Please carefully review the 2009 Open Enrollment booklet you have received in your department. This booklet provides information about health insurance and KanElect.

To enroll or make changes for the plan year 2009, you will need to use the online State of Kansas Self Service Center (not the KSU self service center). This is the only method for enrolling or making changes for 2009. Instructions to log in to the State of Kansas Self Service Center and password schema are as follows:
Log on at: http://www.da.ks.gov/ps/subject/ssc/ . 

Employees choosing not to go online during open enrollment will remain in the same medical plan in which they are currently in. However, employees will be defaulted into the “tobacco user” category and pay a higher premium for coverage.

Employees desiring to participate in the 2009 KanElect dependent care and/or health care flexible spending accounts must enroll during the month of October 2008. Eligible dependent care expenses are incurred 1/1/09-12/31/09. Eligible health care expenses are incurred 1/1/09-12/31/09, with a grace period through March 2009. KanElect enrollment is online and at the end of the health insurance online enrollment. Further information can be found in the 2009 open enrollment booklet. --Division of Human Resources

GRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP AVAILABLE TO EXTENSION AGENTS
I want to remind any Extension Agents who will be enrolled in graduate study at K-State in Fall 2009 that the Kansas State University - Paul W. Griffith Memorial Scholarship is available.

Following are some specifics:

Amount: $500 tuition assistance (must be approved by Area Extension Directors)

Deadline: November 1

Purpose: For assistance to outstanding educators pursuing graduate study (either on campus or via distance education) at Kansas State University.

Criteria: Extension agent pursuing an advanced degree at Kansas State University.

Criteria to be considered in ranking competing applications:

1. Program of study leading to advanced degree has been developed.
2. Sabbatical leave has been approved.
3. If not on Sabbatic, enrolled in a multi-course program where at least two or more courses are being taken at the same time.
4. Other tuition assistance programs are not covering the cost.
5. Has not previously been awarded the Griffith Scholarship.

Contact: Send letter of interest and supporting materials to address the above criteria to:

Dr. Daryl Buchholz
Associate Director for Extension and Applied Research
K-State Research and Extension
123 Umberger Hall
Manhattan, KS 66506-3401
Phone: 785-532-5820

Further financial assistance information can be found in the Professional Development website under Educational Assistance. --Daryl Buchholz dbuchhol@ksu.edu

14 PRESCRIBED BURNING WORKSHOPS TO BE HELD IN WESTERN KANSAS
Fire safety is a priority topic of the 14 upcoming Prescribed Burning Workshops scheduled to be held in the western one-third of Kansas this fall.

Carol Blocksome, Extension Assistant, Grazingland Management, said that the idea for the workshops came about after she attended a meeting where CRP burning in western Kansas was discussed. It was evident from the discussion that producers needed and wanted more information and education on how to conduct a safe and successful prescribed burn.

Producers may want to burn native and Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) grassland to improve vegetative quality, control weeds, or fulfill CRP contractual obligations.

Prescribed burning workshops are being held at 14 locations in the western third of Kansas, starting on October 27 and ending on December 3. The content of all the workshops is very similar, so producers can attend the most convenient location.

There is a $10 registration charge to attend the workshops, which covers the cost of handouts and a notebook. Lunch will be served. RSVP deadline is a week prior to the workshop date. For more information, please contact your K-State Research and Extension office, local conservation district, or go to www.ks.nrcs.usda.gov . --Steven Graham sgraham@k-state.edu

ENGAGEMENT INCENTIVE GRANTS
The KSU Center for Engagement and Community Development is accepting proposals from KSRE faculty for projects that will lead to enhanced engagement in teaching, research, and/or outreach. These grants are intended to provide seed money to projects that involve KSU campus faculty, Extension and stakeholders in projects that address community needs. Examples of engagement activities of interest include (but are not limited to):

Instructional programs that incorporate service learning

Design and piloting of multidisciplinary, engaged curricula and degree programs across colleges

Community-based participatory research

Applied interdisciplinary research aimed at solving important public problems

Technical assistance on issues such as environment, public health, education, housing, transportation, and small business development

Leadership development

Training and educational programs that will strengthen the economic and/or social well-being of people

Programs aimed at bettering the lives of underserved populations

Community asset identification and mapping, strategic planning, and resource development

Details of the incentive granting process and guidelines can be found at www.ksu.edu/cecd/funding/grants.htm .

