The Tuesday Letter
Agricultural Experiment Station & Cooperative Extension Service

  
Vol. 12, No. 4  November 29, 2005

IN THIS ISSUE...

...Word from the Associate Director - Extension and Applied Research
...Status of Faculty Positions
...Agronomy Interim Head Candidate Seminars
...Orientation for Extension Board Members
...Retirement Tea for George Liang
...Poinsettias Galore!
...Interviews for the Western Kansas Ag Research Center Unit Leader
...Grants for Youth Leadership and Service Projects
...State 4-H Horse Panorama - February 11-12, 2006, Rock Springs 4-H Center
...Publications Unexpectedly Delayed
...Free Basketball Tickets Still Available
...Master Schedule

...Tuesday Letter Archives

WORD FROM THE ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR - EXTENSION AND APPLIED RESEARCH
Last week I opened the topic of specialization for Extension agents. I believe specialization goes hand in hand with the concept of identifying the two to four major educational initiatives that will provide for your focus and proactive Extension educational plan over the next several years. When I speak of specialization, I am really talking about your interest in deepening your subject matter programming and your subject matter competencies. Assistant Directors have been working on identifying a set of subject matter competencies that coincide well with our educational program priorities. Those subject matter/program priorities are currently drafted as follows.

In the broad area of agriculture and natural resources, specializations might be in agronomy, farm management, horticulture, animal science, or natural resources.

In family and consumer sciences, specialization might be in adult development and aging, family resource management, family and youth development, or nutrition, food safety, and health.

In 4-H youth development, specialization might be in outreach/expanded programs, program management, volunteer development, or youth leadership.

In community and economic development, specialization might be in community development, economic development, or leadership development.

Within each of these areas of specialization would come program priorities and/or delivery methods as outlined through our 5 year plan. Specialization should be viewed as an opportunity to focus your work and your competencies, while at the same time it will dictate the need for ever increasing team work and programming across county boundaries. Specialization also dictates the need to develop a deeper relationship with state and area Extension faculty who provide the subject matter training and educational resources to those program areas.

We will be asking each Extension agent to declare an area of specialization that represents your desire to focus your work. As all who work in Extension can appreciate, this is sort of asking you to be a "jack of all AND master of ONE!" Hope you can sense a little humor, and yet see what I believe to be a tried and truly successful model for the Extension professional. Next week I will go into more of what we believe specialization represents and does not represent in the grand plan for the future of Extension in Kansas.

In the spirit of levity, Chuck Otte sent me a few words of wisdom from a great philosopher, Jimmy Buffett, apparently from a live concert Buffett had given a few years back. Following is Chuck's personal favorite, and one I like too: "I've never learned very much from listening to myself talk." --Daryl Buchholz dbuchhol@ksu.edu

STATUS OF FACULTY POSITIONS
To check the status of faculty positions that are currently in the search process, see the K-State Research and Extension Job Opportunities website at http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/main/jobs.asp . Click on "Employment Status of K-State Research and Extension Faculty Positions."  --Stacey M. Warner swarner@oznet.ksu.edu

AGRONOMY INTERIM HEAD CANDIDATE SEMINARS

December 5, 2005 - 9 a.m. - William Schapaugh, 2002 Throckmorton Hall

December 7, 2005 - 9 a.m. - Gary Pierzynski, 2002 Throckmorton Hall

Seminars will be video streamed at www.oznet.ksu.edu/seminars . --Karlene Varnadore kgv@ksu.edu

ORIENTATION FOR EXTENSION BOARD MEMBERS
An Extension Board Leadership curriculum and website are currently being developed and will be officially introduced at Partnership Meetings in January. The curriculum is designed to be taught by agents or experienced board members in a 10 to 15 minute session during monthly board meetings. The intent is to equip individuals with information to function in the vital role of an extension board member.

While the official introduction will take place in January, the first module of the curriculum, an orientation module for newly elected board members, will be available on December 1. A teaching outline and Power Point presentation will be included. This orientation session is designed to take about ninety minutes to present, rather than the 10 or 15 minutes planned for later sessions, and is intended to be used in a separate orientation meeting, not during a regular monthly board meeting. If your county regularly schedules a board orientation during December or early January these resources will be helpful to you. If your county doesn't regularly hold an orientation for new members, this may give you the resources to do that. The orientation module will be available December 1 at http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/operations . --Jim Lindquist jlindqui@oznet.ksu.edu , Margaret Phillips margaret@oznet.ksu.edu , Stacey Warner swarner@ksu.edu

RETIREMENT TEA FOR GEORGE LIANG
The Department of Agronomy cordially invites the friends and colleagues of George H. Liang to attend a Retirement Tea, 9:30 a.m. on Friday, December 9, in Room 2002 of Throckmorton Hall. Dr. Liang  joined the K-State Department of Agronomy October 1, 1964, and after more than 41 years of service, will retire January 31, 2006. --Karlene Varnadore kgv@ksu.edu

POINSETTIAS GALORE!
Students taking the course, Greenhouse Operations Management, have produced over 90 different cultivars of poinsettias this semester as a part of Regional Poinsettia Trials, www.oznet.ksu.edu/poinsettias/ , and  they will be on display during the Poinsettia Open House, Wednesday, November 30, from noon till 4 p.m. in the Throckmorton Greenhouse Complex.

