On behalf of CJ Mucklow:
- Engagement Scholarship Consortium Conference – Ashley Stokes
- Update on Trainings
- Upcoming Events
- Deadlines for Award Nominations
- New Positions in Western Region
- Vacancies
- Audits and Fiscal Responsibilities
- Extension Faculty Status
- Pictures
Engagement Scholarship Consortium Conference – Ashley Stokes
We’re excited to share the call for proposals for the 2019 Engagement Scholarship Consortium Annual Meeting. CSU is an ESC member institution, and this year Office of Engagement is hosting the conference along with other western region institutions. The conference will be in downtown Denver October 8-9, 2019, with pre-conference workshops October 6-7.
CSU Extension has been doing engaged work in Colorado for over 100 years, and there are so many incredible examples of Extension initiatives to share. The planning committee would love to highlight Extension’s amazing work at this conference, and we welcome group submissions as well as individual. The conference theme is Deepening Our Roots: Advancing Community Engagement in Higher Education, and presentation topics will include Engaging Students, Faculty, and Communities in New and Different Ways; Redesigning Extension and Engagement to Prepare for the Future; Novel Approaches and Solutions to “Old” Problems; and other topics related to the theme of advancing community engagement.
Please see ESC 2019 Call for Proposals for more information, and reach out to Ashley Stokes or Yvonne Bridgeman (planning team members) with any questions.
Three upcoming trainings are planned, and there may be more I’m not aware of yet.
Livestock Range and Natural Resources combined PRU training is in Walsenburg February 18-20. See the link below for the agenda.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1csnknXUkybkkkFK8y6huR9JUHcXqPfEq/view?usp=sharing
Climate and Drought Disaster Training is in Raton New Mexico and is cosponsored by CSU and NMSU Extension. This is for all Agents, not just Ag. Click here for the agenda.
County and Area Directors Training is in Colorado Springs March 6-8. While the title suggests it’s just for Directors, it’s not. Anyone else who wants to learn about Director responsibilities is welcome to attend. The agenda is provided here.
Michael Carolan & Becca Jablonski will present Rural-Urban ‘Linkages’ Instead of ‘Divides’: Connecting Metropolitan Food Plans to the Countryside on March 6 at 4:00 PM on CSU campus, Clark A101. There are plans to make a recording of this lecture available.
Holocaust Awareness Week: Click here for a listing of CSU events the week of Feb. 15-22.
Deadlines for Award Nominations
2019 Extension Distinguished Service Award Nominations (NEW this year)
Please see the attached nomination form and consider nominating someone you know who has made exceptional contributions to CSU Extension, whether that’s a staff member, volunteer, advisory board member or community partner. The awardee will be recognized at the Celebrate! Colorado State University Awards event on April 10, 2019 on CSU main campus.
Submit your nominations to coopext_personnel@Mail.Colostate.edu by 5:00 PM on Tuesday, February 19.
2019 WEDA Awards of Excellence Application
Please find attached the 2019 WEDA Awards of Excellence Application information. I know there has been some great work accomplished this past year. So, apply! Applications need to be submitted to Yvonne Bridgeman. We can select two applicants from Colorado. Multistate entries may be submitted by a state or territory in addition to the two state entries. This award, which is presented through Western Extension Directors Association with the assistance of the Western Region Programs Leadership Committee, recognizes outstanding Extension programs in the Western region. Winners will be asked to present at the Joint Summer Meeting. This is a great opportunity!
The due date for all submissions is 5:00 p.m., March 1, 2019. Please send the electronic application to yvonne.bridgeman@colostate.edu. If you have questions please do not hesitate to call or email.
Administrative Professional Council Awards
AP Star Award
Do you work with someone who goes above and beyond in contributing to the CSU community and still maintains a healthy work-life integration? Nominations for the AP Star Award will be accepted until Noon on February 8th, 2019. Learn more about the award criteria and nominate an AP Star online!
Distinguished Administrative Professional Award
Do you work with an exemplary AP who continues to offer operational efficiency, leadership and mentoring, innovation, and demonstrates the Principles of Community at CSU? Nominations for amazing AP employees will be accepted until Noon on February 15th, 2019. Learn more about the prestigious DAPA and nominate a colleague online!
New Positions in Western Region
Monique Mull accepted the position as regional Administrative Assistant. Please welcome her, she has been on the job since mid-December.
Christine Prins, Tri-River Area Horticulture, started January 14 and will primarily be overseeing the Master Gardener program in TRA.
Melisa Tabke also started January 14 and is the 4-H Agent for Mesa County. She served 4-H in Africa before taking this position.
Viticulture Specialist -This position is a brand NEW position that is currently advertised and will be housed in Western Colorado. This position will serve the entire grape industry in Colorado. It only has funding for two years, but we will see where it goes.
Tri-River Area Ag Marketing -This position is being created from the old .5 FTE Small Acreage position. It will be General Ag with an emphasis on Ag Marketing for all producers in the Tri-River Area. The position description is currently under development.
La Plata County Family and Consumer Science Agent – This position held interviews recently, and an announcement will be forthcoming soon.
Rio Blanco County Director – This Ag/4-H position has been approved but is waiting for final approval locally before being advertised. Look for it to be out within 30 days.
Audits and Fiscal Responsibilities
Having spoken with Jana about some issues related to fiscal management, look for some upcoming training at CAD and possibly at Regional meetings. The trainings will address how to manage non-appropriated accounts and possibly 4-H funds. I also think we will create a guideline for all of us to follow on generally accepted accounting practices. We handle public funds, and we want to be accountable and transparent. Lastly, audits of non-appropriated funds used to be conducted regularly but have not so common lately. You can expect audits to be more frequent in the future. This is not to say you did something wrong. Audits protect you and provide recommendations for how to handle all funds in the best possible manner.
Deputy Director Stokes met with the Regional Directors yesterday and gave us an update. In summary, she said that faculty status is not yet approved but is moving along in that direction. I think this is one of the best things to happen to Extension and our Agents/Directors in my career. Every other western US Land Grant University considers their Extension Agent as faculty. It’s time we got on the bus, in my opinion.
The attached pics are from the Hill County of Texas where I visited over the weekend. Average temp was 70°F!! It was a nice break from the three feet of snow at my house!!!
Thanks for all you do for Extension.