Proposals should be submitted to the Center for Engagement and Community Development by 5 p.m. on November 3, 2008. Awards will be announced December 15, 2008.

If you have an idea for an incentive grant, please contact Dan Kahl, Extension Liaison for the Center for Engagement and Community Development at dankahl@ksu.edu  or 785-532-5962. --Dan Kahl

DIVERSITY PROGRAMS OFFICE UPDATE
As October fades away, it seems as though Fall has finally rolled into Manhattan bringing cold weather and falling leaves. The Diversity Programs Office has kept busy during the past month with various activities including the Tilford Conference at Wichita State University, the Kansas State Research and Extension Conference, and K-State MANRRS Chapter meetings.

As we prepare for November, please keep in mind some upcoming events which might be of interest to students. On November 3, Cargill is partnering with the Multicultural Foodservice and Hospitality Alliance to present Showcase of the Stars from 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. in the Kansas State Alumni Center Ballroom. This event will be a great opportunity for high school as well as college students to explore careers in the field of hospitality. During the program, successful industry leaders will participate in a panel discussion about career choices and reaching professional goals. The moderator for the panel will be Gerry Fernandez, president and founder of the Multicultural Foodservice and Hospitality Alliance (MFHA).

On November 16, the Diversity Programs Office, the Academic Programs Office, and the College of Veterinary Medicine will be traveling to the Reardon Center in Kansas City to hold a college preparation workshop for high school students called "Unexpected Destinations." This event will help students gain insight and advice from K-State faculty, current K-State students, and current professionals in the agricultural industry, allowing them to explore careers they might not otherwise have considered within the field of agriculture. Check-in for the event is on November 16 at 1:30 p.m. The workshop will run from 2 - 4 p.m. More information about this event may be obtained from www.ag.ksu.edu/unexpecteddestinations .

As a reminder, Tilford Faculty Incentive Grant applications are due December 1st. Proposals are invited to create or enhance existing strategies to infuse the Tilford multicultural competency within the student body’s educational experience. The guidelines for the grant are available on the web at www.k-state.edu/tilford/ . Grants will be awarded for varying amounts with a maximum of $2000 for individuals and $4000 for interdisciplinary teams. Awards will be announced at the end of the fall 2008 semester.

Finally, if you missed the Second Annual Midwest HALO Encuentro with guest speaker Dr. Deborah Santiago, a video of the presentation can be found at http://www.ag.ksu.edu/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=829 . Dr. Deborah Santiago is the Vice President for Policy and Research at Excelencia in Education. She has completed extensive research on educational issues related to the condition of Latinos in education and on institutional trends in student access.

If you would like more information on any of the aforementioned events or activities, please contact your Diversity Programs Office or Dr. Zelia Z. Wiley, Assistant Dean for Diversity, at zwh@ksu.edu  or 785-532-5793. Do not hesitate to use us as your diversity resource center. --Zelia Wiley

2ND ANNUAL KANSAS WATER ISSUES FORUM
The 2nd annual Kansas Water Issues Forum will be held Wednesday, December 10, 2008, at the Sedgwick County Extension Education Center in Wichita; and Thursday, December 11, 2008, at the Kansas State University Agriculture Research Center in Hays. The theme is "Water and Energy: Reduce, Reuse and Recharge."

Senator Carolyn McGinn will speak at Wichita on the Aquifer Storage and Recovery Project, and Representative Josh Svaty will be at Hays, asking "Do policy makers recognize the connection?" Dr. Karl Brooks, University of Kansas, will begin both forums with "Dig a Little Deeper: Making Kansas Water Policy in Time." Dr. Martin Pasqualetti, Arizona State University, will speak on "The Water and Energy Nexus: What it suggests for Renewable Energy, Energy Trade and Power Plant Technology."

There will be presentations from experts in water and energy issues in the morning, lunch with Basin Advisory Committee members, followed by three break out sessions in a town hall discussion format. A highlight of the day may be the afternoon debate on the resolution: "The free market provides the most efficient and equitable manner to distribute water resources and energy supplies."

The meetings are free and open to the public, but pre-registration is required and enrollment is limited. Lunch is included. To register and view the agenda, go to www.kwo.org , and click on the Water & Energy Forum button.

