertise of CES staff in adjacent
counties to foster greater specialization and cooperation, and a
reaffirmation of the importance of service to all Wyoming counties.
The full text of the revised strategic plan and the task force report
are available on the World Wide Web at http://agecon.uwyo.edu/cesstrategicplan/default.htm.
Rancher Mary Flitner of Shell was a member of the task force. |