e-Directions is an information-sharing newsletter issued at least bi-monthly to help keep you updated on Extension-related issues covering restructuring, programming opportunities, strategic plan initiatives and enhancements and other information.
If you have any comments or suggestions to improve e-Directions or the Director’s Web site, please contact me at
pcoreil@agcenter.lsu.edu.
Due to the length of this e-Directions, it has been divided into sections. Click on the section you would like to read.
Introduction of New Associate Vice Chancellor & Associate Director, Dwight Landreneau
Please join me in welcoming William “Dwight” Landreneau to the LSU AgCenter, Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service. Dwight joined the AgCenter on Sept. 1, 2006, filling the position of Associate Vice Chancellor and Associate Director due to the pending retirement of Dr. Kenneth Roberts. His temporary physical location is Room 101-H, Efferson Hall. After Oct. 1, Dwight will be moving to the LCES Administration wing of Efferson Hall where he will be assisted by Ms. Veda Walker. His US postal mailing address is P.O. Box 25100, Baton Rouge, LA 70894-5100. You may contact Dwight via phone at 225/578-2391; fax 225/578-4225; or via email dlandreneau@agcenter.lsu.edu.
Dwight served the LSU AgCenter Extension Service with distinction for 20 years as an award-winning 4-H agent, aquaculture/fisheries agent and as an acting district agent in the southwest region. His additional administrative experience as both Assistant Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism (Director of State Parks) for 6.5 years and his more recent appointment as Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries for the past 2.5 years clearly demonstrate Dwight’s tremendous ability and commitment to public service. His willingness to assume this position is a positive asset to the LSU AgCenter.
Dwight and his wife, Pam, are lifelong residents of the town of Washington in St. Landry Parish, and have three daughters and one grandchild. He enjoys fishing, hunting and golf.
Feel free to stop by or e-mail Dwight to introduce yourself or get reacquainted with an old friend!
[Back to Top]
Retirement Reception to Honor Dr. Ken Roberts
On Oct. 31, 2006, Dr. Ken Roberts, Associate Vice Chancellor and Associate Director of the LSU AgCenter, will retire. In recognition for his many contributions to the LSU AgCenter, a reception in his honor will be held on Thursday, Oct. 19, 2006, at the 4-H Mini Farm from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm. A book of letters will be complied and presented to Dr. Roberts. His wishes are that no gift contributions be made, but rather that your generosity is directed at helping the Louisiana 4-H Foundation. Futhermore, he has issued a challenge and has offered to match up to $2,500. Those wishing to contribute and/or participate in the planned reception activities may do so by completing an RSVP form and returning it by October 5, 2006. The RSVP form can be found at
http://www2.lsuagcenter.com/communications/emccallum/kenroberts/
RobertsRetOrder.pdf.
[Back to Top]
eXtension Launches HorseQuest Site
eXtension is pleased to announce the launch of its first Community of Practice web site: HorseQuest. Available at http://www.extension.org/horses, this is the first of many communities of practice to go public in 2006 and throughout 2007.
“We are very excited to launch HorseQuest today and to demonstrate the capacity that eXtension brings to America’s Cooperative Extension System,” said Dan Cotton, eXtension Director.
HorseQuest provides Internet visitors with reliable and up-to-date horse information through a knowledge base of commonly asked questions that have science-based, peer-reviewed answers. In addition, online lessons use self-paced learning objects to help users learn more about specialized areas of equine science. The newest lesson being introduced is a module for new and prospective horse owners.
“eXtension has provided an exciting new method of delivering scientific data to horse owners. Its 24/7/365 availability and interactive capability puts the horseman in direct contact with experts,” said Clint Depew, chair of the HorseQuest team and Louisiana State University extension horse specialist.
HorseQuest also features experts who work one on one with online users through live online chats. These one-hour chats feature three expert specialists covering various relevant topics.
“HorseQuest brings the strengths and backgrounds of many equine experts into one on-line tool. And, the accessibility of solid, research-based information is now available on a national (and international) platform, said Betsy Greene, University of Vermont extension horse specialist and vice-chair of the HorseQuest team.
