The Tuesday Letter
Agricultural Experiment Station & Cooperative Extension Service
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
(Vol. 19 No. 33)
IN THIS ISSUE...
WORD FROM THE ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR - EXTENSION AND APPLIED RESEARCH
Budget Update. Board of Regents last week approved the tuition proposal for Kansas State University. In so doing, President Schulz and Provost Mason have approved providing Research and Extension with $2.4 million centrally to backfill the legislature's budget reduction of roughly $2.7 million. That leaves roughly $300,000 in state budget reduction and roughly $800,000 reduction in federal funding because of sequestration. That cost is shared almost equally between AES and CES. Dr. Floros announced on Friday morning to his leadership team that these reductions will be covered by AES and CES centrally, such that at this time we have no plans to reduce funding out to any units. For budget planning in the local Extension units, continue to use the state/federal contributions as were provided in the previous year. If we do encounter any further reductions mid-year through reallocation required for salary adjustments, we may need to revisit our ability to absorb such reductions all centrally.
A further comment... I am extremely appreciative of the President and Provost and their bold leadership to include Research and Extension in their management of budget reductions across the campus. Their willingness to step forward and receive opposition and questions, but remaining committed to their plan exemplifies their belief in the importance of our work in the mission of Kansas State University. In that regard, we must never let them down!
Change Agent States Catalyst Team/Navigating Difference. And, now onto another topic of importance to me. One of our central goals is to advance the culture of diversity and inclusiveness. I happened to see the video below posted on Facebook. It is an extreme example of inappropriate questions and stereotyping of another person's culture, ethnicity, or race. As I watch the video, it helps me to think about appropriate ways to discover difference. I know some of my thinking has been shaped by the training and experiences I've had through the Change Agent States catalyst team and specific training like Navigating Difference. K-State Research and Extension needs to be a leader in local communities for embracing difference and seeking ways to increase inclusion, especially for any groups or individuals who are oppressed within society. It is a tall order, and I am pleased with how many of you have responded through the training and other learning opportunities. If you haven't participated in the Navigating Difference training, I sincerely hope you will. If you go to the following links, you will find more information about upcoming opportunities for the training.
Navigating Difference Training Brochure
Tentative Agenda for November Training in Salina
Registration Site for November Training in Salina
I hope you will give serious thought as to how you would meet someone different from you. And further, how you would engage in a positive conversation that would help you both to learn more about each other and maybe even similarities you have in life. As you get to know others, opportunities for including them in your educational programs, or introducing them to others within your community will happen. I hope it is already happening for you.
The video is entitled "What kind of Asian are you?" Watch and think!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWynJkN5HbQ
Have a great week! - Daryl Buchholz dbuchhol@ksu.edu
SUBMIT PROPOSALS FOR ANNUAL CONFERENCE BY JULY 1
Remember that breakout session and poster proposals for the 2013 K-State Research and Extension Annual Conference are due July 1. This year there are multiple options for breakout sessions: 75-minute in-depth sessions and 30-minute update sessions. Take this opportunity to share information with your colleagues.
The conference committee has created guidelines to help you develop your presentations. Sessions will be organized around these broad topics:
Water (quantity and/or quality as it relates to agriculture and natural resources, homeowners, consumers, youth, etc.)
Health (understanding the impact of health-care reform, nutrition, physical activity, wellness, safety in relation to individuals, families, youth, agriculture, etc.)
Community Vitality (strengthening communities, strengthening families, economic development, resource/financial management, entrepreneurship, etc.)
Feeding the Future (crop production, farm management, livestock production, nutrition, food systems, involvement of the population, etc.)
Growing Tomorrow’s Leaders (youth development, leadership development, civic engagement, etc.)
Please review the guidelines on the conference website before filling out the proposal form.
The poster session will be Tuesday evening, October 22, and the breakout sessions will be Wednesday afternoon, October 23.
Tours of the Kansas Wheat Innovation Center will be available at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, October 22, and 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, October 24. If you would like to attend, please factor these times into your travel plans.
