Volume 22, Number 18 – Sept. 4, 2007
Salary Increases Explained
Vote Absentee So You Can Meet New Leaders, Honor Co-workers
Send in Excellence Award Nominations by Thursday
Plan to Attend WVU Extension Tailgate Party Oct. 20
Impact of Mill, 4-H Programs Felt Across State
Meeting Notes
People and Places
Important Program Planning and Reporting Dates for 2007
The West Virginia University Board of Governors has approved pay raises for faculty and staff at WVU. The salary increase, which will take effect Oct. 1, will average 5 percent for both faculty and staff. It’s the largest annual adjustment provided by the University to its employees since 1993.
Faculty salary increases will be based on merit, and classified staff salary increases will be governed by the legislatively mandated pay schedule. The money is not for 5-percent across-the-board raises, but it goes into a pool from which raises will be made. Following is some information about raises for WVU Extension Service employees.
Faculty Merit Increases
For faculty and nonclassified staff, the 5 percent salary increase pool will be distributed based on ratings given to faculty by peer committees, supervisors, and administrators in the faculty evaluation process. Faculty with higher-than-average ratings will receive raises larger than 5 percent, and faculty with ratings lower than average will receive smaller raises.
Equity
A small pool of money has been pulled from the merit pool to give equity raises to 19 WVU Extension faculty members whose salaries are significantly below what would be predicted for faculty with similar years of service, degree, rank, and job classification.
Agent Recruitment and Retention
For the second year, most county agents will receive additional salary increases to make these positions more competitive and attractive. These agents will receive a $500 across the board increase and those whose total salary remains below $37,000 will see their salaries increased to $37,000. Agents who received an “Unsatisfactory” rating in any area (teaching, research, or service) or a “Satisfactory” in an area of significant contribution at any level of last year’s year process will not receive this recruitment/retention increase.
Classified Staff
For those benefits eligible employees earning $20,000 or more annually based on a 1.00 FTE (less than a 1.00 FTE will be prorated) the raise amount will be 44.5% of the gap between their actual salary (not including longevity) and where they should be on the salary schedule.
For those benefits eligible employees earning less than $20,000 annually based on a 1.00 FTE (less than a 1.00 FTE will be prorated) the raise amount will be the greater of these two amounts: (1) $1,500 (prorated for less than a 1.00 FTE) or (2) 44.5% of the gap between their actual salary (not including longevity) and where they should be on the salary schedule.
In either instance, the employee’s new salary cannot exceed their amount on the salary schedule. If an employee is already at or above their placement on the salary schedule, they will not receive a raise.
Is your community holding an election Tuesday, Nov. 6? If so, plan now to vote by absentee ballot because that Tuesday is also the first day of the WVU Extension Service Annual Meeting at WVU Jackson’s Mill State 4-H Camp, Weston. Tuesday will feature three important and popular traditions: the welcome from Extension’s director, the WVU president’s annual address, and the recognition luncheon.
At 10 a.m. Tuesday, faculty and staff will be welcomed to the 2007 annual meeting by Dave Miller, the new associate provost for WVU Extension and Public Service. During the opening session, Mike Garrison, the new president of West Virginia University, will continue the tradition of the annual presidential update for Extension faculty and staff. President Garrison’s presentation will be a continuation of his popular information gathering forums.
Another tradition—the Appreciation and Accolades Luncheon—also will continue this year. But the recognition program will be moved to Tuesday, the first day of the two-day meeting.
As you plan your calendar for that November week, remember to check with your program directors and team leaders. Some committees and other groups may convene at the Mill before or after the annual meeting closes.
Time is running out to nominate teams or individuals for the WVU Extension Service Awards of Excellence. The deadline is Thursday, Sept. 6.
Nomination forms and descriptions of award criteria are on WVU Extension’s intranet (http://intranet.ext.wvu.edu); select the blue ribbon on the left side of the page. The nomination forms are available in both Word and PDF formats.
Excellence awards are given in nine categories. Nominators are responsible for nominating people in the appropriate categories.
Application and nomination forms for the researcher awards and the Howard Shriver professional development awards are also available at that intranet site.
Send completed nominations for all awards to:
Chair, Recognition Committee
West Virginia University Extension Service
c/o Marsha Price
614 Knapp Hall
Morgantown WV 26506-6031
Fax: 304-293-7599
MLPrice@mail.wvu.edu
The recognition committee will screen nominations and forward its recommendations to the associate provost, who will make the final excellence awards selections. Winners will be honored at the Appreciation and Accolades Luncheon Nov. 6 at WVU Jackson’s Mill.
eXtension Launches Entrepreneurship Site
eXtension has announced the “soft” launch of its fifth Community of Practice Web site—Entrepreneurs and Their Communities (www.extension.org/entrepreneurship). Small, micro, and home-based businesses have flourished over the past decade. The new Web site will serve as a resource that business owners can depend upon for unbiased information on a variety of business-related topics.
Like all other Web sites launched as part of eXtension, the Entrepreneurs and Their Communities site is populated with various frequently asked questions (FAQs). It also offers users the opportunity to submit questions not addressed in the FAQ system; the inquiries will be answered by land-grant university personnel with expertise in the specific topics.
