If you forget to change your eID password now or in the future (every six months) many things will happen:

* You won't receive your OzNet or your KSU e-mail.
* You can't log onto any of the OzNet servers if you are on campus.
* You can't log in to the Intranet, the Support Downloads page, the State Fair Site, EzWeb2, WALK Kansas, FNPRS, and many other sites.
* You can't author web pages on the Research and Extension web server.
* You can't connect to the University's dial-up service.

The importance of changing your password cannot be stressed enough. For more detailed instructions on changing your passwords, go to http://accounts.oznet.ksu.edu/password . --Kathryn Burton kburton@ksu.edu

ORGANIC AGRICULTURE CONFERENCE REGISTRATION DEADLINE IS TODAY!
The early registration deadline for the Organic Agriculture: Opportunities for Kansas Family Farms is today, February 8. Late registrations will be accepted with a higher registration fee, and lunch is not guaranteed.

E-mail organic@oznet.ksu.edu  or call Tracy at 785-532-1414 to register. Travel Scholarships are available for K-State Research and Extension staff. --Jana Beckman beckman@ksu.edu

UPDATING W-4s
If you want to update your W-4 to change your income tax withholding, follow one of the following processes:

Print a copy of the W-4 "Employees Withholding Allowance Certificate" from the Division of Human Resources website at http://www.ksu.edu/hr/forms/w4.pdf . Mail to Division of HR at 103 Edwards Hall, Manhattan 66506.

The withholding can also be adjusted on-line from the Division of Human Resources website at the Employee Self Service location. See http://www.ksu.edu/hr/selfserv.htm . --Stacey M. Warner swarner@oznet.ksu.edu

USAID "GETTING BACK INTO AGRICULTURE" PRESENTATION
David Sammons, Senior Advisor for University Relations with the U.S. Agency for International Development's (USAID) Office of Agriculture, will be visiting our campus this Friday, February 11. Dr. Sammons will give a presentation entitled, "The University-USAID Partnership: A Dialogue on Strengthening the Mission" at 10 a.m. in Waters Hall Room 137. All faculty, staff, and students who are interested are invited to attend.

There also will be a brownbag luncheon repeat of the same presentation from 12 noon-1p.m. in Throckmorton Hall Room 2002. Anyone is welcome to attend.

Agriculture is back on the Agency's agenda. Long-term training is increasingly important to the Agency's mission and it is seeking improved and strengthened university partnerships and our good ideas. Dr. Sammons will offer some suggestions and information on new opportunities that are arising within the Agency and may be of interest to the university community.

Many of you know David, because he was a soft wheat breeder at the University of Maryland for years and most recently has been the Associate Dean and Director of International Programs in Agriculture at Purdue University. He is on leave from Purdue to USAID.

Please come and listen to one of David's presentations on February 11. --Steven Graham sgraham@oznet.ksu.edu

K-STATE ADMISSIONS TO VISIT KANSAS COMMUNITY COLLEGES
Julie Katz, Assistant Director of Admissions, informs me she is visiting many of the Kansas Community Colleges over the next several weeks. If you would like some admissions and transfer student information at your office, please contact Julie, ksukatz@k-state.edu , 785-532-6250, to either drop some off when she is in the area or mail packets to you. In addition, Julie is offering opportunities for Extension Agents or your constituents to be more involved in the recruitment process of transfer students. She is developing "POWERCAT COMMUNITIES" at many of the area community colleges to assist students during the entire time they are at the college before transferring to K-State. 

If you are interested in assisting Julie in getting information to students in your region, or for more information, please contact Julie Katz, ksukatz@k-state.edu , directly. She indicates it will probably only be a total of four hours of commitment per month in your home community. Office professionals could help with much of this as well. --Daryl Buchholz dbuchhol@oznet.ksu.edu

JOB OPPORTUNITIES IN RESEARCH AND EXTENSION
We occasionally get questions regarding how to access listings of extension or research position openings in other states. A link to the National Job Bank is available from the K-State Research and Extension Job Opportunities site - http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/main/jobs.asp . (Click on National Job Opportunities).

Another option is to go to the CSREES home page - http://www.csrees.usda.gov/  and click on "State and National Partners." From here, each Land-Grant university's website can be accessed. --Stacey M. Warner  swarner@oznet.ksu.edu

EMPLOYMENT STATUS OF KSRE FACULTY POSITIONS
A new website has been developed by Dorothy Ireland in Extension Operations to track the recruitment process of the 23 new positions of K-State Research and Extension. The purpose of the website is to provide information about the various positions so that our faculty can stay informed about the positions and provide input to the recruitment process.

The website can be found by clicking on "Job Opportunities," (lower left column) on the K-State Research and Extension Home Page. On the "Join Our Team" page, lower right, click on Employment Status of KSRE Faculty Positions. The next web pages should furnish the position information. Additional information will be added as the recruitment process proceeds. If the position description is underlined, clicking on the description will direct you to the position announcement. Most positions will list the entire search committee, but very large committees can be obtained by contacting the committee chair. We are expecting to update the website about every two weeks. --J. Pat Murphy jmurphy@ksu.edu 

NEW TECHBYTES TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM FOR SPRING 2005
Beginning on February 11, another TechBytes series will be kicking off with 11 informative programs. These sessions will demonstrate a variety of computer-based hardware and software. They are intended to help you in your work and use of technology.

