- Author: Wendy Powers
Another busy week with many overlapping conversations focused on opportunities for UC ANR. When I met with Dr. Carrie Castille a week or so ago, her comments focused on the need for responsive outreach around the Biden priority topics of climate change, economic recovery following the pandemic, and a need to increase the diversity and inclusiveness of the land grant system. These are all priorities for the Cooperative Extension System this year and for the next couple of years. In addition, issues associated with the urban-rural interface, including infrastructure and workforce development, are areas of emphasis and where, I think, there is tremendous opportunity to demonstrate the Cooperative Extension value to more decision makers. We've been in this space for a long time, but we may not have communicated our impact story using language that resonates.
During a conversation with other CE directors from the West, I learned that Idaho talks about 4-H as ‘students first class at the University of Idaho'. I wonder how that would be received by the UC Academic Senate. No harm in trying it out. Colorado State University is working to ensure systemwide branding so that when a user visits the Durango County Cooperative Extension website, they recognize immediately that they are on a ‘ram' site (the CSU mascot). The goal is to lift the profile of CSU in communities across the state and convey the entirety of CSU efforts in any given county. I took a look at a site for the University of Missouri system. The system has focused on the collective impact by the system for the benefit of each county. I like the approach. Thinking about the size of the UC system and of California, I am tired of thinking about what it would take for us to accomplish something similar. Rhode Island would be far simpler.
There are many more conversations yet to be had this week, including more partnership opportunities. Last week's conversations produced some new agreements that I need to finalize. Mary Blackburn started the conversation during this afternoon's history discussion. Her words blew me away. I had read her story, but to hear it in her words was truly special. I have started reading through merit and promotion documents and annual evaluation documents. I have a few more than usual this year. But who knows, perhaps I will get a chance to read one of Rachel Long's stories this weekend. I just learned that she is a published author of more than research. Another example of the immense talent across UC ANR!
- Author: Wendy Powers
Fortunately, those of us in the northern part of the state have seen rain recently, quieting concerns about wildfires in our areas. However, if you have tuned into the national news lately, you've heard about the concern over fire and climate change impacting the future of California's redwoods, some of the world's oldest living things. This concern isn't new to many of us. Hopefully, awareness has been raised for many, many more, thanks to people like Lenya. Lenya was recently quoted in the New York Times. It is always great to see UC ANR names in prominent publications!
This is a crazy week – the storm before the calm, I hope. Everyone is rushing to get things done before a 10- to 14-day break. Yesterday I spent half the day working with a small team to develop a strategic directions document and annual work plan for the Western Extension directors. There is more work to do next week to complete that effort. The REC directors spent today working on development of strategies to achieve the goals for the REC system. It was a good meeting with lively discussion and solid plans outlined. At the same time, it made for a bit of an exhausting day. It doesn't help that Wednesdays begin at 7 AM each week for me and that 7 AM meeting always has a full agenda for the 6 of us that meet.
Friday holds an interesting mix of meetings, some of which may translate into new exciting opportunities. I will be sure to share more as things develop. I look forward to the virtual winter celebration tomorrow. It will be different from ‘normal' years with a benefit that we can celebrate with people both near and far. The planning committee came up with clever ideas for breakout activities. I hope to see many of you there!
- Author: Wendy Powers
I arrived in Albuquerque Sunday afternoon. It was surprisingly cool here for the first 12 hours. While that has changed, 3 years in the desert that is California has acclimated me. Keith and Bill Frost, and Jean Marie Peltier are here with Glenda and I. Today's meeting started with a brainstorming session about the future direction of the Western Center for Metropolitan Extension and Research (WCMER); Keith is the California rep on the Center's Advisory Board but a number of others from UC ANR are involved with the center in various ways.
WCMER has been around for about 5 years so it is time to reflect on all that the Center has accomplished while simultaneously thinking about future needs without feeling chained to the past. What was most interesting about the morning discussions was the repeated acknowledgement that ‘urban issues' aren't much different from ‘rural issues'. Rather, a different delivery mechanism from the traditional Extension model used historically in rural Extension programs is needed to affect change in urban areas.
The rest of the week is meetings plus a tour on Wednesday afternoon. On Tuesday evening we have a cultural presentation during the group dinner. I can't remember where the tour will take us but by the time Wednesday comes I will be eager to not sit in meetings.
During the recognition lunch David Haviland and team will be recognized for their IPM work as recipients of the Western Extension Directors Association Award of Excellence. Congratulations to the group for their accomplishments! Be sure to check out the website in a few weeks to read the award abstract for the team.
Welcome to Amer Fayad who started today as the new Director, Western Integrated Pest Management Center! Amer is located in the Davis UC ANR building. California is fortunate to be the current home for the Western IPM Center.