“The 37-member HorseQuest Community of Practice has brought greater expertise to each area of interest and reduced the workload on individual experts at the same time. The collaborative relationships with other experts is minimizing duplication of effort and maximizing utilization of good materials. The spin offs into other projects is phenomenal,” noted Depew.
HorseQuest was developed through eXtension’s innovative collaborative tools including a unique “wiki” environment where community of practice members create, enhance, edit, and publish the various components featured on the public web site.
“Since my work with the HorseQuest Community of Practice, I now have expert resources at the click of a mouse. I have already utilized some of our collaborative ‘wiki-work’ when consulting with my clientele,” noted Greene. “The eXtension HorseQuest project has brought together the resources and opportunities for collaboration that no single state could afford.”
HorseQuest is the first eXtension “Community of Practice” to come online. Eight more communities with topics ranging from financial security, fire ants, disaster response, parenting, rural entrepreneurship, horticulture, and wildlife damage management are set to come online in the next several months. All will feature similar attributes of Frequently Asked Questions, Ask the Experts, news, events, and learning modules.
For more information on the progress of eXtension go to http://about.extension.org.
[Back to Top]
eXtension Names TEN new Communities of Practice
Ten new Communities of Practice have been named to join eXtension, a 24/7/365 Internet-based portal to the nation’s largest educational and information system. They are:
- Beef Cattle Clearing House
- Family Caregiving; Caring for the Aged and/or Disabled Adults
- Youth Literacy in Science, Engineering and Technology
- Pork Information Group
- eOrganic
- US DAIReXNET
- Corn and Soybean Production
- Urban Integrated Pest Management
- Map@Syst: Geospatial Solutions for Rural and Community Sustainability
- Diversity Across Higher Education
These 10 Communities of Practice were named following an extensive review of 19 finalist proposals by the Call for Engagement Review Panel in mid August. The Call for Engagement Review Panel is comprised of Extension directors, administrators and program leaders representing the five Extension regions plus three CSREES-USDA national program leaders.
A total of $500,000 will be divided among nine of these groups, and the Diversity Across Higher Education Community of Practice will receive no direct monetary support but will receive in-kind support from eXtension through use of its collaborative space and other development resources.
With the newly funded groups, this brings the total to 19 eXtension Communities of Practice.
[Back to Top]
Cotton is eXtension’s Newest Community of Practice
A group of cotton specialists from the Southern, Midwestern and Western United States have been accepted as eXtension’s newest volunteer Community of Practice (CoP). The Cotton community of practice comes to eXtension with broad support from the cotton industry, a large and diverse group with an interest in the production and manufacturing of raw cotton fiber and its by-products. In 2003, more than 170,000 U.S. cotton farms in 17 states produced more than 18 million bales of cotton. Nationwide, the economic impact of cotton resulted in more than $40 billion in revenue when considering the associated ginning, warehousing, and textile industries.
LSU AgCenter’s Extension Cotton Specialist, Dr. Sandy Stewart, will serve as the leader of the community of practice. Will McCarty, Associate Extension Director and State Leader for Agricultural Programs, Mississippi State University, will serve as the administrative advisor for the CoP. We are appreciative of the leadership Dr. Stewart is providing in this effort and look forward to the development of an outstanding Internet-based national site for cutting-edge information on cotton production, policy, processing and new technologies important to the cotton industry. Congratulations Sandy!
[Back to Top]
eXtension ID
Reminder: All faculty and staff are encouraged to create an eXtension ID, which will allow you to work in many of the eXtension collaborative workspaces and applications, including Frequently Asked Questions. If you haven’t done so yet, please go to http://faq.extension.org to register.
[Back to Top]
Nominations for Extension Faculty Awards
Recognizing outstanding faculty through award nominations is a responsibility we all share. Please take this opportunity to submit an award nomination for your co-workers and/or colleagues that have and continue to develop and implement excellent Extension programs in a parish, region and/or throughout the state. The deadline for submitting award nominations is Sept. 29, 2006.
