April 8, 2005
Topic’s in today’s issue of Extension Update:
GATES FOUNDATION AGAIN FUNDS CBDD
The Bill & Melinda Gates
Foundation announced Wednesday, April 6 that Washington State University
Extension's Center to Bridge
the Digital Divide (CBDD) will now administer its Community Access
to Technology program. Transfer of the program will provide long-term
sustainability for community technology initiatives in Washington
and create a statewide network of community technology organizations.
The shift represents the successful completion of foundation-led
grants through CAT and a new era of partnerships to ensure that
communities across the state benefit from advances in technology.
The foundation launched the CAT program in 1999 to help Washington
non-profit organizations provide local communities greater access
to digital technology. The focus of the CAT program has been on
supporting organizations that help at-risk youth, persons with
disabilities, immigrant populations and others to use technology
to make positive changes in their lives and in their communities.
Over the past five years, the foundation has granted $14 million
to Washington state non-profit organizations through its CAT program.
The program will now be known as Communities Connect, to emphasize
the efforts to bring together community technology interests from
across the state. The full story can be found at WSU
Today.
For additional information, see the
Web site at http://www.communitiesconnect.org and
the Gates
Foundation press announcement. MIKE
TATE TO CONTINUE AS VICE PRESIDENT FOR EQUITY AND DIVERSITY
Michael
J. Tate, who became interim vice president for equity and diversity
for Washington State University in September 2004,
has agreed to remain in the position on a permanent basis. The
full story can be found at WSU
News.
“Our regents, our internal administration
and many other groups have been deeply impressed with the vigor,
energy and expertise
in community building that Dr. Tate has applied to this position
and with the early results,” WSU President V. Lane Rawlins
said. “We are clearly developing momentum and commitment
under Dr. Tate’s leadership, but there is much work to be
done before the area is fully organized. Therefore, I am asking
Dr. Tate to remain in this position while we establish our goals
and build the programs.”
During his tenure, Tate has brought together various units to
create the Office of Equity and Diversity. Tate’s office
is working to develop a WSU system-wide strategic plan for equity
and diversity and is establishing working relations with leadership
in academic colleges and regional campuses to increase collaboration
around diversity issues. The office is working with the larger
university to support efforts on recruitment of underrepresented
students and has created a Diversity
Web site as a primary resource for those interested in equity and diversity
news and activities.
MASTER GARDENER VOLUNTEER WEEK
Governor Gregoire has declared April
17 - 23, 2005, as WSU Master Gardener Volunteer Week. The proclamation
is available on the WSU
Master Gardener Web site.
SPOKANE MASTER GARDENER CLINIC OPEN FOR THE SEASON
The Spokane
Master Gardener Clinic is open for the season to all Eastern Washington
counties. Please be aware that the response
to samples sent to Spokane will be answered directly to the inquiring
county. No response will be sent to the client. Levi Strauss, Plant
Clinic Coordinator, is available to answer questions Monday-Friday
from 8:30 am to 1:00 pm by phone at 509-477-2172 or by
e-mail.
CALL-A-CLOVER COMING MAY 22-26!
This coming May 22 - 26 student
callers in the Washington State University calling center will
be calling members of the 4-H family
to request donations to support the 4-H Program. Two years ago,
Call-A-Clover debuted with great results calling a small base of
current and past 4-H donors. This information was shared earlier
this week in the 4-H email Tuesday News.
Important note: We need to grow our 4-H alumni and donor list!
If you have additional names of people you know who may want to
help the 4-H program, and you’d like our callers to “make
the ask”, please provide those names with current address
and phone number to Megan
Riebe by email.
Also this year, in an attempt to avoid increasing 4-H fees and
to ensure 4-H remains accessible to all, we would like to expand
our annual giving program by “test marketing” a portion
of our currently enrolled 4-H families. Although we have not used
Call-A-Clover to reach our current enrollment base before, we believe
they are a group of people who care deeply about 4-H and will be
willing to help support the program. This has been verified in
the past through the direct mail appeals to this group. If you
want your county 4-H member families to be called and provided
the opportunity to give, please let Megan know ASAP. This is a
great opportunity to participate in a vital part of our increased
annual giving efforts. Everyone we plan to call will receive a
pre-call postcard alerting them to expect the call and giving them
the option to give in advance of the call.
Following are the three priorities we will be asking for contributions
for in this spring calling program:
National Trips and Tours – the donor that has been contributing
to this fund the past few years is unable to continue support.
The 4-H Foundation wants to continue to be able to offer $300.00
scholarships to each youth that is selected for a National level
trip, but we must raise additional funds to support this program.
This will likely benefit each county at one time or another.
Innovative Grants Program – The Harry Burcalow Endowment
for Innovative Grants funds worthy 4-H youth development programs
and projects. The emphasis is on short-term needs such as new innovative
programs, seed money, emergency or unanticipated shortfalls. This
is a critical resource that is available to all clubs/counties,
but the 4-H Foundation consistently receives more applications
than it can fund.
