Plugged In: For UMaine Extension Staff and Volunteers

Extension Leadership Team Meeting Minutes January 2, 2020

Extension Leadership Team Meeting Minutes
January 2, 2020
Augusta – 111 Robinson Hall

Facilitator: Fran Sulinski
Note taker: Lisa Phelps

Please note: Due to the confidentiality and sensitivity of some agenda items, these ELT minutes do not represent the full content of each meeting.

Goals for 2020

ELT members shared personal and professional goals for 2020, and agreed to support and hold one another accountable in striving to accomplish them.

Updates

Hannah met on December 16 with the Extension Professionals Committee about pathways for 1) professionals to convert to faculty and 2) adding an additional career ladder rank for professionals. Dana Rickman sent Hannah an email with questions for the ELT. The ELT discussed the information that Hannah learned as a result of attending the meeting and we discussed the questions in the email. Regarding the movement from professional to faculty, we reaffirmed our support for the work of the committee to see what may be possible. This committee is also working on the professional rank ladder and the possibility of creating additional steps. Any and all potential changes would need to be consistent with UMaine HR policies and the UMPSA contract.

Next Steps on Clarifying County Extension Association Volunteers

The ELT is working with UMS Counsel Nina Lavoie on some clarifying documents regarding the defined activities of County Extension Association volunteers, standards of behavior and agreements between UMaine Extension and the individual counties. When these are completed, we will be sharing them with county staff to share with all County Extension Associations in Maine.

Extension’s focus in UMaine Strategic Vision and Values

Each Department/College has been asked to identify from the UMaine Strategic Vision and Values (SVV) document, the goals and objectives that are particularly relevant to them. The ELT reviewed the document from Extension’s perspective, selected goals and objectives most relevant to Extension, and developed metrics on which we would report using data from our Maine Planning and Reporting System and other existing sources.

Assistantship/Internship Possibilities with Extension

With the push for undergraduates to be involved in research/educational programs at UM and for the need to have more students exposed to Cooperative Extension programs, the ELT will be exploring an undergraduate and/or graduate assistantships or internships.

Amended ELT Minutes 12.13.19

We added the National Extension Master Gardener Coordinator Conference as well as the National Extension Conference on Volunteerism (biennial) to the list of meetings that are important for UMaine to send representatives.

Search Updates

Administrative Specialist CL2 – Cumberland County – Beth Dazet hired
Administrative Specialist CL3 – Highmoor Farm – Interviewing
Administrative Specialist CL3 – Bryant Pond – Joan Davis-Dunn hired
AgrAbility Outreach to Veterans Professional – Anne Devin hired
4-H Youth Development Professional – Washington County – Advertising
4-H Youth Development Professional (Community Central) – Advertising
Community Education Assistant CL2 (Horticulture) – Cumberland – Screening applicants
Crops Entomology Educator – Advertising
EFNEP Regional Supervisor – Advertising
Extension Crops Specialist – Advertising
Scientific Research Specialist CL2 – Ann Bryant hired
Sustainable Agriculture Professional – Aroostook County – Assembling search committee

2019 – 2020 ELT Meeting Dates

Meetings are from 9:00 am to 3:30 pm, unless otherwise noted