October 13, 2015
Highlights of the 2015 Epsilon Sigma Phi National Conference
After four different airline carriers to, and only three to return, I landed in Garden City at 11:15 p.m. last Wednesday night from the 2015 Epsilon Sigma Phi Nation Conference in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. The meeting was top notch, and the scenery was sublime.
We had fabulous speakers, so I thought I’d give some highlights from their various topics around the theme of “Unlocking the Treasures of Your Future.” We were welcomed by Dr. Barbara Petty, Interim Extension Director at University of Idaho. Besides giving us a splendid overview of Idaho’s human and agricultural histories, Dr. Petty noted that in the “Extension Relationship Model,” we must focus on soft skills in 1) Social, 2) Communication, 3) Higher Order Thinking, 4) Self-control, and 5) Positive self-concept. Petty emphasized that Extension is an organization of relationships, and it is those connections that make us better community builders, better teachers, and better researchers.
Our first keynote, Monday, was Dr. Kay Sagmiller, Director for Teaching and Learning at Oregon State University. Her topic focused on effective teaching, and she was able to carry out her whole message by using crop analogies. I will offer her message here with an outline with bullet points.
1. Analyze your community or audience (like a producer might look at his/her land or soil).
• Whose histories are being told?
• Are there unique demographics?
• What is the socio-economic makeup of your community or audience?
• What are the needs?
2. Decide what to teach (like a producer decides what to plant).
• What is germane to your audience?
• Have you gone beyond your assumptions of the need for your audience?
3. Prepare your audience to learn (like preparing the field before you plant).
• What is already known?
• What do you do to ready the minds to learn what you have to offer?
• What is the climate in the room or situation in which you are about to teach?
• What is your relationship to your audience?
• Consider the relationships that members of the audience have with one another.
4. Teach (Plant).
5. Reinforce learning with guided practice
6. Assess
• Be patient
• Understand that assessment is down the road from the first “lesson.”
Lastly, Sagmiller underscored the seventh point to what she called, “Humanitarian Engineering.”
7. Reflect, Revise, and Reteach.
As one who loves formulas, Dr. Sagmiller’s keynote greatly spoke to me.
In keeping with the theme of relationships, our Tuesday keynote was Dr. Larry Roper, Professor, School of Language, Culture and Society at Oregon State University. He said, “People don’t join organizations, they join people.” He noted that people don’t come back [to your second program] if they don’t feel welcomed the first time. To that end, Roper outlined some steps to assure that we (Extension professionals) are building solid relationships and excellent leadership. He noted that leadership is dynamic and is a journey of self-authorship for the individual and the organization. He said:
1. Examine your inner landscape.
• Look at the weight, depth, and breadth of your character.
• “Who shows up when you are called upon to lead?”
• Practice contemplation and reflection.
• Nourish your emotional, psychological, and intellectual being, and
• Care for your inner landscape.
2. Navigate organizations and communities through the right conversations.
• What are the right conversations?
• Demonstrate generosity
• Be accessible
• Ask yourself, “Am I trying to eliminate a problem or create a future?”
• Lead people – manage things
• Focus on love, respect, and generosity.
3. Lead the development of an ethical landscape.
• “Reside in hope and communicate a hopeful image of the future.”
• Embody grace – be graceful, grateful, and gracious.
4. Elevate the sacred in your job.
• What are the parts of your job that are sacred to you?
• Sustain the connection between what’s in your heart and what’s in your head.
For this final point, Dr. Roper posed a question for self-reflection:
5. To what foundation is my leadership anchored?
• People matter – structure does not, and
• Talk about affection rather than fear in your organization.
At the risk of surpassing the word limit here, I will end by hoping that someone else will cover the Ruby Lecture by Dr. Karen Bruns from Ohio. It was a great honor to represent Kansas Alpha Rho Chapter of Epsilon Sigma Phi both on my national committee, Public Issues, and as a recipient of the North Central Diversity/Multicultural Award. I would like to thank our Alpha Rho Chapter’s Endowment and the Connie Hoch Scholarships that made my travel possible.