When: Fridays, 1:15 p.m. (mid-February through April)

Where: K-State, Hale Library 501, Hemisphere Room

The topics being covered include:

All TechBytes programs will be video-taped and streamed over the Internet "live" and "archived" for viewing from a distance. To view the videos, get a Spring 2005 schedule, more information, handouts, and technology resources, go to the TechBytes Website at www.ksu.edu/techbytes .

This series is co-sponsored by the KSRE Department of Communication, IET Unit. For additional information, contact Gerry Snyder at gsnyder@oznet.ksu.edu . --Gerry Snyder

KEAFCS AWARDS APPLICATIONS
Attention all KEAFCS members: Applications for Distinquished Service, New Professional, Greenwood Fellowship, Grace Frysinger Fellowship, and Florence Hall Awards are due March 1. Applications must be submitted online and a hard copy sent to Jenell Smith, Sedgwick County. Award descriptions and applications forms are on the NEAFCS website, at www.neafcs.org . --Jenell Smith JMSmith@oznet.ksu.edu

WHAT CHANGES SHOULD YOU CONSIDER REGARDING YOUR FORAGE SYSTEM!
For cattle and forage producers in Missouri and Kansas, management decision time is continuous regarding the forages on your operation and how many animals you should graze this year.

Extension personnel from University of Missouri Extension and Kansas State University Research and Extension have organized the 3rd "CAT PAWS - Forage and Livestock Production" program. Two programs are scheduled for Tuesday, March 1, 2005. The programs are identical and designed to give livestock and forage producers in the area an update on current and timely forage topics. The first program will start at 10:30 a.m. in Seneca, Kansas at Valentino’s, and the second program will start at 4:30 p.m. in Maysville, Missouri at the Connelly Building

Topics and speakers for the 2005 CAT PAWS Forage conference are as follows: "Quality Annual Forage Production"- Dr. Dale Fjell, Kansas State University, Agronomy Specialist; "Feedlot Perspective Regarding Management of Stocker Cattle"- Dr. Ron Hale, Kansas State University, Southwest Area Livestock Production Specialist; "Stockpiling Forages-Extending the Grazing Season"- Dr. Craig Roberts, University of Missouri, State Agronomy Specialist; and "What Does my Forage Test Results Really Mean"- Dr. Rob Kallenbach, University of Missouri, State Agronomy Specialist.

The cost for the programs is $10 if received by February 25. After February 25, the cost will be $15. A meal will be served at each location and is included in the registration fee. Send registrations for the Seneca program to David Key, Nemaha County Extension Office, 207 West Main, Seneca, KS 66538; for the Maysville program, send to Jim Humphrey, University Extension Center, P.O. Box 32, Savannah, Missouri 64485.

For more information, or to register for the March 1 programs, please contact Jim Humphrey, Northwest Regional Livestock Specialist, at 816-324-3147 or humphreyjr@missouri.edu ; or David Key, Nemaha County Ag Extension Agent at 785-336-2184 or dkey@oznet.ksu.net . --David Key

COMMUNITY ENVIRONMENTAL DECISION-MAKING WORKSHOP
Some of today’s most important decisions impacting the Kansas environment take place at the local level. Yet often, decision-makers find it difficult to fully take into account the potential impacts to our land, water, air, natural resources, and wildlife.

The Office of Local Government and Kansas PRIDE Program, in partnership with the Kansas Association for Conservation & Environmental Education, will offer an environmental decision-making workshop for community leaders on May 5 – 7, 2005, at Rock Springs 4-H Center outside Junction City. 

This two-day, hands-on professional development opportunity is designed to provide decision-making tools, processes, and resources to local Kansas leaders. Participants will explore methods to help communities make better, more informed decisions that involve/impact the environment, such as wind energy development, water resource protection, or land use management. Participants will also engage in a leadership pilot project with team members to test these tools and resources in a variety of settings in their communities.

Topics covered at the workshop will include:

* Types of environmental decisions;
* Identifying stakeholders;
* Characterizing the environmental, social, political and economic setting for a decision;
* Challenges in environmental decision-making;
* Criteria for making good environmental decisions;
* Public participation and collaborative decision-making; and
* Tools for identifying issues and problems, developing and evaluating alternatives, reaching a decision, and  evaluating decisions.

The workshop is designed for 5-6 community-based teams (3-5 people per team) who are involved in local level decision-making. Space is limited to 25 participants total. “Community” is defined broadly to include teams from cities/towns, counties, and regions as well as those defined by watersheds and other natural boundaries.

Teams should consist of a mix of the following:

* Local Elected/Appointed Officials (city/county commissioners, planning board members, etc.)
* City/County Government Staff (managers/administrators, planning staff, Extension staff, etc.)
* Business Community Members (business owners, consulting firms, etc.)
* Active Citizens/Civic Organizations (Extension Councils, Lions Club, Audubon, PRIDE, etc.)