Poinsettias will be sold, including "poinsettia centerpieces," at this time. Drop by to get in the Christmas spirit! In addition, Friends of the KSU Gardens will be selling these poinsettias on every Tuesday and Thursday from December 1 through December 20, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 3:30 to 5:20 p.m. in the Gardens' Visitor's Center or Throckmorton Greenhouse 106B on the main hallway. --Kim Williams kwilliam@ksu.edu

INTERVIEWS FOR THE WESTERN KANSAS AG RESEARCH CENTER UNIT LEADER
Four candidates will be interviewed for the Unit Leader, WKARC, during December. Dr. Charles Sanchez, University of Arizona, Yuma, will be on Campus December 6 and at Hays on December 7. Dr. Robert Gillen, USDA-ARS, Woodward, OK, will be on campus December 8 and at Hays December 9. Dr. Dale Leikam, KSU Agronomy, will be on campus December 19 and at Hays December 20. Dr. J.D. Green, University of Kentucky, will be on campus December 20 and at Hays December 21.

Interview schedules and the candidates' CV can be found at www.wkarc.org/news/unitheadcandidates.htm . The candidates' seminars at Manhattan will be at 10:30 in Throckmorton 2002 each day.

The Seminars will be videotaped and available through video streaming. For further information, see www.oznet.ksu.edu/seminars , or contact Gerry Snyder at the Department of Communications. --Dave Mengel, Agronomy, dmengel@ksu.edu ; and Phil Stahlman, WKARC, stahlman@ksu.edu

GRANTS FOR YOUTH LEADERSHIP AND SERVICE PROJECTS
For the last several years, the Huck Boyd Institute has offered mini-grants for leadership programs. Here is some information on true Minnie-Grants!

1). DISNEY MINNIE GRANTS - Youth Service America and Disney are offering the Disney Minnie Grants for youth across the globe. These grants of $500 are for youth (ages 5-14), or the teachers, schools and organizations that engage them to implement service projects on National and Global Youth Service Day, April 21- 23, 2006. To learn more, please download an application and Frequently Asked Questions at http://www.ysa.org/awards . After reviewing the application and FAQs, if you would like further information, please e-mail MinnieGrant@ysa.org . POSTMARK DEADLINE: January 13, 2006.

2). YSA YOUTH VENTURE Funding - Get up to $1,000 in start-up funds for sustainable National and Global Youth Service Day (N&GYSD) projects by becoming a YSA Youth Venturer. Youth Service America (YSA) and Youth Venture are teaming up again to make every day National & Global Youth Service Day. They are giving young people the opportunity to create sustainable projects for N&GYSD 2006, April 21-23!

Twenty five awards of up to $1,000 in start-up funds are available to young people (ages 12-20) who want to create new, sustainable and civic-minded organizations, clubs or businesses ("Ventures"). These Ventures must be youth-led and designed to be a lasting asset to the community. YSA Youth Venturers are required to host an event on N&GYSD. For further information, or to download an application, visit http://www.youthventure.org/ysa or e-mail amutima@youthventure.org . Applications must be RECEIVED by 12 noon, December 19. --Ron Wilson rwilson@ksu.edu

STATE 4-H HORSE PANORAMA - FEBRUARY 11-12, 2006, ROCK SPRINGS 4-H CENTER
Registration via e-mail county summaries will be due January 13, 2006. Participation forms and fees should be mailed at the same time to the State 4-H Office. Information and forms are now posted on the State 4-H Website, www.Kansas4h.org . Click on "What's Hot". --Jim Adams jadams@oznet.ksu.edu

PUBLICATIONS UNEXPECTEDLY DELAYED
Publication 4H667, "VIP Policies and Procedures," is expected to be available by January 2006. The manuals have been unexpectedly delayed in the university attorney's office because of legal considerations in the document's wording. The documents will be printed and delivered as soon as possible after approval. --Nancy Zimmerli nancyz@ksu.edu

FREE BASKETBALL TICKETS STILL AVAILABLE
We still have many tickets available for K-State women's basketball, throughout the season and for our K-State Research and Extension sponsored game, on Saturday, February 11. So, if you are going to be in Manhattan and would like to attend a basketball game, help represent K-State Research and Extension. To request your free tickets, please e-mail Sam Vogts at sjvogts@ksu.edu  with your game preference and contact information. --Linda Sleichter lsleicht@oznet.ksu.edu

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