MANAGING Tough Times
Iowa State University Extension Restructuring
Gary Hall, Regional Extension Education Director
Brenda Schmitt, Family Resource Management Program Specialist
MANAGING Tough Times
Iowa State University Extension Restructure
• Reason for Restructure
• Process of Restructuring
• Challenges Faced
• Successful Aspects of Restructuring
• Lessons Learned
MANAGING Tough Times
Rea$on for Re$tructuring
• Governor Cut Regent Universities in Iowa by 10%
• ISU Extension was cut by $4.15 million
MANAGING Tough Times
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
MANAGING Tough Times
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
MANAGING Tough Times
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
MANAGING Tough Times
• 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
MANAGING Tough Times
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
MANAGING Tough Times
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
MANAGING Tough Times
Challenges
• Families Program Specialists (PS)– 16 RIOs – Program Specialists have larger areas
• Transition with RIOs
• Travel $$ for PS reduced
• PS targeting built in audiences
MANAGING Tough Times
• 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
MANAGING Tough Times
Lessons Learned
• Transparency is Critical– Open Communications– Involve All
• Councils• Staff• Iowa Association of Extension Councils
• Timing
MANAGING Tough Times
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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