Action Team Issues – Action Teams vs. Signature Outcome Teams
With the refining of the IANR Spires of Excellence, Extension Action Teams were refocused to better align with the Spires. Action Teams have played important roles for Extension as we have further focused our areas of emphasis around issues for which we want to produce statewide impact (our Signature Outcomes). We now have teams functioning around 23
Signature Outcomes.
At the 2011 Extension Fall Conference, we will begin to place greater emphasis on the Signature Outcome teams planning needs. The reasons for this include:
• Signature Outcome teams lead the discussion of our “program” focus delivery of research-based education. The success of our program focused teams is fundamental to Extension’s success.
• Faculty often find themselves with an interest in more than one Action Team because of the very broad, sometimes overlapping, priorities of action teams. Signature Outcomes more narrowly define program focus and should allow a better fit for many faculty.
• Most Signature Outcomes require interdisciplinary teams, often representing multiple Action Teams. For example, the success of our Beef Entrepreneurship Signature Outcome requires the cooperation of faculty with beef, agricultural economics, and entrepreneurship expertise. Many other Signature Outcome teams will need this interdisciplinary participation to succeed.
Leadership of our Signature Outcome teams should ask for time at Fall Conference to allow your team to meet and plan 2012 implementation. That communication needs to be maintained throughout the year via conference calls, retreats, and planning sessions.
Our Action Teams will not disappear; they will continue to play an over-arching role for defining what Extension initiatives deserve the status of Signature Outcomes. However, face-to-face meeting time for overall Action Team work may be reduced to include more time for the work of Signature Outcome teams.
Other Updates
Extension in The City
An Extension initiative to grow and market Extension’s visibility in the Omaha area was introduced last week at the Omaha AgriBusiness meeting as part of River City Roundup. The new campaign focuses on the “promises” Extension can make for the client. As part of the rollout, Extension received a resounding thumbs up from Jim Krieger, Vice Chairman and Chief Financial Officer for Gallup. Jim shared “For 3 years I would meet with Tom Osborne in Washington, … Tom got me together with Nancy Eberle and The University Extension Division. I will never forget it. A break like the offensive line just opened a big hole right up the middle. I refer to this as a Diamond in the Rough! The University Extension Division and something called ESI. EntrepreneurShip Investigation…. Touchdown!” Extension in the City is starting with a big boost from some important partners.
Unique Professional Development Opportunities
If you want professional development opportunities that will place you at the forefront of research-based education, consider these options:
• Husker Beef Nutrition Conference (Oct. 28) focuses on the impacts and options for managing beef cattle with $7 corn. Contact Matt Luebbe for the details.
• Great Plains Growers Conference (January 5-7, 2012) is a four state initiative targeting producers engaged in developing Grow Local opportunities for vegetables and other crops. Sarah Browning can catch you up on the details.
• Agricultural Decision Making with a Climate Change Perspective is a Heartland Water Quality conference to enable educators to be more knowledgeable of the science, predictions, and issues associated with climate change. Participation is by invitation only – contact Charles Wortmann.
• National Beef Cattle Evaluation Consortium’s “Brown Bagger” webinar series (starts October 5) discusses the latest research on Beef Cattle Genomics: Science to Practice. Contact Matt Spangler for Details.
-- Kathleen Lodl and Rick Koelsch