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Iowa State University Extension Restructuring

Gary Hall, Regional Extension Education Director

Brenda Schmitt, Family Resource Management Program Specialist

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Iowa State University Extension Restructure

• Reason for Restructure

• Process of Restructuring

• Challenges Faced

• Successful Aspects of Restructuring

• Lessons Learned

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Rea$on for Re$tructuring

• Governor Cut Regent Universities in Iowa by 10%

• ISU Extension was cut by $4.15 million

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ISU Extension Budget Cut (in millions)

Off‐campus restructure:AEED & CEED Salary/Benefits & Operations $ 8.00DFO & REED Salary/Benefits & Operations $ (2.70)Restructure savings $ 5.30County Partnership Share to Counties $ (3.50)

Total Off Campus budget cut $ 1.80

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Program budget cuts:

Communities $ 0.12Youth $ 0.32Agriculture & Natural Resources $ 0.64Extension 21 $ 0.09Families $ 0.44Communications & External Relations $ 0.45Administration $ 0.30Total Campus budget cut $ 2.35

Total Off Campus budget cut $ 1.80

Total Budget Cut $ 4.15

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Iowa Extension

Background

• Extension Councils– Each county has a 9 member elected

Council– Taxing authority via referendum– Volunteer service

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Tad More Background

• Partnership Fee sent to ISU for CEED and support services

• 99 Counties in Iowa

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Process for Restructuring

• Listening Sessions– Ideas from the Field to Jack Payne, Vice

President for Extension and Outreach– Connect session

• Vice President’s Committee for Restructuring

• Elimination of 99 CEEDs and AEEDs

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• Interviews for 20 REEDs

• Listening Sessions with Public and Councils conducted by Vice President

• Partnership Fee eliminated and replaced with lower Support Services– Savings used by Council as they wish

• Departments Cut Amount Designated– Made their own decisions on cuts

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• Retirement Incentive Option (RIO)– Early Retirement of 83 Staff

• Campus and Field• 5 years of health care for staff and spouse

– Retire date of January 31, 2010• Stimulus Money from 8/1/09 to 1/31/10

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The ‘Look’ of ExtensionBefore Restructure

• 94 CEEDs, 5 AEEDs• OA and CYC in each

county• Field Specialists in

various county offices• Annual Conference face

to face

After Restructure• 20 REEDs, 1 DFO• OA and CYC in each

county• Fewer Program

Specialists• Virtual Annual

Conference• Councils funding Program

Coordinators, others

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Regions Prior to Restructure

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Before Restructure

• 10 Council meetings/yr• CEED evaluated staff• CEED provided

marketing and organization for programs

After Restructure

• County and Regional Council meetings

• Councils responsible for staff management and evaluation

• County Point of Contact

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Challenges

• Families Program Specialists (PS)– 16 RIOs – Program Specialists have larger areas

• Transition with RIOs

• Travel $$ for PS reduced

• PS targeting built in audiences

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• Online classes growing

• New structure with no plan to follow (which may be a good thing)

• Uncertainty of Staff Evaluation Responsibility

• All policy, documents need updating

• Roles not clearly defined

• Many Task Forces– Orientation, Reporting, Evaluation, etc.

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• Grants– CEEDs were PI and

match– Indirect costs and running

grants by OAs

• All regions and counties are unique

• PS area doesn’t match regions

• Continuing budget cuts

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Successes• Exponential Increase in Creativity

• Few Boundaries

• Strength Base Approach– Specialization of Tasks– Press Releases, Web Updates

• Teamwork Increase

• Ability to Design a Position

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More Successes• More Cross Marketing of

Programs• Increase Use of Technology• Focus on Sequential Learning

– Dropped Single Topic Classes

• Councils More Engaged• Discovering More Along the

Way

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Lessons Learned

• Transparency is Critical– Open Communications– Involve All

• Councils• Staff• Iowa Association of Extension Councils

• Timing

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More Lessons Learned• Attitude Affects Success

– Early Adopters– On the Fence– Hell No

• Influence of Old Structure Underestimated

• Ask Again in 6 Months

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Questions