2002 Annual Report Edition of The Extension Connection
Stanley
R. Johnson
Vice Provost for ISU Extension
A message from the vice provost of ISU Extension
Celebrating 100 years of helping Iowans become their best
The year 2003 marks the 100th anniversary of Extension
in Iowa. Extension began in this state in 1903, 11 years before the national
cooperative extension network was established. A group of Sioux County
farmers cooperated with Iowa State College to establish the “extension
idea” — taking the land-grant university to the people. From
that special beginning, ISU Extension has become an organization broadly
engaged to improve the quality of life in Iowa.
We are using new and different delivery and learning technologies and
expanding our partnerships to improve our productivity and to reach additional
Iowans, whether individuals, families or private and public sector organizations.
In 2002, for example, more than 665,000 clients had individual contact
with ISU Extension programs. We distributed more than 2 million publications
in hard copy and 3 million copies digitally. Extension information was
accessed from our Web sites approximately 20 millions times. The objective
of Extension is as it was 100 years ago; the methods and scope of our
activity have changed.
Today, Iowa State University Extension is preparing for a future in which
we will be more entrepreneurial in obtaining resources for our programs.
Our budget is growing, from $63.4 million in FY99 to $73.3 million in
FY02. During this same period state funding has decreased more than $2
million. Increases in grants, contracts, gifts, and user fees have made
the difference. These increases have been due in large measure to innovative
programs of the type we highlight in this report. In the end, it is the
quality and scope of our programs and the efficiency with which we provide
them that ensures our continued growth.
Examples of improvements in efficiency are the reductions of administration
through the decrease of area offices form seven to five, the new broad
band internet service that we are currently negotiating, our print-on-demand
and joint warehousing of publications with other states, and experiments
with two sets of counties sharing directors.
We look forward during the next 100 years to being an integral part of a better future for all Iowans and to a growing role in what will almost surely be a more knowledge based economy and community.
Annual Report Edition homepage
The Extension Connection is a quarterly publication of Iowa State University Extension.
Visit the ISU Extension homepage.
Send a message:
Stanley R. Johnson, vice provost for extension, vpforext@iastate.edu
Mark Settle,
managing editor, msettle@iastate.edu
Laura Sternweis,
editor, lsternwe@iastate.edu
Nondiscrimination statement and information disclosures
Last update: February 2003