Present:
Nina Boston, IT, University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension
Michael Bratcher, IT, North Carolina A & T University
Paul Coreil, ASRED Representative, Louisiana State University
Carla Craycraft, Communications, University of Kentucky
Tim Cross, ANR, University of Tennessee
Thelma J. Feaster, PSD, Member of the PLN-EC, North Carolina A&T State Univ.
Beverly Howell, FCS, Mississippi State University
Ernie Hughes, CD, Southern University Ag Center
Thelma Hunter-Sanders, PLC Chair-elect, FCS and Member of PLN-EC, Tennessee State University
Ed Jones, PLC Chair, CD, North Carolina State University
Dan Lyons, MM, North Carolina A & T University
Gloria Mosby, Past PLC Chair, Chair of PLN-EC, Comm, Prairie View A& M University
Roger Rennekamp, PSD, University of Kentucky
Louie Rivers, ANR, Kentucky State University
Kent Rorie, MM, University of Arkansas
Dorothy Wilson, 4-H Youth Development, Langston University
Ex-Officio:
Ron Brown, ASRED
Kathy Ibendahl, SRDC
Absent: Welcome Advisors Report eExtension Update Carla Craycraft reported that she, Craig Wood, and Kevin Gamble,
invite us all to visit, register, and get involved on the new eXtension
intranet site:
http://intranet.extension.org/.
On February 16, 2005, the directors and administrators will be meeting in Nashville
where an eXtension prototype will be unveiled. She described the prototype and the
programs that are included. The South will be well represented. And is proving great
national leadership. Currently, the staff is working with vendors to identify
the appropriate software, the cost for site licensing, etc. The staff is
visiting numerous Extension meetings and will be making presentations at the
NASULCG administrative heads meeting, ESCOP and CoTech. More discussion followed on how eXtension will work and how it will set us a
part from our competitors. Broadband access in all areas is a concern and may
need to be explored further in this process. Ron Brown discussed eXtension's "Communities of Practice" and "Communities
of Interest." He emphasized that eXtension's uniqueness will be its interactivity. CECP Committee Reports
Committee Advisors - Dr. Brown noticed that the committee advisors
have not been updated. He went to the ASRED website and read the 1862
advisors assigned to each committee.
Charles Cox, 4-H, Oklahoma State University
Ed Jones, Chair of PLC, welcomed everyone and requested all to review
agenda. Ron Brown asked that the Annual Plan of Work be added to the
agenda. The committee has yet to develop its plan.
Gloria Mosby pointed out the change in the 1890 advisor representative.
Linda Williams-Willis has been replaced by Shirley Pope from Alcorn State
University. Shirley's contact information is available on the PLC membership
webpage at
http://srpln.msstate.edu/plc/plcmembers.htm.
Shirley was made aware of this meeting but was unable to attend due to a conflict.
Paul Coreil gave a brief update on the progress of the eXtension committee
and staff. He stressed how important it is to understand the effect eXtension
will have on the Extension system. This will be one of the biggest commitments
and challenges for us. We need to put our "thinking caps" on and make this
work. We must build the tenure and promotion issue into the system in order
for specialists/research faculty to get credit for their content.
The CECP Steering Committee will be meeting at this location following PLC.
They will continue looking at how CECP can be molded into the eXtension framework.
At this moment, content issues are the main topic of discussion. The group agreed
that our August meeting's general session would be a good time to showcase this
year's CECP and eXtension accomplishments.
The committee is developing risk management modules. Jimmy Henning
is developing beef competencies. The National Small Farm Conference
will be held October 17 - 20, 2005 in Greensboro, NC. Here is a
link to more information. Daniel Lyons is a contact person.
http://www.csrees.usda.gov/nea/ag_systems/in_focus/smallfarms_if_conferences.html
Joan Dusky (FL) is the ANR representative to the CECP Steering
Committee. The committee's advisor is Charles Norman.
The Southern Rural Development Center, in partnership with West
Virginia University Extension Service, is sponsoring a web-based
rural tourism course this spring. Mike Woods (OK) and Bill Richardson
(WV) will be instructing the course. For more information,
visit the website at:
http://srdc.msstate.edu/ruraltourism.htm.
The last day to register for this course is January 18, 2005.
The CRD Committee's plan of work is complete and posted.
All updates have been submitted and posted to the
website with the exception of the August meeting minutes.
They are up to date with all their web page updates.
A discussion about the Centra webconferencing system followed.
There seems to be a lot of value in it. There is no cost for
individuals to "dial in" and a microphone is all the equipment
that is needed.
ACTION: Nina will look into the details of setting up
our next conference call using Centra.
The 2007 middle managers conference may be held at Virginia Tech.
A date has yet to be announced. Kent said that more information
should be available soon after January 1.
Paul Coreil questioned the definition of "middle managers."
In some states it may be the director of county operations and
other states may not define that level as such. He questioned that
it may be time to rethink the term. A short discussion followed.
ACTION: Kathy Ibendahl will provide Kent Rorie with a
Middle Managers list from the SRDC database.
Roger Rennekamp reported that eight white papers are being written
on how to measure Extension's effectiveness. We hope this will give
us leverage in our states to show what other states are doing. There
will be a conference call next week regarding the white papers. The
goal is to present these to ASRED in April.
ACTION: Roger will share details of these findings with PLC.
ANR - Charles Norman (TN)
COMM - Fran Wolak (SC)
CRD - Joe Zublena (NC)
FCS - Margaret Hale (TX)
IT - Ross Love (OK)
MM - Larry Arrington (FL)
PSD - Paul Warner (KY)
4-H - Paul Coreil (LA)
ACTION: Dr. Brown will work with Kathy Ibendahl to get these
names updated on the PLN website. He will send an e-mail to
Clyde Chesney to obtain the list of 1890 advisors.
Welcome
Ed Jones welcomed everyone back to the meeting's second half
and reviewed the three items remaining on the agenda: 1) PLC
annual work plan, 2) Conference in August, and 3) Conference
calls on calendars.
PLC's Annual Work Plan
The last annual work plan the committee created was in 2002-03.
There were six items in that plan. They were 1) Work with CIT on
forming two committees, 2) Encourage committees to post and review
AWP during conference calls, 3) Support CECP and e-Extension,
4) Updates to all members on Program AWP, 5) Support PLN, and
6) Plan Annual Meeting.
Louie Rivers suggested we include working with the two task forces
(obesity and leadership) on this year's plan of work. Ed Jones said
that we should make it a goal to hold our conference calls using
new technology.
ACTION: We will receive an e-mail from Larry Lippke with
instructions on using Sentra prior to the February conference call.
Dr. Brown reminded the group that we should set an annual work plan
into place at each August meeting. That way were will have a record
of our accomplishments.
ACTION: Kathy Ibendahl will put these work plan items into
the correct format and will share these with the group during the
Feburary Conference call.
Annual Conference in August
Kathy distributed conference evaluation comments via e-mail last
week and hard copies yesterday. Ed Jones reviewed the comments.
Ron Brown asked the group to take note if their administrative
advisors attend next time. Please tell your committees that the
advisors may be in the committee meeting the first day, but that the
advisors' ASRED and AEA meetings begin the second day.
The group discussed the interaction of the committees and administration
and it was determined that the interaction time is sufficient. The best
discussions are the informal ones in the hallways.
The committee determined that each committee's action items must be completed
on Tuesday to allow enough time for the PowerPoint presentation to ASRED/AEA
to be created. It was recommended that this PowerPoint presentation be made
available on the PLC website.
The PLC representatives need to remind their committee chairs to:
- Plan their work according to the timeframe provided.
- Have action items to Kathy Ibendahl by 5 p.m. on Tuesday.
- Tell their committees when the advisors will be attending in order to plan discussions accordingly.
- Focus on two or three important projects and work on them all year in order to make progress.
The group discussed ideas for the General Session. Carla Craycraft suggested having
Colien Heffran speak to the group no matter what focus we take. Information on how
committees may implement eExtension's Community of Practice would be helpful.
Planning and accountability are issues that would be helpful to all committees.
A discussion on possible speakers followed. A tourism specialist, the President
of the University of Maryland at Baltimore, President Bush, and others were
recommended.
If we go with project presentations as last year, the group would like to see
multi-institutional projects showing how they are using innovative technology.
Roger Rennekamp suggested a round table session on a variety of topics
during one of the conference lunches.
ACTION: Roger and Ernie will organize the round table discussion session.
We will do some brainstorming at the next conference call.
ACTION: Ed, Ron, and Kathy will review these ideas and return with a
recommendation to this group via e-mail.
The meeting was adjourned.
The next meeting will be held via conference call on Thursday, February
24 at 9 a.m. Central. The call-in number is (662) 325-8448.