The conference website also has contact information and prices for local hotels. The deadline for room blocks at Holiday Inn at the Campus and Fairfield Inn by Marriott is September 21. --Maurice MacDonald, Conference Chair, morey@ksu.edu
WORKSHOP INSTRUCTORS NEEDED FOR THE KANSAS YOUTH LEADERSHIP FORUM
We are currently recruiting proposals for workshop session instructors/presenters
for Saturday, November 23, for the 13th Annual Kansas Youth Leadership Forum.
Topics should center on some aspect of leadership. Ideas might include,
but are not limited to: community service, citizenship, communications, conflict
management, decision making, leading by example, time
management, diversity,
business etiquette and getting involved after high school.
The Kansas State 4-H
Youth Council members hope that you will be interested in sharing your
expertise or talent with this 14-18 year old group of young people. The letter and proposal submission information are both on the State 4-H
Website, on the KYLF page. Proposals
are due by July 1, and will be submitted online. Questions can be
directed to Sarah Keatley, keatley@ksu.edu
--Beth Hinshaw bhinshaw@ksu.edu
KRC: BEGINNING FARMER & RANCHER SURVEY
The Kansas Rural Center has a rich history in supporting beginning farmers and ranchers and understands that as the times change so do the needs of this increasingly important, diverse group of hard working Kansans. KRC has received funding to support researching the needs of today's beginning farmers and ranchers, and delivering education and resources based on those needs. To kick off this work, we would like to distribute a short survey that collects some basic information about who today's Kansas beginning farmers and ranchers are and what some of their challenges may be to help us identify the areas of education, research, policy, or service resources we need to focus on.
Our targeted audience for this survey is beginning farmers and ranchers (as defined by the USDA, http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/eib-economic-information-bulletin/eib53.aspx#.UcNOavmTiSo), and those interested in farming or ranching but may not be doing so yet. We are looking for feedback from beginning farmers and ranchers of all circumstances practicing conventional and alternative methods.
Please assist us in capturing this valuable feedback by participating or forwarding the link to this survey to your network, family members, friends or those you feel would be interested in participating. A print version of this survey can be received by contacting Natalie Fullerton.
The deadline for survey completion is July 10, 2013. The online survey can be accessed by clicking the following link:
Take the http://survey.constantcontact.com/survey/a07e7oqhgsohi22wfny/start KRC Beginning Farmer & Rancher Survey!
Many thanks for your assistance! --Natalie Fullerton/Kansas Rural Center Field Coordinator/402-310-0177/n.fullerton@cox.net
WANTED: FALL BOARD LEADERSHIP SERIES SITE HOSTS
The Community Development PFT is recruiting host sites for a Fall 2013 Board Leadership Series. Series dates will be:
October 8, 9, 15, 16
6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Session topics include: Basic Board Leadership and Effective Meetings; Understanding Fellow Board Members & Conflict Management; Fundraising and Management; Strategic Planning/Legal & Ethical Issues.
Host Site Responsibilities:
--Promote the training opportunity to community boards and commissions in your area.
--Secure a place to host the sessions that will accommodate up to 25 people and has excellent (hard wired) internet access. Note: if there is a rental fee it will be the host site's responsibility to cover any cost in addition to what is returned as a portion of the registration fee.
--Prepare copies of all the meeting materials for the registered participants at your site. These will be sent by email to you the Friday before the session on Monday.
--Provide a light snack at each of the 4 sessions for the participants. You will receive some financial compensation to help defray the expense of the copying and food.
--Serve as the on site facilitator/moderator for each of the sessions. This will include managing the adobe connect interface; facilitating the interactive learning pieces; facilitating the questions and comments; providing the evaluation follow-up.
Note: Each of the 4 sessions will be taught by a team of experts using adobe connect technology. As a site host you will only be responsible for facilitating 2-3 hands on activities each session in addition to general hosting responsibilities. You will NOT be asked to teach the sessions. The Community Development PFT will provide facilitation training for all site hosts in September.
This is an excellent way to deliver a local community development program. Agents/Offices interested in being a host site should contact Jennifer Wilson at jrwilson@ksu.edu by August 1. --Jennifer Wilson
ASK THE OEIE EVALUATOR: STAKEHOLDER CONSIDERATIONS TO PRESENTING EVALUATION RESULTS
We focused on tips to displaying types of impact data in the previous Ask the OEIE Evaluator installment. In this installment, we shift our focus to a few elements you’ll want to consider when presenting to stakeholders the findings derived from your evaluation efforts. This information may be useful for any evaluation effort that involves the presentation of evaluation results, conclusions, or recommendations.
