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OSU Extension

College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences

CFAES

Communiqué January 16, 2013

Contents

“Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on Earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude.” – Thomas Jefferson

Director's Commitment Statement to Affirmative Action and Diversity

As Director of Ohio State University Extension, I feel it is important to reconfirm Extension's commitment to affirmative action/diversity. Words alone will not achieve our goal of establishing a diverse community in which each employee can learn, grow, and prosper in an atmosphere of mutual respect, civility, and intellectual challenge. I want OSU Extension to vigorously pursue programs and practices that assure an environment free of the barriers of discrimination in education and employment.

Accordingly, it is the policy of Ohio State University Extension to ensure equal employment and educational opportunity for all persons without regard to age, ancestry, color, disability, gender identity or expression, genetic information, HIV/AIDS status, military status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status. The policy applies to all levels of personnel administration including but not limited to: recruitment, hiring, training, classification, compensation, benefits, promotions, transfers and layoffs.

The Ohio State University Extension will not tolerate any harassment, intimidation, discrimination, or retaliation against applicants, employees, or students who exercise any right protected by Executive Order 11246, Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act or Section 402 of the Vietnam Era Veteran's Readjustment Assistance Act, as amended, such as filing a complaint or assisting the administration of any of the above acts, as amended.

More information is available on the Extension Human Resources web site http://extensionhr.osu.edu/diversity.htm.

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New AA/EEO Statement for OSU Extension
(updated March 2012)

The USDA and the University have updated the AA/EEO statement, and it should be added to all communications that represent Extension. The statement for all Extension materials is:

Ohio State University Extension embraces human diversity and is committed to ensuring that all research and related educational programs are available to clientele on a nondiscriminatory basis without regard to age, ancestry, color, disability, gender identity or expression, genetic information, HIV/AIDS status, military status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status. This statement is in accordance with United States Civil Rights Laws and the USDA.

Keith L. Smith, Associate Vice President for Agricultural Administration; Associate Dean, College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences; Director, Ohio State University Extension; and Gist Chair in Extension Education and Leadership.

For Deaf and Hard of Hearing, please contact Ohio State University Extension using your preferred communication (e-mail, relay services, or video relay services). Phone 1-800-750-0750 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. EST Monday through Friday. Inform the operator to dial 614-292-6181.

Counties should use the following statement and insert their county name and phone number where indicated:

XXXX County Extension embraces human diversity and is committed to ensuring that all research and related educational programs are available to clientele on a nondiscriminatory basis without regard to age, ancestry, color, disability, gender identity or expression, genetic information, HIV/AIDS status, military status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status. This statement is in accordance with United States Civil Rights Laws and the USDA.

Keith L. Smith, Associate Vice President for Agricultural Administration; Associate Dean, College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences; Director, Ohio State University Extension; and Gist Chair in Extension Education and Leadership.

For Deaf and Hard of Hearing, please contact XXX County Extension using your preferred communication (e-mail, relay services, or video relay services). Phone 1-800-750-0750 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. EST Monday through Friday. Inform the operator to dial xxx-xxx-xxxx.

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Featuring the Work of OSUE Field Specialists

Throughout the year we will be spotlighting the work of our field specialists, we begin our series with Steve Prochaska (agronomic systems)

Working as a field specialist, I have the challenging yet deeply satisfying opportunity to help people, not only in Ohio, but throughout the world, improve the quality of their lives via progress on the OSUE Signature Program: Increasing Profitable Yields above Trend Line - 2014. Continued growth of agricultural output is essential to feeding a world population that is expected to increase from about 7 billion today to more than 9 billion in 2050 (http://www.fao.org/docrep/004/y3557e/y3557e03.htm.) Advancement of this goal will also help build an already robust Ohio business – grain crop agriculture - that has experienced both strong demand and prices for corn, soybean and wheat.

Increasing Ohio grain crop yields must also be accompanied by improvements/changes in Ohio cropping systems.  Loss of phosphorus from Ohio farm fields has been linked to hazardous algae blooms in Ohio waters such as Lake Erie and Grand Lake St. Mary (http://corn.osu.edu/newsletters/2012/2012-09/#5) .

As with many agricultural problems, the solution to the reduction of farm field phosphorus loss will come from vigorous research and educational programs for farmers and agricultural business. Thus, working as a field specialist in 2012 and looking forward to 2013, I have started and will continue  various applied research plots focused on “farm system changes” that have as an end goal improvement of Ohio farm crop yields and the reduction of soil phosphorus losses from farm fields into state water resources. Educational programs planned will focus on removing barriers to higher yields and managing phosphorus fertilizer applications to grain crops.