The forums are sponsored by the Kansas Water Office and Kansas State University, Kansas Center for Agricultural Resources and Environment (KCARE). --Bill Hargrove bhargrov@ksu.edu

MARKETING MINUTE: BROCHURE STAND AND WE KNOW CARDS
Thank you to everyone who stopped by our booth at Annual Conference. It was great visiting with you and hearing your ideas.

Quite a few people asked about the brochure stand that we use. In the six months we’ve had it, the stand has proved itself convenient and sturdy. If you are interested in getting your own, we purchased it from this website: http://www.displays2go.com/product.asp?ID=7342 .

One of our goals at Annual Conference this year was to gather more ideas for the We Know campaign. Specifically, we plan to produce more We Know cards, similar to the ones created for the State Fair. We want to insure that we produce cards that are useful and applicable for you and your clientele, so please let us know what topics you think we should cover. We will gather input from you and, coupled with the research findings we have, create additional cards by February 2009. A complete list of the existing cards are available on our blog, http://ksremarketingminute.blogspot.com/ . Please check out that list and send any suggestions to us via the “comments” section or by e-mailing us at lsleicht@ksu.edu  or melgares@ksu.edu . --Linda Sleichter

ARE YOU NELD MATERIAL?
Barbara Lilyhorn and Sandy Procter, recent graduates of the 2008 North Central – NELD (National Extension Leadership Development) program completed a project to recruit future participants. Take a look at their PowerPoint presentation, "Are You NELD Material?" online at http://tinyurl.com/2363nh . --Marie Blythe mblythe@ksu.edu

MASTER SCHEDULE ITEMS
Because there are numerous events listed on the Professional Development System that have not been submitted to the Master Schedule, we have added these events to the Master Schedule. In order to be useful to your clientele and provide complete information when items are listed in The Tuesday Letter, many of these events need your attention. Please review events for which you are responsible, and contact the Planning and Reporting office or e-mail mblythe@ksu.edu  to add start times, ending dates for multiple day events, and identify your target audiences. --Marie Blythe

VIEW THE MASTER SCHEDULE OR ADD NEW ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS

To view the complete Master Schedule online or as a pdf, go to http://129.130.72.154/MasterSchAdd/

DATES TAKEN FROM THE MASTER SCHEDULE FOR NOVEMBER 5, 2008 THROUGH NOVEMBER 11, 2008

Saturday, 11/1/08
....www.aging.ksu.edu , Aging Network Community Fieldwork Module, Deb Sellers, dsellers@ksu.edu

Saturday,11/1/08 through Sunday, 11/2/08
....Rock Springs, State 4-H Dog Conference, Jim Adams, jadams@ksu.edu

Saturday, 11/1/08 through Sunday, 11/30/08 (Exact date to be announced)
....The National Association for the Education of Young Children, FCS Extension Agents, Chuck Smith, casmith@ksu.edu

Monday, 11/3/08
....State 4-H Office, 4-H Reporter Books Due, All Extension Units, Gary Gerhard, ggerhard@ksu.edu

Tuesday, 11/4/08 through Wednesday, 11/5/08
....Rock Springs 4-H Center, Kansas Extension Conference on Volunteerism, Rod Buchele, rbuchele@oznet.ksu.edu

Wednesday, 11/5/08
....Overland Park, KS Caregiving Across the Ages Conf & Trade Show, Deb Sellers, dsellers@ksu.edu

Thursday, 11/6/08
....Salina-Courtyard by Marri, KS Farm Ins / Risk Mgmt Workshop, Rich Llewelyn, rllewely@ksu.edu
....Minneapolis, MN Search Institute: Healthy Comm / Healthy Youth, Elaine Johannes, ejohanne@ksu.edu
....9:30 am-3:30pm, Chanute, SE Area KAFCE Workshop / Council Meeting, KAFCE Leaders & Gayle Price, gprice@oznet.ksu.edu

Monday, 11/10/08 through Thursday, 11/13/08
....Wichita, AgrAbility National Training Workshop, Extension Agents, public, Kerri Ebert, kebert@ksu.edu

Thursday, 11/11/08
....Veteran's Day
....KSU, Waters & MAST Mgmt, Analysis & Strategic Thinking, Alicia Goheen, agoheen@agecon.ksu.edu