Vol. 15, No. 11  January 20, 2009

IN THIS ISSUE... 

...Word from the Associate Director - Extension and Applied Research
...Interaction of K-State Faculty and Staff with State/Federal Officials
...Interviews for Department Head, Agricultural Economics
...Diversity Programs Office Update
...Agriculture Today Now Broadcast on KLOE in Goodland
...Retirement Reception Honoring Mark Claassen
...Total Compensation Summary Statements
...Agritourism: Your Next Cash Crop?
...2009 Shawnee County Crop Conference
...February Agent Update
...Kansas Forest Service Holds Semi-Annual Statewide Trainings in February
...Extension Educators and Specialists with Wind Energy Interest
..."Help Build Extension's Public Value" online Workshop, March 3, 4 & 5, 10 a.m. to Noon
...Reminder - Food Preservation Update
...Master Schedule

                                                                                                           ...Tuesday Letter Archives

WORD FROM THE ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR - EXTENSION AND APPLIED RESEARCH
I'll give you a quick rundown on what is understood at this time based upon analysis from the Governor's proposed budget. For the most part, Governor Sebelius has maintained her proposed reductions to higher education that she announced back in November. Following is the impact that was discussed last Friday with department and unit heads for K-State Research and Extension:

FY 2009 (July 1, 2008 - June 30, 2009):
3% one-time reduction in the State General Fund appropriation.
K-State Research & Extension:  

AES: $1,019,230
CES: $   638,476
Total: $1,657,706

FY 2010 (beginning July 1, 2009):
1) 7% permanent reduction in the State General Fund appropriation (from original FY 2009 base)
K-State Research & Extension:

AES: $2,378,204
CES: $1,489,777
Total  $3,867,981

2) 1% internal reduction in KSRE and Main Campus funding for utility support, amount based from FY 2009 original base budget. This will exclude off-campus units.

3) The Governor recommended that "the base pay of state employees increase by 1.0 percent for FY 2010." This is an unfunded budget increase and if approved will increase the total budget reduction amount. The reduction would then be redistributed to salary and benefit costs.

There are other elements to the Governor's proposal, but for the most part the above outlines the most significant impacts. Planning is largely in place to fulfill the 3% pay back for this fiscal year. The 8 to 9 % total reduction for next year will be very difficult. An open meeting on January 30 with K-State central administration will hopefully provide some direction on the approaches and options we will be given to plan to achieve such significant reductions. And, again, keep in mind that these remain as planning targets. Until the legislature has acted, we will not know the budget we must work with.

I look forward to being out in the state this week and next as we have our annual Partnership Meetings with local Extension Board leadership and Extension agents. Have a great week! - Daryl Buchholz dbuchhol@ksu.edu and Fred Cholick fcholick@ksu.edu

INTERACTION OF K-STATE FACULTY AND STAFF WITH STATE/FEDERAL OFFICIALS
As the Kansas Legislature convenes, I would like to take this opportunity to remind you of the Board of Regents and University policies regarding interaction with the Kansas Legislature, Kansas State Agencies, and the Kansas Federal Delegation.

Kansas Legislature
If contacted and asked to provide information to legislators; provide testimony to legislative committees; want to invite a legislator(s) to attend a meeting; want to request the Legislature for funds, programs, changes in legislation or new legislation affecting your program, the Board of Regents and /or Regents institutions, please contact either:

Steven Graham, Assistant to the Dean and Director, at 785-532-6147 or by e-mail at sgraham@k-state.edu , Or

Dr. Susan Peterson, Assistant to the President/Director of Governmental Relations, at 785-532-6221, 785-532-4791 (voicemail), or via e-mail at skp@k-state.edu .

The Kansas Board of Regents policy states:
Faculty and administrators are encouraged to provide expert testimony on proposed legislation which may, or may not, affect the Regents and higher education. Faculty and administrators should make every effort to accommodate such requests, and shall notify the institution’s Chief Executive Officer, who, in turn, will notify the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Board.

Any information forwarded to Steven Graham will immediately be sent on to Dr. Peterson. Dr. Susan Peterson has been designated by President Wefald to notify the Board of Regents on his behalf.

It is important to state this is NOT a prohibition from any employee of the University to visit with a Legislator in the normal course of daily life.

State Agencies
Requests by other state agencies or branches of government are expected to be transmitted through the Board office. If the information is a University specific request, these items may be handled by the University with a copy to the institution’s CEO for transmittal to the Board office.