Q: What should I take into consideration when presenting evaluation results to stakeholders?
Program evaluation aims to understand progress toward and the achievement of identified outcomes as they relate to the overarching mission and goals of the program. Therefore, it is vital to present the evaluation results, conclusions, or recommendations obtained through the evaluation process in a manner that is both useful and understandable to your stakeholders. Stakeholders have varying degrees of interest and engagement with evaluation findings, so it is important that the presentation of evaluation results address their individual needs.
The informational needs of the stakeholders typically enlighten the development of evaluation questions at the beginning of the evaluation process. The evaluation questions then guide the entire evaluation planning process, including when and how you collect impact data, what type of analysis may best address evaluation questions with the data collected, and when reporting needs should occur. Thus, a return to these evaluation questions is your first consideration and should be a key focus in your stakeholder presentation. In order for information to be most useful, your presentation should isolate the most salient findings relevant to the questions posed. Another consideration to increase the understanding of evaluation results is to present findings of both intended and unintended outcomes of your program. This, in many cases, provides for a richer understanding of impact. For example, if a healthy eating program that was targeted to middle school youth had unintentionally influenced high school youth, too, it is important to include these sorts of findings in your presentation to demonstrate larger impacts. Additionally, addressing whether an outcome meets an immediate or longer or more broad-based need contributes to the varying levels of program achievement that may be expected by stakeholders.
Another consideration is to be aware of and thoughtful to the contextual setting in which your program lives. For example, social and economic conditions, institutional climate (e.g., perceptions, attitudes, or expectations of current events), or political circumstance (e.g., capitalizing on the release of a special initiative similar to your work), may delay or inspire the timing of your presentation to stakeholders.
An often overlooked consideration is the language and terminology used in presentations. Specifically, program jargon and complex terminology should be avoided unless it is used by the stakeholders themselves. Simple language and added graphic representations of data both enhance the ability of stakeholders to read and interpret the evaluation results more easily as well as facilitate the use of the findings.
Finally, the mode or forum of presentation is another important consideration. To ensure that impact is not lost on your stakeholders, the vehicle and place of the presentation should be suited to the stakeholder you intend to address. Taken together, careful preparation in presenting evaluation results that meet the needs of varying stakeholders may provide the information needed to continue stakeholder commitment, enthusiasm, and engagement in the program’s mission and goals.
Questions about evaluation? Visit the Extension Evaluation Resources website or contact Kathleen Gary, ksgary@ksu.edu; or Mandi Peters, mpeters8@ksu.edu; at OEIE. --Office of Educational Innovation and Evaluation
NOT MAKING A DECISION IS USUALLY A BAD DECISION
Some people take this approach to estate planning: “Don’t
worry. You don’t need a will. The courts will take care of it for you.”
Judges make important decisions all the time, and unless you take appropriate
steps, they could end up making significant, personal decisions that should be
yours. The key is to draft a will so critical decisions are yours.
If you want to decide how your life’s work is distributed,
you need a will so YOU decide, rather than someone disconnected from you and
your family. If you want to determine who raises your minor children should the
unexpected happen, you need a will. If you want to decide how your assets are
distributed, you need a will. If you want to designate funds to a favorite
charity, you need a will. In reality, everyone – you, your family and your
neighbors - need a will so important decisions are yours and not left to a
judge. Not recording key decisions in a will can be a bad decision.
Planning Your Legacy is a free publication to help compile
and organize key documents, account numbers plus beneficiary and guardian
information into an organized format before seeing an attorney. A little time
spent creating an organized plan may save hundreds in attorney fees, and it’ll
limit additional – and unnecessary - grief for family and friends. Most
importantly, key decisions are yours.