The LCES Professional Awards (which include a monetary honorarium) include the following:
- Floyd Edmiston Award
- Extension Excellence Award
- Denver T. and Ferne Loupe Extension Team Award
The Denver T. and Ferne Loupe Extension Team Award is a new Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service award established last year to recognize significant contributions to extension programming excellence made by a team of at least three faculty who have developed, implemented and evaluated an extension program that emphasized collaboration that included both intra- and inter- unit extension activities, as well as joint efforts with other universities, organizations, governmental agencies, and the private sector. Nominations should stress accomplishments resulting from the team’s extension programming accomplishments that would not have been possible by a faculty member acting alone. This award is supported through an endowment honoring Vice Chancellor and Director Emeritus Denver T. Loupe and his wife Ferne Loupe.
For an explanation of individual awards, and a copy of the nomination form, access LCES Policy Statement 21, Awards Programs for Professional Personnel, at the following: LCES PS-21
One original hard copy of all award nominations must be submitted to the director's office by the September 29 deadline. Thank you for taking the time to respond to this very important request. I look forward to many excellent nominations!
[Back to Top]
New 4-H Service Learning Award
To highlight the outstanding service learning programs that have been implemented throughout the AgCenter, there will be a new award presented during Annual Conference: The 4-H Service-Learning Award. The award will recognize the efforts of faculty and volunteers with a $1,000 award -- $500 to the LSU AgCenter faculty involved and $500 to support future service learning programs. The due date for the award is Sept. 29, 2006. Information submitted will be combined with information submitted on the service learning evaluation website for final selection. Details on this new 4-H award are outlined below:
Award Guidelines and Criteria for Selection
Nomination Guidelines
Completed applications are due by Sept. 29, 2006, to the Office of the Vice Chancellor and Director of Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service.
1. General Information (Please include the following information on all nominations submitted):
- Parish
- LSU AgCenter personnel involved
- Program Title
- Project Leader(s)
- School/Club Site
- Service Learning Area
- Leadership, Citizenship, and Life Skills
- Science, Engineering and Technology Literacy
- Healthy Lifestyles
- Youth in Governance
- Organizational Strategies
- Collaborator(s)
- Total Hours (please include time spent on all steps of the cycle)
- Sources and Amount of Funds Generated
2. Summary of Program
Write a summary of accomplishments not to exceed two (2) pages. Summary should explain how the achievements contributed to the Service-Learning initiative, improved Extension’s effort to benefit people or changed their lives in some way, and also enhance Extension’s educational mission. Please address some of the following topics in your summary:
- Goals and Objectives
- Youth and Adult Partnerships
- Needs Assessment
- Steps in Planning
- Collaborative Efforts
- Celebrations
- Reflection Techniques
- Evaluation Tools
3. Supporting Material
Send in three (3) examples of work accomplishments (documents that support work accomplished, such as news articles, mass media, presentations, pictures, needs assessment tools, evaluation tools, journal tools, outcome statements, etc.)
Scoring
Scoring will be based on the outlined scorecard supported by the service-learning rubric found at https://www.lsuagcenter.net/fourh/ServiceLearning/Evaluation/Rubric.pdf for a total of 100 possible points.
Criteria – Adapted from: “Evaluating Service-Learning Activities & Programs”
(1) Learning Outcomes (30 points)
a. Clear educational goals that required application of concepts, content and skills from project work and involved students in the construction of their own knowledge.
b. Youth were engaged in tasks that challenged them cognitively and developmentally.
c. Youth learning was enhanced through assessment and the learning was evaluated and documented.
(2) Service Outcomes (30 points)
a. Youth were engaged in service activities that had clear goals, met genuine needs and had significant consequences for engaged youth and others.
b. Systematic formative and summative evaluation was used for the improvement of the experience.
(3) Support Structure (40 points)
a. Youth were involved in selected, designing, implementing and evaluating the experience.
b. The experience reflects diversity of participants, practices and outcomes.
c. Communication, interaction and collaboration in the community and with partners was an integral part of the experience
d. Educational experience included orientation of the participants to include an understanding of the task, their role, required skills, safety requirements and interpersonal dimensions.
e. Reflection was employed before, during and after the experience and was instrumentally in reaching the set objectives.
f. Participants were engaged in multiple celebration/recognition efforts throughout the service experience.