Kansas Federal Delegation
All requests to the Kansas Federal Delegation are reviewed and approved by the University Federal Relations Committee. Should you want to request a project, please submit the pertinent material to your Dean or Director. The review process occurs in December and January, with the University project submittals to the Delegation in early February. If a member of the Kansas Delegation contacts you for information, please contact Steven Graham or Dr. Susan Peterson immediately so we may remain consistent with our institutional priorities. --Steven M. Graham sgraham@k-state.edu

INTERVIEWS FOR DEPARTMENT HEAD, AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS
The Search Committee is pleased to announce three candidates who will be interviewing for the position of Department Head, Agricultural Economics. We invite you to attend the Seminar for each of the following candidates. Each seminar will be held in room 137 Waters Hall at 10:30 a.m. until 12:00 (noon) on the following dates:

January 20, 2009--Dr. Molly Espey, Clemson University
January 26, 2009--Dr. Sean Fox, Kansas State University
January 29, 2009--Dr. David Lambert, North Dakota State University

Information including each candidate's CV, full interview schedule, video streaming of seminars, and an online evaluation survey form is available at: http://www.ageconomics.ksu.edu/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=636 .

We hope you will plan to participate at the appropriate times in the interview schedule. --Fred Cholick fcholick@ksu.edu  

DIVERSITY PROGRAMS OFFICE UPDATE
The Diversity Programs Office would like to welcome everyone back. We hope that you have had a happy holiday season and that it will continue through this week as we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Observance Week. Upcoming MLK Jr. events are as follows:

Tuesday, January 20 – The Commerce Bank Awards  
Recipients are Careem Gladney, senior in Accounting, and Rebeca Paz, Coordinator of the Pilots Program.  

RETIREMENT RECEPTION HONORING MARK CLAASSEN
Friends and colleagues of Mark Claassen are cordially invited to attend a retirement reception honoring Mark for his thirty-two years of service to Kansas State University and Kansas agriculture. The reception is January 23, 2009, and will begin at 2 p.m., with a program starting at 2:30 p.m. The reception will be held at the Water’s Edge Restaurant, 701 S. Main Street, Hesston, KS.

Directions:
From the I-35 Hesston Exit
-- 5 blocks west on Lincoln Blvd to Ridge Road
--11 blocks south on Ridge Road to Hickory St
-- 2 blocks west on Hickory to the S. Main St. Lake Vista entrance
-- South on S. Main to the Wellness Center entrance on the right

Please RSVP to Brittany Green by e-mail, bdgreen@ksu.edu  or by phone at 785-532-0184 as soon as possible, to assist in the planning process. --Troy Lynn Eckart sprite@ksu.edu

TOTAL COMPENSATION SUMMARY STATEMENTS
The 2008 Total Compensation Summary Statements are now available via HRIS Employee Self Service for all Kansas State University benefit eligible employees and may be accessed at https://www.as.ksu.edu/HRIS .

Enter your K-State eID and password and then select “Sign-In.”

Select Employee Self Service>Payroll and Compensation>View Total Compensation.

The first page provides basic and useful information. For the Total Compensation Summary statement, select the “Total Compensation Summary” button at the bottom of the page.

The 2008 Total Compensation Summary Statement shows wages paid in 2008 (paycheck issue dates January 11, 2008 – December 24, 2008). The statement does not replace W-2 forms or other income tax related information and is not intended for use in tax preparation.

For additional information regarding HRIS Employer Self Service, see http://www.ksu.edu/hr/selfserv.htm . For additional information regarding your eID, see http://www.k-state.edu/hr/eIDquickresource.htm . If you need help regarding your eID, contact the K-State IT Help Desk at 785-532-7722 or e-mail helpdesk@ksu.edu . --Division of Human Resources

AGRITOURISM: YOUR NEXT CASH CROP?
A five-week class on agritourism is being offered in Junction City on January 29 and February 5, 12, 19, and 26, 2009 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Instructors will be Jan Jantzen, owner of Kansas Flint Hills Adventures, and staff from the Kansas Small Business Development Center.

For more information, contact the Flint Hills Resource Conservation and Development office at 620-340-0113, ext. 9. Sponsors include USDA Rural Development, SBA, Flint Hills and Kansas Crossroads RC&Ds, Washburn and Cloud County Community College, and the Junction City and Manhattan convention and visitors bureaus. –Ron Wilson rwilson@ksu.edu

• Soil Testing and Fertility, Nitrogen and Phosphorus Rates and Prices - Dorivar Ruiz Diaz
• Glyphosate Issue/Weed Control in Corn and Soybeans/Questions on Other Crops - Dallas Peterson
• Soil Compaction:  How it Happens and the Effects on the Crops - DeAnn Presley
• New Corn and Soybean Management Strategies/Planting Dates/Planting Rates/Row   Spacing/Soybean Fungicides - Kraig Roozeboom
• Bring it all Together - Stu Duncan

KANSAS FOREST SERVICE HOLDS SEMI-ANNUAL STATEWIDE TRAININGS IN FEBRUARY
The Kansas Forest Service Community Forestry Program will hold their semi-annual statewide trainings in February. Back to the Basics is the topic for the workshops being held in eight locations throughout the state. These half day seminars will focus on the principle’s central to a plant’s vitality as well as the important issues, methods, and techniques needed to ensure that our community plants are well care for. These workshops are for anyone interested in the health of urban and community landscapes and plants.

