The Tuesday Letter
Agricultural Experiment Station & Cooperative Extension Service
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
(Vol. 20 No. 47)
IN THIS ISSUE...
PRESIDENT AND PROVOST TO PROVIDE UPDATE
The Annual Fall Update
Meeting with President Schulz and Provost Mason is scheduled as follows:
Research and Extension – Friday, October 17th -- 10:30 a.m. –
12:30 p.m.
College of Agriculture – Friday,
October 17th -- 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Both meetings will be in the Town Hall Room in Leadership
Studies Building. This session will be available live via webstreaming through the KSRE Seminar website: http://www.ksre.ksu.edu/seminars/. More information
on access and means for providing questions into the meeting will be
coming. --Daryl Buchholz dbuchhol@ksu.edu
REMEMBER TO REGISTER FOR ANNUAL CONFERENCE
This year’s conference theme, “Honoring the Past, Forging the Future,” celebrates the centennial of the Cooperative Extension Service with a look at the organization’s future. The conference dates are Tuesday, October 21, through Thursday, October 23.
Register for the conference by October 10 by clicking “Register” on the conference website.
Conference highlights:
Most agent association meetings are on Tuesday; however, the Kansas Extension Agents Association business meeting will be over lunch on Wednesday. The Tuesday 4 p.m. session with administrators is open to all conference attendees.
The awards luncheon is Thursday, October 23. You must register for the conference and check that you will be attending the luncheon to receive a ticket for the free lunch.
Wednesday morning session: “What Can We Learn from a Century?” is the topic for Provost Mason’s remarks. Dean and director John Floros will follow with “Starting the New Century.” Jim Richardson, Kansas native and National Geographic photographer, will illustrate his talk on “Food, Agriculture and Feeding the Planet" with his amazing photos. Marshall Stewart, special assistant to the dean and director of college strategy and leadership at North Carolina State University, will conclude the general session with “Celebrating the Past, Leading the Future.” He is widely recognized for his knowledge and expertise in leadership development; strategic planning; legislative affairs; educational, youth and agricultural trends; and advocacy.
A draft schedule for the Wheat Research Symposium (October 22, 1:15 to 6:30 p.m.) is posted to the website. The schedule now includes a meal. If you plan to attend, please register for the session to ensure ample food and beverages.
You will be able to access the conference schedule on your smartphone or tablet. Download the free app at http://free.eventbase.com/download. After the app is fully loaded, search under conferences for K-State Research and Extension. The session locations have not been determined at this time but will be added before the conference. You will be able to mark the sessions you plan to attend as favorites to customize your conference schedule. --Gloria Holcombe gloria@ksu.edu
OPEN ENROLLMENT HEALTH INSURANCE WEBINAR
This is a list of all State Employee Open Enrollment webinar registration links offered to employees. There are quite a few changes in health insurance options for 2015.
Open Enrollment Meeting Webinars **
Active State Employee
**If you require closed captioning services, please contact Laurie Knowlton at lknowlton@kdheks.gov.
Non State Employer Group Employees Online Open Enrollment Webinars are being offered at the following times:
Registration links for these and all other webinars will be posted online at www.kdheks.gov/hcf/sehp/default.htm.
Monday October 6, 2014 9:30 a.m.
Thursday October 23, 2014 1:30 p.m.
Friday October 24, 2014 9:30 a.m.
-- Human Capital Services, Benefits
STATE EXTENSION ADVISORY COUNCIL CALL FOR NOMINATIONS
State
Extension Advisory Council (SEAC) members will be elected for the
2015-2018 term at the January 2015 Partnership Meetings.
Those who have served as Board Chairs in 2013, 2014, or have been elected for 2015, are eligible to be nominated for SEAC representative. Counties and
Districts will be able to attend any of the four Partnership Meetings,
and will vote for Area SEAC representatives at the meetings. A letter
describing the nomination process and
needed information can be accessed through the following link: Call for Nominations for SEAC Elections.
SEAC
members serve as a consultative group to the Extension Director
regarding Kansas Extension programs. They meet twice a year, in February
in Topeka and in August at locations that rotate around the state.
Members also have the opportunity to participate once during their SEAC
term in the Public Issues Leadership Development conference in
Washington D.C., which includes a visit to our representatives on
Capitol Hill.
Thank you for giving serious consideration to SEAC nominations. The nomination deadline is December 5, 2014. The document, “Opportunities, Roles, and Expectations for the State Extension Advisory Council,” as well as more information about the SEAC can be found on the Extension Board Leadership website: http://www.ksre.ksu.edu/boardleadership/p.aspx?tabid=557. -- Jim Lindquist jlindqui@ksu.edu
FRONTIER EXTENSION DISTRICT AWARDED USDA/NIFA GRANT TO EXPAND 4-H PROGRAMS TO MILITARY-CONNECTED YOUTH
Through a partnership with Kansas OMK (Operation: Military Kids), the Frontier Extension District has been awarded a grant from USDA/NIFA/4-H National Headquarters and US Army Child, Youth and School Services, to reach military-connected youth and families through an expansion of its 4-H programs. The Department of Defense estimates that over 300 military-connected youth live and attend schools in the Frontier district, and these youth are in families that are experiencing the stress of deployment, frequent moves and the downsizing of active and national guard components. Dr. Fran Richmond, Frontier District director and the project's co-investigator states that, "Through 4-H programs, these children have opportunities to learn science, health and life skills within a network of supportive adults and positive friendships. These benefits of 4-H membership can accompany military youth wherever they may move due to their parents' military service."
Along with Richmond and a local task force of organizational representatives, the project is led by Jo Ellen Arnold, former Kansas 4-H Youth Development agent.
For more information, contact Fran Richmond, frichmon@ksu.edu; or Elaine Johannes, Kansas OMK director, ejohanne@ksu.edu. --Elaine Johannes
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
Two different formats are available for 2014 Making a Difference reports.
One, a Publisher document, is available for local units to share their outcomes
and impacts with stakeholders. The template and a sample are available under the
Impacts header at www.ksre.ksu.edu/programming.
The other format, a Word document, is available for PFTs. To assist with
the editing process, a Word format, along with an example of the finished
product and instructions can be accessed under the Program Focus Team header at
www.ksre.ksu.edu/programming.
The Word document should be emailed to me, and also Assistant Directors, Gregg
Hadley, Paula Peters, and Barbara Stone. --Marie Blythe mblythe@ksu.edu
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