Please take advantage of this opportunity to recognize the outstanding efforts of service-learning teams in your parish. If you have any questions, please contact Debbie Bairnsfather, Janet Fox or Karen Martin.
[Back to Top]
New EQIP Ranking Criteria Proposed
The EQIP subcommittee has recommended that one of the EQIP Ranking Criteria under State and Local Issues be participation in the Master Farmer Program (or Master Cattle Producer, Master Dairyman, etc.). The State and Local Issues is one of the three broad categories used to rank applications producers submit for EQIP. Inclusion of the Master Farmer Program participation as one of these ranking criteria is not yet official, but if approved as recommended, this will certainly give accreditation to the Master Farmer Program, Master Cattleman, etc., developed by the LSU AgCenter.
[Back to Top]
PAR Guide to Amendments
The Public Affairs Research Council has posted their summary of the proposed constitutional amendments for the September election: http://www.la-par.org/
article.cfm?id=180&cateid=1.
[Back to Top]
Ganelle Bullock Staff Outstanding Service Award and LSU AgCenter Outstanding Service Award for Associates
The Ganelle Bullock Staff Outstanding Service Award was established by Ms. Bullock, shortly before her death in service, to recognize the important role staff members play in furthering the mission of the LSU AgCenter. Presented annually, this award recognizes those staff members who consistently demonstrate the highest levels of performance and strive to bring to their work the qualities Ms. Bullock promoted throughout her career with the AgCenter: commitment and loyalty to the organization, service, effectiveness, efficiency, creativity, excellence, leadership, integrity, self-development, a positive outlook and care and concern for others.
The AgCenter Outstanding Service Award for Research and Extension Associates Award was established to recognize the important role associates play in furthering the mission of the LSU AgCenter. Without the assistance of associates in a wide range of positions, the AgCenter’s research and educational programs would not be possible. This award, presented annually, recognizes those associates who consistently demonstrate the highest levels of performance in their technical knowledge, quality of work, teamwork, efficiency and effectiveness, initiative, creativity, professionalism, loyalty and commitment, self-development and overall contributions to their assigned program (areas), their unit, and the mission of the AgCenter.
Information about the awards and the nomination forms may be found on the LSU AgCenter Awards website. The direct link is https://www.lsuagcenter.net/chancellor/awards
/index.asp. Since this is a good opportunity to recognize deserving employees, you are encouraged to submit nominations as appropriate. Nominations for these awards will be accepted through Oct. 13, 2006. If you need additional information or have questions, please contact Sharon Salzer at ssalzer@agcenter.lsu.edu or (225) 578-4643.
[Back to Top]
Four LSU AgCenter Faculty Members Named To Endowed Positions
Four members of the LSU AgCenter faculty were named to positions of distinction – an endowed chair and endowed professorships in their areas of expertise.
Dr. Rogers Leonard was named to the Jack Hamilton Chair in Cotton Production, while Dr. Sandy Stewart was named to the Tom and Martha Burch and Delta and Pine Land Co. Endowed Professorship in Extension Cotton Production and Genetics. In addition, Dr. Don Boquet was named to the Jack E. and Henrietta Jones Endowed Professorship in Cotton Genetics, Production and/or Physiology, and Dr. Mike Stout was named to the L.D. Newsom Professorship in Integrated Pest Management.
Endowed chairs are funded by private contributions of $600,000 and matching funds of $400,000 from the Louisiana State Board of Regents. Endowed professorships are funded by private contributions of $60,000 matched by $40,000 from the Board of Regents.
The subsequent endowments of $1 million and $100,000 are invested, and the income from the investments is used to support research and educational programs by providing funds for such purposes as faculty travel, student workers or salary supplements.
[Back to Top]
Prohibited Political Activities
With upcoming elections, the Human Resource Management Office wants to remind AgCenter employees of their responsibilities with regard to political activities. Complete details concerning restrictions on classified and unclassified employees can be found at https://www.lsuagcenter.net/hrm/PoliticalActivity.asp. If you have any questions, please contact Sharon Salzer (225/578-4643, ssalzer@agcenter.lsu.edu), or Ann Coulon (225/578-6787, acoulon@agcenter.lsu.edu).
[Back to Top]
Completion of Registered Financial Gerontologist Designation
Jeanette Tucker, Ph.D, Associate Professor and Consumer Economics Specialist for the LSU AgCenter, has recently received the Registered Financial Gerontologist (RFG) designation by the American Institute of Financial Gerontology, in cooperation with the American Society on Aging (ASA) and Widener University. This certification process is awarded to professionals who advise older consumers and their families regarding gerontological wealth span issues. It requires completion of six courses and successfully passing a comprehensive exam.
Financial Gerontology is multidisciplinary, building on relevant teachings from biology, psychology, sociology and demography to understand the lifelong wealth span issues and aspirations of aging individuals and their families. RFGs work to identify gerontological concepts, issues, data and research findings most relevant to financial services. They provide unbiased financial guidance that considers one’s individual family situation, health financing needs and assets in order to develop a plan to adequately address one’s increased longevity.
The RFG designation was only begun three years ago and there are only about 150 RFGs nationwide, yet a dramatic increase is expected within the next five years. Current designees include accountants, attorneys, financial planners, insurance professionals and academicians who specialize in wealth span planning for older consumers and their families.
Jeanette would like to express her sincere appreciation to Dr. Ellen Murphy for her support in this endeavor. Certainly this will enhance her capacity to educate and empower Louisiana families to achieve financial stability, security and satisfaction. Congratulations on this wonderful achievement!
[Back to Top]
Vote on CREATE-21
The vote on CREATE-21 by the Board on Agriculture Assembly (BAA) has been completed and the results are in. The question before the BAA was as follows:
"The CREATE-21 efforts as currently designed and as reflected in the CREATE-21 Power Point dated July 24-26, 2006 and its associated documents on the CREATE-21 website www.CREATE-21.org <http://www.CREATE-21.org> should be adopted as the basis for new legislative language for the next Farm Bill and the committee should initiate and/or continue those activities to effect support for the same. No new assessment will be levied for this activity."
398 ballots were distributed to all voting members of the BAA in August with a September 11, 2006 deadline for response. In response to the question, there were 232 voting "yes" and 36 voting "no." This positive vote (86.6%) represents a clear mandate to move forward.
The CREATE-21 Power Point can be viewed at http://www.create-21.org/
documents/PPT/07-25-2006.ppt
As this initiative advances both within the Land Grant institutions and as possible legislation later, we will keep you fully updated.
[Back to Top]
4-H Tailgating Party – LSU vs. Kentucky
The 4-H tailgating party is scheduled this year for Oct. 14 when LSU takes on Kentucky. All tickets are sold out; 52 parishes purchased 2,312 tickets for the game. The schedule is as follows (this schedule is subject to change based upon game time, which is currently schedule for 7pm):
8:00 a.m.
Gates Open to Parking Area
12:00 noon
Tailgating Party begins, Parker Coliseum
Registration for 4-H'ers to sign up for Gifts & Giveaways
1:30 p.m.
Jambalaya Served
4:00 p.m.
GIFTS & GIVEAWAY DRAWING
Must be present to win
5:00 p.m.
Football Team walks down Victory Hill
5:45 p.m.
"The Golden Band from Tigerland" marches down Victory Hill
7:00 p.m.
Game begins
*Be sure not to miss the AgCenter / 4-H Halftime presentation.
Tailgating on an LSU gameday is an important part of the LSU Football tradition. The LSU AgCenter has organized a special Tailgating party for the LSU vs. University of Kentucky game for 4-H members, volunteers, family, and AgCenter faculty. Jambalaya will be served starting at 1:30 p.m. Please bring your own refreshments, chips, dips, etc. and chairs. Limited parking will be available beginning at 8 a.m. that morning in the lots adjacent to Efferson Hall. Restrooms will be available in the Coliseum.
For information on parking, please visit http://www.louisiana4h.org/en/kids_teens/4H/for+4h+members/events/
4h_night_tiger_stadium/.
[Back to Top]
List of NRI 07 RFA Integrated Programs
Link to NRI 07 RFA http://www.csrees.usda.gov/fo/fundview.cfm?fonum=1112.
The programs that appear in the following table are soliciting integrated project applications in particular in FY 2007:
|
Program Code
20.2
23.1
28.0
31.0
31.5
32.1
41.0
42.0
43.0
44.0
44.0
51.9
52.1
56.0
56.0
66.0
71.1 |
Program Name
Plant Biosecurity
Managed Ecosystems
Air Quality
Bioactive Food Components for Optimal Health
Human Nutrition and Obesity
Epidemiological Approaches for Food Safety
Animal Reproduction
Animal Growth and Nutrient Utilization
Animal Genome (A): Applied Animal Genomics
Animal Protection and Biosecurity (B): Animal Well-Being
Animal Protection and Biosecurity (C): Animal Biosecurity Coordinated Agricultural Project (CAP)
Biology of Weedy and Invasive Species in Agroecosystems
Plant Genome (D): Applied Plant Genomics Coordinated Agricultural Project (CAP)
Plant Biology (A): Gene Expression and Genetic Diversity
Plant Biology (B): Environmental Stress
Agricultural Prosperity for Small and Medium-Sized Farms
Improving Food Quality and Value |
The following URL takes you directly to the RFA: http://www.csrees.usda.gov/funding/rfas/nri_rfa.html.
[Back to Top]
New Extension Staff in St. Mary Parish
We would like to welcome Elise Ronsonet, 4-H Paraprofessional in St. Mary Parish, to our LSU AgCenter family. She began work earlier this month and will be coordinating the 4-H youth development program for St. Mary Parish for the next few months. We are excited to have her as part of our organization and wish her well! She may be reached at eronsonet@agcenter.lsu.edu or in the St. Mary office at 337-828-4100 ext. 300.
[Back to Top]
Dr. Larry Turner Memorial Message
The following is a memorial message from the CSREES Administrator, Dr. Colien Hefferan, in regards to Dr. Larry Turner, Director of Extension and Associate Dean of the College of Agriculture at the University of Kentucky, who lost his life in a plane crash earlier this month on his way to a meeting of all southern Extension Service directors.
At CSREES and across the agricultural research, education, and extension system, we are mourning the loss of Dr. Larry W. Turner, Director of Extension and Associate Dean of the College of Agriculture at the University of Kentucky, who died Sunday morning in the Comair crash in Lexington. Larry played a critical leadership role not only in Kentucky, but also nationwide through his service to the Extension Committee on Organization and Policy (ECOP), which he was scheduled to chair in 2008. He advanced national goals, such as better serving diverse audiences, and cast a national light on high-priority issues in Kentucky, such as Extension’s role in human health and well-being. Over the past 2 years, he brought together the leadership of the University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville to host the National Priester Conference, demonstrating Kentucky Extension’s commitment to population health, as well as working across institutions in the state to serve citizens.
As Extension Director, Larry was committed to lifelong learning for the citizens of Kentucky and the Nation. He modeled this behavior for himself, as well, joining the first class of a rigorous leadership development program through the Food Systems Leadership Institute in North Carolina, sponsored by the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges and the Kellogg Foundation. He was poised and prepared for a long career of service to the Nation.
Larry was quiet, thoughtful, polite, and effective. He also was disarmingly funny. Last spring at the ECOP meeting, Chairman Larry Cote asked everyone to introduce themselves; he noted that with Larry Arrington (FL), Larry Miller (CSREES), Larry Turner, and himself, there may have been too many Larry’s. Without skipping a beat, Larry Turner quietly noted that “in his experience, there were never too many Larry’s in the room.” It is very clear to me that we now have one too few.
[Back to Top]
Please continue to visit the director’s website at:
http://www.lsuagcenter.com/en/administration/about_us/
extension/our+director/index.htm
If you have any comments or suggestions to improve e-Directions or the director’s website, please contact me at pcoreil@agcenter.lsu.edu.
[Back to Top]