One thing UC ANR doesn't have is a Chile Pepper CE Specialist. I was surprised to learn that New Mexico State University has a Research Specialist that focuses on chile peppers. And, NMSU has a Program Specialist, too! The positions are key to the Chile Pepper Institute whose mission it is to ‘educate the world about chile peppers'. I think those who grew up in the Southwest best appreciate the value of such an institute.
- Author: Wendy Powers
Yard work season is in full swing. That means research agricultural field research is underway as well. It doesn't look like water will be a big concern this year. I'm hoping my yard is ‘under control' by Memorial Day to avoid weeding, pruning, and tree trimming during the heat. In spite of yard work, I made progress on the dossier reviews. I am halfway through with 39 packages left to undergo my first review.
Today was the first meeting of new UC ANR Governing Council. The 6-hr long session was intended for the Council to get to know each other and UC ANR. Both Glenda and Tu gave overviews of our high-level goals, programs, funding sources, and expenditures. While all, or most, of the Council members know a fair bit about UC ANR, the details were likely informative to all. The fact that Cooperative Extension is a 3-way partnership between federal and state governments and the local community (county) may be a detail that was unknown to some of the Council members before today. Numbers of academics and staff largely depends upon the level of support provided by each of the three partners. Should one partner step away, the entire partnership is compromised.
During the Western Extension Directors Association meeting last week in San Diego, I learned that the Extension Director in Nevada had made tremendous progress demonstrating the value that Cooperative Extension brings to the state. Though Cooperative Extension was slated to receive a 72% cut to its state funding back in 2011 (proposed by the Provost; a 33% cut proposed by the Governor), it appears that things have turned around mainly due to County support for programs. Clark County (Las Vegas) is partnering with Cooperative Extension to address youth violence by providing Cooperative Extension a $60 million contract to solve the problem through its 4-H program and sub-contractors on an as-needed basis. Also, the Director requests a $4.7 million increase from the State. I grabbed a copy of the 1-page ask to review and share with others.
Other states are in a very different position. The University of Alaska is merging Cooperative Extension and the Ag Experiment Station. That by itself isn't a problem. It is the intent to downsize both that causes concern. One of the three campuses plans to close, and while Fairbanks has not declared exigency, some speculate that tenured faculty may lose their jobs. The thought that field-based academics may be released when their communities need them most is of great concern.
These conversations as well as others throughout the 2-day meeting reminded me that while we may not have the density of positions per capita or square mile as other states, we do support our people very well, offering travel funds, grants support, program evaluation support, and many training opportunities.
Tomorrow I head to Denver for an Extension administrators meeting before visiting with the team in San Bernardino County.
- Author: Wendy Powers
There is still time to raise your hand in support of California's 4-H program! It's easy. It's free. And if can result in a $20,000 award to the state program to support youth development in California.
I'm in San Diego at the spring meeting of Extension program leaders, Extension directors, and Ag Experiment Station Directors. The views are great and the water really close. Yesterday we spent the afternoon talking about increasing cultural competency in our states. The discussion had quite a bit of focus around increasing partnerships with the 1994 institutions and increasing capacity funding through the Federally Recognized Tribal Extension Program (FRTEP). The whole conversation had me thinking about our one of our public value statements: Developing an inclusive and equitable society. When that statement was first developed there was considerable discussion about the principles as a component of everything we do; the act of inclusion without giving it any thought because it is second nature is the indicator that one is culturally competent. Admittedly, I questioned why, as a core value, we would have a stand-alone public value statement around inclusion. However, as I listened to the conversations yesterday and this morning, it became clear to me that by calling this out as a one of our UC ANR statements, we make the commitment to move the needle.
A portion of the conversation centered on the need for the academic review system to reward for impact and teamwork. I honestly don't remember how we moved to such acknowledgment when the topic was cultural competence, but that's how meetings go. I do know that at UC ANR we are doing exactly this; questioning the ‘so what' of our work and the change in conditions that resulted as opposed to focusing on evidence of scholarship (i.e. the number of publications and grant dollars secured). We've seen the value of our impact stories when we've made visits to offices of our state and federal elected officials. The impacts, not the activities, cause people sit up and take notice. Fortunately, we have many stories to tell, ranging from work with the Fresno Street Saints to efforts to improving water use efficiency.
Some of the conversation addressed the problems of using an ‘expert model' in community work. I think framing about our work, even if only in our internal conversations, under knowledge areas serves to perpetuate the expert model. Framing our work around condition changes and/or public value statements avoids said problems.
If put to a vote today whether to leave ‘Developing an inclusive and equitable society' as its own public value statement or to consider it inherent within the others, I believe I would raise my hand to leave it as is.