|
The Extension Connection: 2004 Annual Report Edition Building partnerships for Iowa's future A message from the vice provost Partnerships help Iowa State University Extension create a better future for all Iowans. Extension partners at the local, state and national levels assist us in helping Iowans become their best. We want to showcase examples of the significant impacts that have resulted from our partnerships with organizations, education, business and government, and share ways in which we continue working together to improve Iowa’s quality of life. We’re implementing the recommendations of our futuring committee — connecting Extension more actively with community initiatives and aligning programming priorities with statewide issues. Our local offices pay close attention to county demands for educational services. We’re increasing cooperation with others in the education and technical assistance business, and expanding our program focus on economic growth and development. Our Extension to Communities program is taking on a new form of partnership, developing working relationships in different ways than in the past. The new Extension to Communities and Economic Development program will focus on activities in three areas: community visioning and applications of large-scale landscape management in development; community government and governance through formal and non-governmental organizations; and community economic development. We will be determining the services that the new Communities and Economic Development program will offer in these areas as it develops with new external partners, including the Professional Developers of Iowa, the Council of Governments, the Regent Institutions and the Iowa Area Development Group. We also are working with the Office of the Vice Provost for Research and Advanced Studies in a broad ISU initiative to establish a strategically connected system of research parks throughout Iowa. Our partnerships with our County Extension Councils also are changing. Beginning July 1, 2005, Iowa State University and Iowa’s 900 elected council members will be forming new partnerships that share the cost of providing county offices with access to ISU research-based education. Through the partnership agreement, county councils will address the unique needs of each county and provide citizens with access to ISU resources through the most modern delivery methods available. This is an opportunity to create a new era of Extension funding. This three-year funding agreement gives a decision-making voice to council members as they join with their ISU partners in promoting and strengthening local and statewide Extension programs. It gives them options to offset decreasing federal and state funding of Extension. ISU Extension’s budget has been reduced by more than 25 percent from state and federal sources over the past four years. Together with all of our partners we will continue providing citizens with cutting-edge ISU research-based learning opportunities. We will make the hard decisions that will continue improving quality of life in Iowa. _______________________________________________________________ In fiscal year 2004 • Extension provided noncredit educational programming to more than 405,000 lifelong learners. • More than 15,700 volunteers work with Extension programs. • More than 15 million pages of information were accessed from Extension’s Web servers. • More than 5 million online educational materials were downloaded. • ISU Extension reaches more than 50,000 listeners each week with market news and commodity and business reports. _______________________________________________________________ Return
to Annual
Report Edition homepage. |
Stanley R. Johnson, ________________________________ Annual Report Edition homepage The Extension Connection is a quarterly publication of Iowa State University Extension. Send a message: Nondiscrimination statement and information disclosures Last update: January 2005
Return to Annual Report Edition homepage. ________________________________ We partner with Iowans through
six major programs |