Planning Your Legacy is not an estate plan, but it is a good
place to start making that plan. For your free copy – for personal use or to
keep in the office - email or call Gordon Dowell. --Gordon Dowell gordond@found.ksu.edu 1-800-432-1578
THE BENEFITS OF BICYCLING
 Do you have a bike that has been sitting/hanging in the
garage for so long, there isn’t enough air in the tires to ride it? Are you
looking for a way to get healthier? Then it may be time to blow off the dust,
air up the tires and hit the road or bike path.
According to Discovery.com, the top 7 health benefits of
cycling include: 1) it’s good for your heart; 2) it’s good for your muscles; 3)
it’s good for your waistline; 4) it’s good for your lifespan; 5) it’s good for
your coordination; 6) it’s good for your mental health; and 7) it’s good for
your immune system. For more information, go to http://news.discovery.com/adventure/the-top-7-health-benefits-of-cycling.htm.
Want some additional proof of the benefits? Sixty minutes of walking (20 minutes per
mile) will burn 224 calories. The same
time spent on a bike at 10-12 mph will burn 408 calories. Bump the speed up to 12-14
mph and you can burn 544 calories in an hour! For those with knee problems, bicycling reduces the pounding knee joints
can take from running. Bicycling strengthens the muscles, tendons and ligaments
around your knees and can actually reduce knee problems over time. Lastly,
bicycling knows no age limits. The
oldest riders on the annual Bike Across Kansas are generally in their
mid-eighties and there was a recent article in the newspaper about a 92
year-old man who has biked 150,000 miles over the past 30 years and is still at
it!
If you are a current bicycler or ready to get into it, I
suggest you visit ACTIVE.com’s cycling web site at http://www.active.com/cycling. You
will find lots of great information on cycling and they have a weekly
newsletter you can subscribe to with timely articles for both beginners and the
most seasoned triathlete or racer.
So, instead of sitting in the Lazy Boy and watching the Tour
de France on television this summer, get out your bike, grab your helmet
(safety is always first) and hit the road. --Doug Jardine jardine@ksu.edu
DIVERSITY PROGRAMS OFFICE UPDATE
Happy Summer!
We would like to welcome Carolina Camacho, who has joined the staff of the Diversity Programs Office. Carolina used to work at the Fort Riley K-State Research & Extension Office, as a Program Assistant, in the area of Family Life. Carolina is now the Coordinator for the Diversity Programs Office, so please feel free to stop by the office to welcome her! Graduate assistant Star Page and undergraduate assistants Yasmine Mitchell and Tyler Warta will also be working in the office during the summer.
The next Navigating Differences training will be held in Salina, November13-14. If you are interested in participating in future Navigating Difference Trainings, please contact the Diversity Programs Office at 785-532-5793; Zelia Wiley, zwiley@ksu.edu; or Charlotte Shoup Olsen, colsen@k-state.edu. You can also start reserving your hotel rooms at the Candlewood Suites, 2650 Planet Ave., Salina, Ks 67401; please contact Janie at 785-823-6939.
The MAPS students have arrived and are taking classes on campus June 17- July 25 and the College of Agriculture has 13 MAPS participants out of the 43 total. The College of Ag students are:
Alaina Littlejohn - Animal Science Industry
Marissa Stubbs - Bakery Science
Jennifer Wuelzer - Feed Science
Jasmine Tuitt - Pre-Vet, Animal Science Arisa Yamashita-Taylor - Pre-Vet, Animal Science Cayla Young - Pre-Vet, Animal Science Geneva White - Pre-Vet, Animal Science Olivia Khatri - Pre-Vet, Animal Science Carlos Flores - Animal Science Industry Bryce Bradford - Agriculture Management Darren Partee - Animal Science Industry Shannon Carnahan - Animal Science Industry Anyssa Torres - Bakery Science & Management
If you see them around, say hello!
The Nicodemus Educational Camp was held June 17-21 and was quite successful. We had 23 students from not only Kansas but New Mexico, Texas and Ohio. We thank the John Deere Co., for sponsoring them and providing transportation for the students.
We wish you well as the hot summer days begin and please know that you’re welcome to stop by our office, located in 139 Waters Hall. Please contact Dr. Zelia Wiley, zwiley@ksu.edu, at 785-532-5793 if you would like more information about our programs. --Zelia Wiley
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