Section 1.4 UMaine Cooperative Extension Staff Organization

The dean of the University of Maine Cooperative Extension is the chief administrator of Cooperative Extension and reports to the University of Maine Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost. The dean, the program administrators/program leader/assistant director (financial administrator), assistant director (human resources), and director of communication and marketing together constitute the Extension Leadership Team (ELT), the central decision-making team, which determines Extension policy, allocates resources, and establishes the means for organizational participation in decision-making.

Each program administrator/program leader supervises a group of county-based and statewide faculty and professional staff. Counties are grouped based on demographics, common needs and geography. Faculty and professional staff with statewide responsibilities are grouped by programs and/or subject matter. County coordinators are responsible for managing county offices. This responsibility is sometimes shared in an county office. The focus of county-based faculty and professional staff is sometimes on multi-state and national programming endeavors; individual county and multi-county programming is common and encouraged.

Community Education Assistants (formerly called program aides) assist other program personnel in carrying out specific assignments. Usually based in county offices, Community Education Assistants work in well-defined program areas, usually targeting a specific group of clientele. Extension support staff work in offices at the county and state level, supporting program personnel in clerical and technical tasks. UMaine Extension also employs other hourly staff such as Scientific Research Technicians and Facilities Maintenance Workers.