Progress on these goals has and will continue to occur through teamwork with county agricultural educators and state specialists. It also has been gratifying to experience the support of not only farmers, but also commodity groups for our products of applied research and educational products/programs.

I feel fortunate to have a job as field specialist, agronomic systems, where I am able to work in agriculture with plant systems, regularly gain new knowledge and share it with people in order to improve their quality of life.

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Data Loss Prevention Software Installation

As a result of past data exposures and to comply with university policy, CFAES has partnered with the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) to install Data Loss Prevention (DLP) software on all computers owned by the college.  This software will help us to discover the presence of university restricted data contained on our computers.  After discovery, remediation efforts will focus on data elements that contain personally identifiable information, including Social Security numbers, credit card information, and data associated with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

DLP software is used in conjunction with other security tools to protect university restricted data by reducing the risk of compromise or exposure. Remediation efforts help us to protect data that our university is in charge of and shield the OSU community from the consequences of exposing restricted data.  A complete list of all data considered as restricted by the university is available at http://ocio.osu.edu/policy/policies/policy-on-institutional-data/.

IT staff are now in the process of installing DLP software on all computers owned by the college.  To date, approximately 450 systems are enrolled.  Installation of the DLP software and scanning of all computers is both a university and college requirement.

How will the DLP software be deployed? The DLP software is deployed in a “silent” mode that will not materially affect the operation of our computers.

What will the DLP software monitor? The DLP software provides discover/monitor capabilities for identification of restricted data elements on servers, computers, and network exit points.  The DLP software will not monitor your use of a computer other than to detect the presence of restricted data.

Questions? For additional information, please see the OCIO DLP Service Catalog at http://ocio.osu.edu/services/view/data-loss-prevention  or contact your unit's IT support staff.

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Using Social Media

In 2012, the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences earned more than six million impressions in its state-based social media channels, and added 2,000 new Twitter followers and 1,300 new Facebook fans.

More and more, people are turning to social media for information. If Twitter were a country, it would be the 12th largest in the world, with 750 tweets sent every second. LinkedIn has 161 million members in 200 countries. Facebook has more than 1 billion active users. Reporters from major media outlets use social media to find sources and story ideas. Extension professionals, and others, are using various tools to raise awareness, share important information, and engage stakeholders and clientele in new ways.

Clearly, this is a space where OSU Extension must grow our engagement. If you are not already engaged,  consider exploring this method for extending knowledge, information and engaging stakeholders and clientele. To assist you, CFAES Communications & Technology will be hosting training events in the coming year, watch for upcoming announcements. If you have social media ideas you’d like to explore, contact Mitch Moser, moser.26@osu.edu.

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Legislative Luncheon – February 13

Save the date February 13, on your calendar for the 2013 Legislative Luncheon in the atrium of the Ohio Statehouse. The host assignments made by the regional directors for the 2013 Legislative Luncheon have been sent to the county directors. For more information contact Gwen H. Wolford, director, Government Relations, OARDC and OSU Extension (wolford.1@osu.edu; 614-563-1307).

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OSU Extension Annual Conference 2013 – Save the Date

The annual conference will be held at the Ohio Union on December 4. The association and sectional meetings will be held at the Nationwide and Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center on December 3.

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Submit Nominations for University Outreach, Engagement and Service Recognition Awards by January 31

The offices of Outreach and Engagement, International Affairs, and Undergraduate Education, and the Service Learning Initiative are seeking nominations for the 2013 University Outreach, Engagement and Service Recognition Awards. Awards will be given to the top nominated partnerships in the community engagement, international engagement and service-learning categories. The overall top partnership will serve as the university’s nominee for the national C Peter Magrath University Community Engagement Award. Nominations are also being sought for Ohio State’s annual staff, student, student organization and community partner service awards. Nominations must be submitted online by January 31. http://go.osu.edu/oeawards.

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Apply for Grants to Support Outreach and Engagement Work

Requests for proposals are now available for the 2013 Engagement Impact Grants, OSU CARES/OSU Extension Seed Grants, and Service-Learning Grants. The grants aim to establish and/or expand innovative, creative, scholarly outreach and engagement initiatives that can have a substantial impact within the university and community. As many of you are aware, the OSU CARES grants, under the leadership of OSU Extension, support partnerships between OSU Extension and other departments at Ohio State. These grants have provided seed dollars for a number of well-established programs throughout Ohio and give great opportunity for many of our OSU Extension teams to strengthen programming. The submission deadline for all three grants programs is Friday, March 8 at 4 pm. Visit http://outreachgrants.osu.edu to access the RFPs and more information on each grant. An informational session will be held Tuesday, January 22 at 12:15 p.m. in 385 Bricker Hall.

