Strategic Plan Implementation Progress - Goal 3

Goal 3

UNH Cooperative Extension will be recognized and valued by New Hampshire citizens and University of New Hampshire community members as an integral link between the needs of New Hampshire citizens and UNH’s
land-, sea- and space-grant missions.

Objective 1 – Extension serves as a neutral convener to bring together New Hampshire residents, university community members and organizational partners to address relevant environmental, social or economic conditions.

Maintain an active inventory of existing programs/examples –

• “Energy Answers” – Alice Mullen and Tim Fleury will plan and conduct needs-assessment forums with three stakeholder groups: consumers, industry/utility stakeholders, and energy-related state agencies and nonprofit representatives. Long-range project outcomes include increased energy conservation by consumers leading to reduced environmental impact.
• “Connecting Seafood Consumers with Fishermen” – Ken LaValley, Charlie French, Catherine Violette, and Faye Cragin will work together to address the fundamental need for a model of how Cooperative Extension can work with industry and consumers, or better connect consumers and industry, to sustain the cultural, social and economic value of that industry to the region.
• “The New Hampshire Work/Family Balance Assessment” – Malcolm Smith and Suzann Knight will work with the UNH Carsey Institute and Department of Family Studies to conduct the first-ever comprehensive assessment of work/family stressors among New Hampshire families.
• Ten Years of Community Profiles in New Hampshire – Ten year retrospective publication

Objective 2 – Extension professionals are engaged with UNH faculty, students and staff to conduct and provide outreach to New Hampshire citizens and communities.

• Theme of 2008 Annual Conference was engagement with campus, including several workshops presented by directors/staff from various institutes and centers at UNH.
• Continue participation in the Outreach Scholars Academy (currently 13 Extension staff have completed the Academy and one specialist serves as a mentor/coach for this faculty development program)
• UNH Cooperative Extension just finished the second year of a formal partnership with UNH Manchester to engage with faculty there to provide outreach and educational programs to the greater Manchester area.  Through support from the Associate VP Research and Outreach, a UNHM faculty member has a joint appointment with UNHCE to facilitate partnerships and six projects were funded in 2007 that included Extension staff, UNHM faculty and local community partners.  These projects and the partnership were highlighted on September 15, 2008 at the Hillsborough County Conversation II, held at UNHM.

Objective 3 – Elevate the status of outreach as a key function of UNH as an engaged land-, sea- and space-grant institution.

• Extension staff were actively involved with the COLSA strategic planning process and subsequent re-organization. 
• UNHCE Dean and Director serves on the UNH Outreach Advisory Council that recently provided input to UNH’s application to the Carnegie Foundation for the elective classification  - “Community Engaged Institution”.  Several Cooperative Extension programs were included in this documentation as exemplars and Extension examples were used in responses to several questions in the application as evidence of an institution that assesses the impact of outreach. 
• An Extension Educator Council member has been asked to represent UNH Cooperative Extension on the newly formed UNH Strategic Planning Committee.  Lisa Townson serves on this committee representing UNH Cooperative Extension.
• Decision was made to fund two full graduate assistantships (tuition plus stipend for two years) each year to Extension staff working in partnership with UNH or UNHM faculty members.  Current graduate students are working with the following Extension faculty:
  • Becky Grube, Extension Specialist in Sustainable Horticulture, teamed with Kelly Cullen, Department of Resource Economics, Robert Mohr, Whittemore School of Business and Economics, and Charlie French, Extension Specialist, Community Development, to submit the successful proposal, On-Farm Biodiesel Production and the Establishment of the New England Energy Consortium.
  • Matt Tarr, Extension Specialist, Wildlife, and Kim Babbitt, Department of Natural Resources, were also awarded a graduate assistantship for their project, Vernal Pool Best Management Practices (BMPs) and Wetland Policy Analysis for the State of New Hampshire.

Objective 4 – UNH Cooperative Extension is visible and accessible to New Hampshire residents.

• County impact statements have been developed for six of our ten counties and the remaining four will be finished for early summer.  These statements are designed to provide concise impact information about the work of Extension for stakeholders and decision makers, but have been particularly helpful to County Advisory Council members as they contact legislators on our behalf.
• SPIT, Program Leaders, specialists, educators received public value training at regional staff meetings in June, 2008.  Evaluation summary information indicated that staff increased their level of understanding of all concepts presented and that 98% of those who completed evaluations felt they could use the information to a moderate or great extent. George Morse, retired from the University of Minnesota Extension, provided a public value presentation to the State Advisory Council in October, 2008.
• An updated publication is in development as a guide to public relations and marketing for staff and advisory councils.
• In an effort to ensure our programs are more accessible to diverse audiences, discussion is underway to make diversity training mandatory for all staff who have not already participated in such a program (like at S@UNH or M@UNH).
• In August, 2008 UNH Cooperative Extension completed a federal civil rights review through USDA.  Two counties (Hillsborough and Strafford) received in-depth reviews of their programs and reviewers examined state-wide hiring practices, participant data, and other program information to insure we are adhering to all federal regulations regarding affirmative action and civil rights.  New Hampshire received a positive review with no major infractions.  Recommendations made by reviewers will be implemented in the coming months as appropriate.