Local County Development Fund – Donors will be given the
opportunity to support the 4-H program in the county of their choosing.
This is a great opportunity to raise local dollars that are not
restricted to a particular purpose.
We hope you’ll choose to participate in Call-A-Clover! Please
contact Megan Riebe at 509-335-4021 with any questions you may
have.
LARRY FOX NAMED FDIU INTERIM DIRECTOR
Dr. Larry K. Fox has assumed
the responsibilities of Interim Director, WSU Field Disease Investigation
Unit, effective March 31, 2005. “I
know that I can count on your full support of Dr. Fox in this undertaking
as we move into a new era of growth within the FDIU. It will be
no small task to continue the good work of the founding director,
Dr. Clive Gay. In that Dr. Fox is an accomplished professional
and very capable individual, I have every reason to believe our
record of accomplishment in FDIU will be enhanced,” says
Rick DeBowes, Chair, Veterinary Clinical Sciences.
NOAM CHOMSKY TO VISIT WSU PULLMAN APRIL 22
The noted philosopher, linguist will give the Potter Memorial Lecture
at WSU Pullman. Noam Chomsky, MIT professor of linguistics and
philosophy, will give the 2005 Potter Memorial Lecture at Washington
State University at 3:30 p.m. Friday, April 22, in the Beasley
Performing Arts Coliseum. Chomsky’s speech will be entitled “Imminent
Crises: Responsibilities and Opportunities” and will be
open to the public free of charge. Chomsky’s influence
also has been felt in the areas of political philosophy and public
affairs, and he has authored numerous books and articles that
analyze U.S. foreign policy over the past 50 years.
EXTENSION DIVERSITY CENTER
The April issue of the Extension
Diversity Center has several items of interest:
- Spanish language publications from Extensión en Español
from Texas A & M
- Details on professional development opportunities, including
the National Extension Diversity Conference, Greensboro,
NC April 27 - 29.
- Summer Institute of Intercultural Communication, Forest Grove,
OR throughout July and first week of August
- A story from Louisiana State on micro-inequities around
our sensitivity to others when disaster strikes
- For those of you wondering what happens after a group migrates
to the U.S. and lives here for a few generations - read Polo's
reflections
- Vote and add your opinion about Extension's readiness to
address issues relating to families with same-sex parents
ANNUAL REPORT OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS POSTED
TO WEB
April
1 of every year we are required to submit to our federal partner,
USDA, Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension
Service (CSREES), our federal Annual Report of Accomplishments
FY04 which is posted to the Extension
Web site.
Thanks to Ed Adams and Linda Loos for compiling a thorough and
easy to read report. Remember the content of the report is drawn
from AICS reports faculty and AP staff submit prior to the January
15. Also remember the focus of the report is on impacts!
CROP WEATHER REPORT
The Washington Agricultural Statistics Service
puts out a weekly crop weather report. WSU Extension contributes
information to this
report. A report issued each Monday, from April through November,
covering the current weather conditions and how they have affected
crops; planting and harvesting progress; crop development progress
and weather data for selected points throughout the state. The
report is in a "PDF" format. To view the text version
of the Crop Weather report, go to the Washington homepage and select
the current week of the "Crop
Weather Reports."
SALISHAN LEARNING CENTER FEATURED IN WSU TODAY
The April 8 issue
of WSU Today is arriving across the university today. The pdf version
is available online at www.wsutoday.wsu.edu.
Just click on issue archives (pdfs) in the left column navigation
bar.
Included in this issue:
- Lessons learned when two economics departments merged.
- Alumni Centre upgrades make it an even more welcoming place
to gather.
- WSU at large: A learning center in an urban housing development.
- Pah-Loots-Pu powwow: How one staff member shares tradition.
NUTRITION ARTICLES OF INTEREST IN AMBER
WAVES, APRIL 2005
Amber Waves presents the broad scope of ERS'
research and analysis. The magazine covers the economics of agriculture,
food and nutrition,
the food industry, trade, rural America, and farm-related environmental
topics. Available on the Internet and in print, Amber Waves is
issued in print five times a year (February, April, June, September,
and November). The Internet edition, or "e-Zine," includes
links to Web-only resources.
Released Friday, April 1, 2005
See http://www.ers.usda.gov/AmberWaves/April05/.
CONGRATULATIONS ON PROMOTION AND TENURE
Congratulations! Sonia Morales-Osegueda, Northwest District and
William E. Snyder, Entomology have been notified they are promoted
and tenured effective July 1, 2005. Their names were inadvertently
missed in the March 18th Extension Update.
Again, congratulations to all of our Extension Faculty who will
be promoted or promoted and tenured effective July 1st.
SCHEDULE
Next week, Linda will be in Pullman. Ed will be in Spokane.
******************************
Linda Kirk Fox, PhD
Interim Dean and Director
Washington State University Extension
PO Box 646230
Pullman WA 99164-6230
(509) 335-2933 Office
(509) 335-9223 Desk/Voicemail
FAX (509) 335-2926
lkfox@wsu.edu
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