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OSU Extension Intranet Calendar Reminder

-Cheryl Buck, executive assistant to the director

Within the OSUE “For Faculty and Staff” intranet site on our Extension Web page (http://www.extension.osu.edu/), we now have a functioning event calendar for statewide, regional, and other general Extension activities throughout the state.

Events can be seen in an Agenda View, Weekly View, and Monthly View. In any “view” window, a visitor can click on the event title for more details about the event. In the Agenda View, the “read more” link also takes a visitor to the event detail page.

As you plan new events, check the intranet calendar for potential date conflicts. This is not an interactive calendar to which events can be added by multiple people, but events can be posted on behalf of any originating unit (e.g. a regional office, a program area, PDE, HR, Business Office). If you have information about an event that should be posted to this intranet calendar, contact your unit, regional, or assistant director’s office to review and forward this information.

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Mentoring, Reviews and Promotions of Faculty

The OSU offices of Academic Affairs and Human Resources collaborate to provide ongoing development opportunities for faculty. Visit http://hr.osu.edu/ole/AcademicLeaderDevelopment.aspx

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Tri-State Diversity Conference - Diversity Champion Awards

The Tri-State Diversity Conference’s goal is to network and link people and resources together to better integrate diversity into programs, policies, and practices for creating community wellbeing.

The Tri-State Diversity Conference Diversity Champion Awards recognize the accomplishments of individuals and teams that contribute to diversity and inclusion through exemplary leadership. Recipients should demonstrate a commitment to diversity and inclusion through diversity and multicultural programming, cultural competency, community outreach activities, or other initiatives that are in keeping with the goal of this annual Tri-State Diversity Conference. 2013 Tri State Diversity Champion Awards.pdf

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Strengths Finder (Online Workshop)  – February 7

As a leader it is important to know what talents you possess, that you bring to the leadership table. Do you know what strengths you possess? Every leader possesses her/his own unique set of talents. According to the Gallup Organization, "we spend too much time focusing on our weaknesses, trying to make them stronger rather than recognizing our strengths." When you focus on your weaknesses, you miss out on utilizing what you do best for your organization.  

Participants in this workshop will take the Clifton StrengthsFinder inventory to learn their five strongest talents. By focusing on your strengths, you increase your effectiveness as a leader. 

What is the Clifton StrengthsFinder inventory?
"Marcus Buckingham, coauthor of the national bestseller First, Break All the Rules, and Donald O. Clifton, chair of the Gallup International Research & Education Center, have created a revolutionary program to help readers identify their talents, build them into strengths, and enjoy consistent, near-perfect performance. At the heart of the book is the Internet-based StrengthsFinder® Profile, the product of a 25-year, multimillion-dollar effort to identify the most prevalent human strengths. The program introduces 34 dominant "themes" with thousands of possible combinations, and reveals how they can best be translated into personal and career success."  http://www.strengthstest.com/. 

  • Gain a better understanding of yourself
  • Identify your top five strengths
  • Learn how to maximize your strengths to increase your effectiveness as a leader

Beth Flynn will facilitate this workshop from 9 to 11 a.m. The registration fee is $60 per participant. https://regonline.com/seriesleadership.

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Distinguished Staff Awards Nomination deadline – January 22

The Distinguished Staff Awards will honor 12 staff members for their outstanding leadership and accomplishments in service to the university at an awards luncheon ceremony.

 Award recipients will be selected on the merits and strengths of the following kinds of contributions:

  • Enhancing the quality of work-life in ways that make a significant difference for colleagues or customers.
  • Providing outstanding and ongoing excellence in services to faculty, staff, students and/or other customers.
  • Developing creative solutions to problems that result in significantly more effective and efficient department or university operations.

All part-time and full-time staff with a minimum of five years of continuous service at The Ohio State University in a regular non-faculty position may be nominated for these awards. Previous recipients of the Distinguished Staff Award are ineligible for nomination. Each award recipient will receive a crystal trophy, a $1,500 cash award, and an increase of $700 to his or her base salary.

Nominations must include the following:

  • A completed nomination form found in the Award Brochure/Application Form.
  • A nominating statement citing specific accomplishments and services of the nominee (double-spaced/three pages maximum).
  • Up to three letters of support that represent the diverse group of customers/colleagues who have personal knowledge of and who have benefitted from the nominee's services.
  • The entire packet must not exceed 10 pages, including the nomination form.

Submit one copy of all information to the Office of Human Resources or staffaward@hr.osu.edu. Call the Office of Human Resources, Special Events, at (614) 292-0641 for more information.

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Personnel Update – October to December 2012

personnel updateCQ01.13.pdf

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