Click here to download a brochure with registration information. For further information, please contact Tim McDonnell at 316-788-0492. --Patricia McCaffrey pmccaffr@ksu.edu

EXTENSION EDUCATORS AND SPECIALISTS WITH WIND ENERGY INTEREST
Our High Plains Energy - CRD Team is pleased to announce two new workshops on Wind Energy Issues. The first targets our extension clientele. Your local promotion of this program will be key to our success and our future offerings for clientele. The second is a continuing education opportunity for extension educators and specialist. The CRD-Energy work group includes faculty representatives from SD, ND, KS, NE, CO, WY, OK and MT. Here is the information on these programs:

Workshop #1

Title: Basics of Farm/Residential Small Wind Turbines Target Audience: Extension clientele with wind energy interest such as land owners, business owners, local utility representatives, and economic development officials.
Date: February 13, 2009 from 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. CST
Presenter: Antonio C. Jimenez - National Renewable Energy Laboratory/National Wind Technology Center
Access: http://connect.extension.iastate.edu/nebraska/
Promotion: See Attachment...Please alter attachment to include local extension office name on announcement
Additional Suggestions: You are encouraged to integrate this workshop into your local extension program in  either of two ways:

1) Host a workshop at your extension office on Wind Energy and invite clientele to attend and/or
2) Share this announcement with clientele and encourage them to attend from their home or office. If you plan to host a workshop at your extension office, please RSVP to Sheryl Burbach, sburbach2@unl.edu .

This workshop will be followed by additional clientele targeted workshops at later dates, possibly targeting landowner contracts and local economic development. We are reliant on extension agents and educators to promote this workshop and encourage clientele participation.

Workshop #2

Title: Wind Energy Development: Key Financial Considerations
Target Audience: Extension Educators and Specialists and economic development officials
Date: February 27, 2009 from 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. CST
Presenters: Larry Leistritz and Cole Gustafson, North Dakota State University; and Carol Goodman, Executive Director for the Cavalier County Job Development Authority in Langdon, ND
Access: http://connect.extension.iastate.edu/nebraska/
Promotion: See Attachment
Additional Suggestions: You are welcome to invite local community or economic development officials to participate in this workshop.

Archived Workshop
If you missed our first educator inservice on Wind Energy and Land Owner Issues, you can watch the archived webinar at http://sustainablegreatplains.wikispaces.com/Energy . Our team is also making plans for a distance learning workshop targeting extension clientele that will combine elements of our first two inservice trainings. We hope educators will consider hosting this workshop for clientele or at a minimum market this opportunity within your county or region. More details will be shared later.

I encourage your participation in these workshops as a means of addressing wind energy issues in the High Plains states. These workshops provide extension the opportunity to pro-actively respond to wind energy development issues for our clientele. Please share with others as appropriate. --Dan Kahl dankahl@ksu.edu

"HELP BUILD EXTENSION'S PUBLIC VALUE" ONLINE WORKSHOP, MARCH 3, 4 & 5, 10 A.M. TO NOON
You know how your Extension programs benefit your participants, but your programs also create Public value when they benefit the rest of the community. Participants in "Building Extension's Public Value" workshops will learn how their programs create public value and how to communicate this value to stakeholders whose support is crucial to Extension.

K-State Research and Extension professionals have the opportunity to participate in this workshop led by Dr. Laura Kalambokidis from the University of Minnesota.

Resources will include a "Building Extension's Public Value" presenter's guide, workbook and PowerPoint presentation.

The sessions will be from 10 a.m. - 12:00 noon Central Time. K-State Research and Extension professionals may participate at their own desks through Adobe Connect. The registration fee for the workshop sponsored by KSRE Administration. To register, send or call Dorothy Ireland, direland@ksu.edu , 785-532-3376. She will need your name, address, phone, and e-mail address.

Dr. Kalambokidis will lead this 8 hour workshop on March 3 and 5 via University of Minnesota Adobe Connect. Kansas participants will also meet via KSRE Adobe Connect on March 4 from 10 a.m. - 12 noon to work on the assignments for the workshop.

More information about how to connect and download resources will come to those who register. --Margaret Phillips margaret@ksu.edu

REMINDER - FOOD PRESERVATION UPDATE
The Spring Food Preservation Workshop registration is now open. The dates are:

April 23 - JA Haas 4-H Building , Larned and
April 29 - United Methodist Church, Council Grove.

Registration Deadline - April 15.2009, $10 fee. Registration from can be found on Rapid Response website at www.rrc.ksu.edu . Questions? Call Karen Blakeslee, 785-532-1673; or Lisa Long, 620-532-5131. --Lisa Long llong@ksu.edu

VIEW THE MASTER SCHEDULE OR ADD NEW ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS