The Tuesday Letter
Agricultural Experiment Station & Cooperative Extension Service
Tuesday, January 08, 2013
(Vol. 19 No. 9)
IN THIS ISSUE...
WORD FROM THE ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR - EXTENSION AND APPLIED RESEARCH
Happy New Year! I was given the opportunity to do a couple audio segments with Eric Atkinson and the K-State Radio network as a year in review. While the interviews are currently linked on our KSRE homepage, you can also find them through the following links:
Part 1:
Part 2:
Hopefully, through my comments, you get a sense of why we do our work in helping people to solve their problems. K-State Research and Extension generates options, opportunities, and solutions to address the critical problems facing Kansans. We do this through our expertise and interest in water, ag and food production, health of communities and citizens, revitalizing communities, and growing tomorrows leaders. Its great working in a system where the faculty and staff have a keen interest and desire to work with the people of Kansas, your clientele, volunteers, and leaders on creating solutions that will have a positive impact on the economic well-being and quality of life for all Kansans. My thanks to Eric for offering me the opportunity through these interviews.
Partnership meetings around the state are coming up in just a couple weeks! You can see information about registering for these meetings below. I really want you to invite and encourage your executive board members to attend one of the meetings. We will be engaging everyone in some strategic planning processes as we think about how Research and Extension can contribute to achieving the goals of being the best among Land-grant universities. This will be a great opportunity for your board members to share their vision, hope, aspirations, and action steps for Kansas State to best serve the people of Kansas through Research and Extension. You'll note that our meeting locations for Partnership Meetings 2013 are different. We hope to create new connections and networks among board members that cross those imaginary boundaries we call administrative areas. This will be a great way to share and receive new thoughts and ideas on how best to pursue the mission of Cooperative Extension across this great state. Have a great week! - Daryl Buchholz dbuchhol@ksu.edu
INTERACTION OF K-STATE FACULTY AND STAFF WITH STATE/FEDERAL OFFICIALS
As the Kansas Legislature convenes next week, we 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 members of 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 email at sgraham@k-state.edu; Or Dr. Susan Peterson, Assistant to the President/Director of Governmental Relations, at 785-532-6221, 785-532-4791 (voice mail), or via email at kstategr@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 Schulz 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 via Steven Graham to Sue Peterson. 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 our Dean and Director. The review process occurs in December and January, with the University project submission to the Delegation in early February.
If a member of the Kansas Delegation contacts you for information, please contact either Steven Graham or Dr. Susan Peterson immediately, so we may remain consistent with our COA/KSRE and institutional priorities. --John D. Floros floros@k-state.edu
PASSWORD CHANGE DEADLINE FEBRUARY 13TH
K-State's eID password change deadline is February 13. If you have not changed your password since January 1, you must do so before the deadline or you will lose access to your K-State resources.
To change your eID password, visit https://eid.ksu.edu and log in with your eID and password. Your password must now be at least 10 characters long, and needs to include three of these four categories: uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and special characters. It must also not be based on an identifiable word, acronym or name.
We highly recommend making your passwords longer than the 10 character minimum. One way to do this is to use a pass phrase, or several words put together or separated with spaces or other symbols. Those words must not be identifiable as defined above, but the phrase itself can be remembered much better than a short, complicated password.
While on the eID site, you should update your password reset options. We encourage you to keep that information current, especially the alternate email address, since that can be used to reset your password if needed. This year there is an option to receive a text message to help in resetting your password. We highly recommend enabling this option.
You can also sign up for K-State Alerts on the eID site to receive emergency email and text message notifications as needed.
Once you have changed your eID password, make sure you quickly update it in any email clients or mobile devices that you use to check your K-State email. If it is not updated quickly you may be locked out of K-State Zimbra for a few hours due to multiple failed login attempts. If you have multiple devices I advise turning them off when you change your password, then one by one turning them on and updating the password to help prevent being locked out.
Also, if you use a computer or mobile device on campus that connects to the "KSU Wireless" network you will have to update the password there as well. Simply visit http://wireless.k-state.edu/connect/ on your device and follow the instructions to connect to the network with your new password.
If you have any questions or problems getting your password changed, feel free to contact KSRE Support at 785-532-6270. You can also contact the K-State Helpdesk for assistance with password issues at 785-532-7722 or 800-865-6143. -–Joe Lear learj@ksu.edu
GALAXY IV PROPOSALS DUE JANUARY 15
Proposals for Galaxy
IV must be submitted by 10:59 PM CST, Tuesday, January 15,
2013. The Conference theme is “Bridging the Centuries: A New Era for Extension.”
The link for submission can be found on the Galaxy IV website, your association
website, or directly at
http://tinyurl.com/cl77e9n.
Consider submitting
for this unique opportunity in Pittsburgh, PA, September 16-20. The number of presentations
allocated to each association will be based on the percentage of the total
submitted by each association. For example if 10% of the submitted abstracts are
from a given association, then 10% of the oral presentation time slots will be
allotted to that association, subject to the abstracts’ alignment with the
conference theme and being ranked as appropriate during review. It is important
that each association encourage their members to submit abstracts to ensure representation.
Lead presenters must be
members of the association through which they are submitting. --Marie Blythe,
ESP National Professional Development Committee mblythe@ksu.edu
KANSAS RADON ACTION MONTH (KRAM) ACTIVITIES
January 2013 is both Kansas Radon Action
Month (KRAM) (sponsored by the Kansas Radon Program (KRP) and the Kansas Department of Health and
Environment (KDHE)) and National Radon Action Month (NRAM) (sponsored
nationally by the EPA). The KRP will
be airing both television and radio public service messages localized with the
state radon hotline and website. The
PSA’s are scheduled to air January 15 through March 15, 2013 in association
with the Kansas Association of Broadcasters (KAB). These
television and radio spots lead to increased interest in residential radon
testing by Kansas residents. Winter is an excellent time for Kansas
residents to test their homes for radon.
KRAM is officially starting January 10 with a proclamation sighing by Governor Brownback in Topeka. The KRP will send the proclamation and the associated KDHE news release out to the Extension listserv as soon as available.
The KRP is also hosting a webinar on January 10 for all Extension agents. The webinar will focus on KRP services available in the state and to the Extension offices. The webinar will be from 1:30 p.m. to 2 p.m., and may be accessed at http://connect.ksre.ksu.edu/radon. Please sign in as a Guest using your name. The webinar will be recorded and made available for folks not able to attend. More information on radon can be found at www.kansasradonprogram.org.
And lastly, the KRP has scheduled five (5) combined
public presentations on radon coupled with a local media event on radon during
January 2013 in partnership with the K-State Research and Extension county
offices..
The current schedule of
those events is as follows:
January 14,
2013: Abilene, 7 p.m., Abilene
Public LibraryJanuary 16,
2013: Marysville, Noon,
Marysville City Building
January 23,
2013: Sabetha, Noon, Mary
Cotton Public Library
January 28,
2013: Great Bend, Noon,
location to be announced
January 28,
2013: Larned, 7 p.m., J. A. Haas
Building Pawnee County Fairgrounds
January 29,
2013: Hill City, Noon,
location to be announced
Any cross-posting or advertising of these presentations in surrounding counties is greatly appreciated. The KRP does have a few additional dates set for February that will be announced on the Extension listserv once the details are firmed up.
Questions can be addressed to Brian Hanson with the KRP at bhanson@ksu.edu or 785-532-4996. --Brian Hanson
NOW ACCEPTING ENTRIES 3RD NATIONAL FESTIVAL OF BREADS AMATEUR YEAST BREAD BAKING CONTEST - DEADLINE JANUARY 31, 2013
Original yeast bread recipes using King Arthur Flour and Fleischmann's Yeast may be submitted now thru January 31, 2013 at www.americasbreadbasket.com.
Categories include: Ethnic Breads; Rolls; Time-Saving and Simple Breads and Whole Grain Breads. The Adult Category is open to amateur bakers 18 years of age or older. Recipes will be test-baked and judged on the following criteria: originality, taste, healthfulness, ease of preparation and appearance.
New this year is a Youth Category (12 to 17 years of age). Categories include: Rolls and Whole Grain Breads.
PRIZES:
One Adult Grand Prize Winner will be awarded an all-expenses-paid trip to a baking class of his or her choice at the King Arthur Flour Baking Education Center in Norwich, VT and a year's supply of Fleischmann's Yeast, plus receive a $2,000 cash award.
Eight Adult Finalists and one Youth Finalist will be awarded an all-expenses-paid trip to Manhattan, KS, where they will bake their winning bread recipes on Saturday, June 22, 2013. In addition, they will participate in a Wheat Harvest Tour to a working Kansas wheat farm, flour mill and grain elevator.
Please assist us with promoting the contest to home bakers through their newsletters, websites, 4-H foods project leaders and more. Also, 4-Hers may want to attend the national event on Saturday, June 22, 2013 in Manhattan, at the new Hilton Garden Inn. This would be a wonderful national event that 4-Hers could mention in their record books. Baking sessions will be scheduled throughout the day with baking tips and great door prizes. For more information contact Cindy Falk, cfalk@kswheat.com; or Bill Spiegel, bspiegel@kswheat.com. --Steven Graham sgraham@k-state.edu
4-H KANSAS AWARD PORTFOLIO PROCESS
Change is underway for 2013 Kansas 4-H Award Portfolio
reviews with the up-coming Area KAP Screenings. Please note the area evaluation process remains the same as only the top
two KAPs in each award category will represent the area at state judging.
During the area screenings the top two 4-H members’ name, address, e-mail and extension
unit will be gathered and sent to the State 4-H Office.
Following the Area
KAP Screening:
Each 4-H member will receive a detailed e-mail letter
explaining the five-minute video presentation process along with questions to
cover in the video, where to find tutorial instructions on the 4-H web page and
a timeline for KAP submission. The local Extension Offices will be copied on
the e-mail.
The Area winning KAPs along with the five-minute
video presentation will be due into the State 4-H Office, March 1, 2013.
Five locations across the State have been
scheduled for evaluating the KAPs and Videos in March. A minimum of 10
volunteers and agents are needed in each location to conduct. Position description and nomination form
available in the Awards Letter mailed December, 2012 or on the Kansas 4-H Web
page.
During the KAP Screening once the top 1/2 of the
written KAPs are determined in the project areas the evaluators will view the
top 1/2 finalists’ videos.
State Award winners notified early April.
--Pam Van Horn pvanhorn@ksu.edu
BOARD LEADERSHIP SERIES: YOU ARE SERVING ON A BOARD - NOW WHAT?
The Board Leadership Series, developed last year by the
Community Development Program Focus Team, will be presented again from 6-8 p.m.
on March 4, 11, 18, 25, 2013. Last year’s
participants indicated that as a result of participating in this series they
were now more comfortable with their role as a board member and were willing to
question the process. Others indicated
that they have observed their board meetings becoming more effective and
efficient since the training. Many said
it was money and time well spent! This “high tech-high touch” 4 session series is intended for
anyone serving on a local board or commission such as extension council, water
district, township, board of zoning appeals, church, and producer organization just to name
a few. The sessions will include Roles and Responsibilities of Board Members/Effective
Meetings; Understanding Fellow Board Members/Conflict Resolution; Fundraising
and Fiscal Responsibility/Legal and Ethical Issues; and Strategic
Planning.
The face to face training sessions will be hosted by the
local Extension Unit in the following communities: Beloit, Colby, El Dorado, Garden City,
Hutchinson, Iola, Lakin, Leavenworth, Liberal, Manhattan, Topeka, and
Seneca. The content will be delivered
through Adobe Connect by KSRE Extension Professionals with Community
Development responsibilities. Cost is
$40 per person, with a discount for multiple board members from the same
board. This includes a light snack and
all handout materials.
For more information and to enroll go to www.ksre.ksu.edu/boardseries. This site should be available no later than January
11, 2013. For more information contact
Trudy Rice at trice@ksu.edu or Jennifer
Wilson at jrwilson@ksu.edu. --Trudy Rice
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