April 22,
2005
Topic's in today's issue of Extension Update:
OLYMPIA UPDATE: FINAL 2005-2007
CAPITAL BUDGET
The Olympia Update contains the story of the late-session
lobbying effort to secure funding for a $57.1 million Biotechnology/Life
Sciences
Building in Pullman has failed in the state Legislature with the
announcement last night of the final version of Engrossed Substitute
Senate Bill 6094, the House-Senate compromise of the capital
construction budget. Capital budget negotiators have signed the
conference committee report and final passage by both the House and
Senate by this weekend is considered likely. The development leaves
WSU
without its highest legislative priority as the 2005 legislative
session
draws to a close. But the university ends the session with many more
supporters for the building than when it began and with important
new
projects approved for construction in Spokane, Tri-Cities, Vancouver
and
Prosser.
See
the whole story.
OLYMPIA UPDATE: HOUSE & SENATE AGREE TO
$429.5 MILLION WSU OPERATING BUDGET
House and Senate conference committee members announced an operating
budget agreement this morning that provides $459.5 million to WSU
during
the next biennium, increases faculty salaries Sept. 1, cuts
non-instructional programs by $2.1 million, provides funding for
905 new
full-time students to the WSU system, begins funding four-year programs
at WSU Vancouver, adds $1.5 million for veterinary medicine, and
increases student tuition up to 7 percent.
"The House and Senate have an agreement and we are very pleased
about
it," House Appropriations Chair Helen Sommers, D-Seattle, announced
prior to the signing of the conference committee report on Senate
Bill
6090 this morning. Heading up the negotiations from the Senate side
was
Ways and Means Chairman Margarita Prentice, D-Seattle. Also very
important players in the negotiations were two traditional WSU
advocates, Rep. Bill Fromhold, D-Vancouver, and Sen. Mark Doumit,
D-Cathlamet.
This budget proposal seems on track to pass the Legislature, as
early as
Saturday, but most likely by Sunday.
See the
whole story.
NEW FOOD GUIDANCE SYSTEM REPLACES FOOD GUIDE
PYRAMID
Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns unveiled MyPyramid, a new symbol
and
interactive food guidance system. "Steps to a Healthier You," MyPyramid's
central message, supports President Bush's Healthier US
initiative which is designed to help Americans live longer, better
and
healthier lives. MyPyramid, which replaces the Food Guide Pyramid
introduced in 1992, is part of an overall food guidance system that
emphasizes the need for a more individualized approach to improving
diet
and lifestyle.
VIDEOSTREAM OF NSF DIRECTORS PRESENTATIONS
On Tuesday, April 19th, four program directors from the National
Science
Foundation (NSF) were on the Pullman campus. You can view the
presentations at http://experience.wsu.edu/Default.asp
- Dr. Machi Dilworth, Division Director, Division of Biological
Infrastructure
- Dr. Jane Silverthorne, Lead Program Director, Plant Genome Research
Program
- Dr. Diane Jofuku Okamoru, Program Director, Plant Genome
Research Program
- Dr. Chris Greer, Program Director, Frontiers in Integrative
Biological Research (FIBR)
SIGN OFF ON EFFORT CERTIFICATION
FORMS
This is a reminder regarding Effort Certification
Forms that are received for signature throughout the year. All forms
require a
signature in Section I. Anyone signing in Section I must have "First
Hand Knowledge of the total Effort Expended." This can be the
employee
or his/her supervisor or County Director, or both. The key wording
here
is "First Hand Knowledge". The District Director should
provide
Administrative Review and sign in Section J.
Source: Dorothy Heitter, BFO
LEAD TIME FOR SUBMITTING GRANT PROPOSALS
This is a reminder to anyone submitting a grant of our policy on
lead
time in submitting the paperwork. The grants team (Esther Tate, Joan
Root, and Dorothy Heitter) needs to have the completed budget received
for approval at least two weeks (10 work days) prior to the due
date
of
the proposal. They need to have the full proposal package with REX
form, etc. one week (5 work days) prior to the due date.