The application deadline is February 25, 2005. Workshop brochures and application forms are available from Robert Wilson at 785-532-7823 or rmwilson@k-state.edu ; and Dan Kahl at 785-532-5840 or dkahl@oznet.ksu.edu . --Robert Wilson

2005 LEADERSHIP SEMINAR PROMISES TAKE-HOME IDEAS
Creating and guiding change can be difficult. While often-used methods have focused on fixing problems, identifying what’s working well and building on what excites people about their work is an approach to change that can build enthusiasm for the work and the organization. The process is called Appreciative Inquiry and it is a model for facilitating change that has application to boards, committees, organizations and community development groups.

To learn more about the power of Appreciative Inquiry and how to put it to work, plan to attend the 2005 K-State Leadership Seminar, March 31, at the K-State Union Ballroom.

Keynote speaker for the seminar is Diana Whitney, Ph.D., the author of "The Power of Appreciative Inquiry: A Guide to Positive Change" and "The Appreciative Inquiry Handbook."

Whitney was a central figure in the concept and process development at Case Western Reserve University. She now travels widely as a consultant on strategic planning, building successful alliances and partnerships, leadership development and customer service. Her clients span a wide range of interests and services, from British Airways to UNICEF.

Cost to attend the one-day professional development opportunity is $20, which includes seminar materials, refreshments and lunch. Registration and refreshments will be available at 8:30 a.m., with the program from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Space is limited and early reservations are recommended. For a brochure and registration form, go to: www.ksu.edu/kcri/leadership . Deadline for registration is March 18.

K-State Research and Extension is among sponsors of the Leadership Seminar. A list of sponsors is included in the brochure.

For those unable to attend, the session will be videotaped and copies made available to the Extension library. --Nancy Peterson nancyp@oznet.ksu.edu

FEBRUARY EDITION OF KANSAS JUNIOR MASTER GARDENER NEWSLETTER NOW AVAILABLE
The February edition of the Kansas Junior Master Gardener newsletter is now available at
http://4-h.k-state.edu/JMG/Newsletters/2005/February2005.pdf .

Note that there are some garden grant opportunities available. --Evelyn Neier eneier@oznet.ksu.edu

POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT:
Research Associate, Food Safety/Microbiology/Biosecurity - 0.7 time, 12 months per year, non-tenure track, term position. Master's degree in food microbiology or food safety, or closely related field, with at least 2 years experience working in food production or food research required. Experience in international food processing, regulation and trade (particularly Mexico) and proficiency in Spanish language required. Review of applications begins February 15, 2005 and continues until position is filled. See complete position announcement at: http://www.asi.ksu.edu/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabindex=53&tabid=38 . Kansas State University is an Equal Opportunity provider and employer and actively seeks diversity among its employees. --Darla Thomas

Submit corrections to previously submitted items to jzarger@oznet.ksu.edu .

Wednesday, February 16
.... Agronomy Day, Franklin, Multi-county, SE, Gary Kilgore gkilgore@oznet.ksu.edu

Thursday, February 17
.... KSU Nutrient Recommendations and NMPs, Garden City, Statewide, Dale Leikam dleikam@ksu.edu
.... In-depth Weeds School, Cloud, Multi-county, NE, Dallas Peterson dpeterso@oznet.ksu.edu

Thursday, February 17, through Friday, February 18
.... Soil In-depth, Crawford, Multi-county, SE, Gary Kilgore gkilgore@oznet.ksu.edu

Friday, February 18
.... White Wheat Meeting, Garden City, Multi-county, SW, 9:30 a.m., Curtis Thompson cthompso@oznet.ksu.edu

Friday, February 18, through Saturday, February 19
.... Organic Ag-Opportunities for Kansas Farms, Manhattan, Statewide, 8:30 a.m., Tracy Ivy tivy@oznet.ksu.edu

Sunday, February 20, through Monday, February 21
.... Kansas 4-H Citizenship in Action, Topeka, Statewide, Justin Wiebers jwiebers@oznet.ksu.edu

Monday, February 21
.... Kansas Cotton Seminar, Pratt, KS and surrounding counties, SW, Curtis Thompson cthompso@oznet.ksu.edu
.... Alfalfa Production, Chase, Multi-county, SE and NE, Gary Kilgore gkilgore@oznet.ksu.edu

Tuesday, February 22
.... In-depth Insect Management School, Hugoton/SV, SW Area, Phil Sloderbeck psloderb@oznet.ksu.edu
.... Alfalfa Production, Crawford, Multi-county, SE, Gary Kilgore gkilgore@oznet.ksu.edu
.... Soil Nutrient Management School, Hoxie/SD and surrounding area, NW, 9:00 a.m., Brian Olson bolson@oznet.ksu.edu
.... Master Gardener Program, Russell, KS and surrounding area, NW, 9:00 a.m., Sally Patten spatten@oznet.ksu.edu
.... No-till/Reduced Till Rotations, Minneola/CA, Multi-county, SW, 9:30 a.m., Curtis Thompson cthompso@oznet.ksu.edu
.... No-till Strip-till, Lakin/KE, Multi-county, SW, 5:30 p.m., Curtis Thompson cthompso@oznet.ksu.edu