With the
large
number of grant proposals and awards they are processing on a regular
basis it becomes difficult for them to manage when they are getting
multiple proposals at the last minute. If the majority of proposals
are
submitted according to our policy, then they will better be able
to
handle the true last minute emergency. Your cooperation in giving
them
as much lead time as possible would be greatly appreciated. The
more time you give them the better they can assist you in submitting
a
quality proposal in a timely manner. Please refer to the WSU Extension
Policies and Procedures under the Financial Management section
on
Grants
and Contracts for more information on submitting proposals through
Extension. Source: Dorothy Heitter, BFO
AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE AND EXHIBITION PHOTOS AND
TEXT ONLINE
The National
Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges (NASULGC)
Newsline for March 2005 was focused on the 2005 Agricultural
Science and Exhibition on Capitol Hill which was held on March
1,
2005
in the Rayburn House Office Building cafeteria. If you would like
a copy
of this publication, you can access
it online.
You also may wish to take a look at the photographs from the exhibition
which can be found at (this is a very large file and make take some
time
to
download): http://www.nasulgc.org/CFERR/AgDay2005_1.htm
NOTICE OF SUMMER HOURS
With the academic year drawing to a close,
Pullman and urban campuses prepare for summer schedules. Washington
State University's business
hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. year round. WSU is committed to providing
its
full range of services during the normal business hours established
for
state offices, including the noon hour. At the same time, WSU will
continue to encourage departments to make available a schedule known
as
"summer hours" for as many interested employees as possible,
while still
meeting the requirement to serve the public from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For
those employees authorized a "summer hours" schedule, work
hours will be
7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., with 30 minutes for lunch. Summer hours can
be made
available for all or part of the period from Monday, May 9 through
the
end of the workday Friday, August 19.
In departments where summer hours are made available, it is the
responsibility of the supervisor of each area to determine how to
provide service to the public during the noon hour and from 4-5 p.m.
during this period. Human Resource Services encourages managers to
be as
fair and equitable as possible in making those arrangements.
Administrators at units not located in Pullman are encouraged to
establish summer schedules which provide services to the public
during normal business hours, and still provide as much flexibility
as
possible
for employees. Please contact Human Resource Services at (509)
335-4521 if you have questions.
EXTENSION'S
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION OF PRACTICE REPORT
A
blueprint for strengthening the Extension community development
programs of our nation's land-grant university system is the focus
of a
working paper prepared by a national team of Extension professionals.
The report outlines the set of core competencies that can strengthen
the
quality and effectiveness of the community development efforts
of Extension professionals. These competencies are viewed as threefold:
- Understanding Communities and Their Dynamics;
- Developing Successful
Community Initiatives; and
- Focusing on Areas of Specialization
and
Emphasis.
"EXTENSION TODAY" IN APRIL
ISSUE OF WSU TODAY
In the Friday, April
22nd issue of WSU Today you will find the spring edition of Extension
Today. "Extension Today" won an "Award
of
Distinction" in the Employee Publications/Internal Communications
category of The Communicator Awards.
Articles feature:
- mobilizing Extension in preventing childhood obesity
- volunteers: a little known university asset
- 4-Her's learn judicial ropes during Olympia visit
- Master Gardeners establish diagnostic center at UW Center for
Urban
Horticulture
- No. 2 vegetable crop: Pelter cultivates onion industry
- "Breeze" software enables online distance education
- international technology program bridges cultures
Look
for the online version.
PERSONNEL
New hire:
Jerome (Jerry) Kyllo, Broadcast Chief Engineer, Information
Department
Funding: 100% Extension
Status: Administrative/Professional
Effective Date: May 1, 2005
SCHEDULE
Next week Linda will be in Greensboro, NC attending the Cooperative
State Research, Education and Extension Service (CSREES) Administrators
Conference and attending the national Diversity Conference. Next
week Ed
will be in Pullman.
Linda Kirk Fox, PhD
Interim Dean and Director
Washington State University Extension
411 Hulbert Hall, PO Box 646230
Pullman, WA 99164-6230
509-335-2933 Office
509-335-9223 Desk/Voicemail
509-335-2926 FAX
lkfox@wsu.edu |