Over the next few months, the eXtension entrepreneurship team will add a number ofproducts to the Web site, including a synopsis of state and local policies enacted to spur and support entrepreneurship, lessons offering a variety of self-paced educational programs, and various case studies on innovative ways communities have designed and launched local entrepreneurship-friendly programs.
More than 125 land-grant university researchers, Extension educators, U.S. Department of Agriculture representatives, and rural development leaders outside of the land-grant system have signed on to guide the work of the core team of 20 professionals who developed the site.
This eXtension group plans to host several live chats with highly regarded professionals in the entrepreneurship field, which should provide professional development opportunities for Extension faculty who want to provide direct support to entrepreneurs and rural communities.
The site will provide “cool tools” that showcase a collection of interactive assessments, Web sites, surveys, and spreadsheets that can help entrepreneurs and communities strengthen and promote their entrepreneurial efforts.
Find out more about eXtension’s progress at its Web site (http://about.extension.org).
With football season in full swing, fall is “a great time to be a Mountaineer!” WVU Extension Service welcomes faculty, staff, and their families to attend some pregame festivities Saturday, Oct. 20, from 10 a.m. until kickoff of WVU’s homecoming game with Mississippi State University.
Extension will host a hospitality tent in Tent City II adjacent to Milan Puskar Stadium at Mountaineer Field in Morgantown. To find the tent, look for the Extension Service and 4-H banners. Tailgate foods and nonalcoholic beverages are on the menu.
Be sure to stop by to visit with old friends and to make some new ones. If you’re planning to attend, RSVP by Oct. 10 to Vicki Ginn (Vicki.Ginn@mail.wvu.edu).
The 14 cottages at WVU Jackson’s Mill reflect the widespread interest in the activities held at the Mill. Think, for a moment, of some of the wonderful times you and others have spent there.
Assuring that the future of the nation’s first state 4-H camp is strong and that 4-H programs continue to benefit many children and youths are important priorities of the WVU Extension Service. The impact of both the facility and the programs is felt throughout West Virginia.
An option to consider for guiding the future of 4-H or the Mill is a gift that provides income to you. That can be done easily by donating cash, stocks, bonds, mutual funds, or even real estate to the WVU Foundation. You may create an arrangement that would pay you income for life or for a specified number of years (up to 20) at a minimum of 5 percent. Of course, a tax deduction is available from making this type of gift. When appreciated assets are donated, no capital gain taxes are owed.
As you can see, this option provides the dual benefits of an income supplement now and support for the Mill, 4-H, or other Extension programs in the future when the income ends.
Contact Julie Cryser at (304) 293-5691 for more details about how to help in this truly important way.
(This article was prepared by Deborah Miller, director of planned giving at the WVU Foundation Inc.).
… WVU Safety and Health Extension is offering free training classes for residential construction workers and supervisors in September. The three-hour training class will be given in the following cities: Pittsburgh, Pa. – Sept. 5; Morgantown – Sept. 6; Harrisburg, Pa. – Sept. 11; Philadelphia, Pa. – Sept. 12; Hagerstown, Md. – Sept. 13; Charleston – Sept. 18; and Bluefield – Sept. 27. Each class meets from 9 a.m. to noon. To receive more information or to register for a session, contact Missy Stewart or Jan Della-Giustina at 800-626-4748. Preregistration is required.
… The Associate Provost’s Office will support meetings of Extension teams at WVU Jackson’s Mill on Sept. 11, Nov. 5, and Nov. 8. “Support” includes cost of a meeting room, one overnight stay, one meal, and two breaks. The tentative program for the WVU Extension Service Annual Meeting does not include time for teams to meet. Many teams are planning to meet before or after the Nov. 6-7 annual event.
… The WVU Collegiate 4-H Club’s Fall Host Weekend will be held Oct. 5-7 on the WVU campus in Morgantown. The program gives high-school-age 4-H members an opportunity to see and experience life on a college campus while learning more about possible educational opportunities awaiting them after high school graduation. Activities will include touring the campus, eating in a dorm, attending a sporting event, hearing college students speak about campus life, and attending Up All Night. Participation costs $50. Registration deadline is Sept. 7. Contact Brent Clark (Brent.Clark@mail.wvu.edu) for more details.
… Faculty and Staff Changes
Sept. 7 will be the last day on the job for Terra Basham, secretary in the WVU Fayette County Extension Office.
Mary Ellen Conn, family life specialist, resigned the end of August to become partnership program manager for the National Cancer Institute’s Mid-Atlantic Cancer Information Service (based at WVU’s Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center). She had been with WVU Extension since June 16, 2006.
Sara Connors resigned Aug. 31 as office administrator with Families and Health Programs. She will be the administrative assistant to the president of Monongalia General Hospital in Morgantown. Sara joined Extension May 1, 2006.
Jane Haines will become an accounting assistant II with Community, Economic, and Workforce Development Sept. 17. Currently, she is an administrative associate with Fire Service Extension (FSE). Jane has been with FSE since 1986.
Tina Marking resigned Aug. 10 from the position of administrative assistant in the WVU Marshall County Extension Office.
Robin Maille accepted the position of Extension agent in Monongalia County Sept. 1. She will be responsible for programming in family and consumer sciences and 4-H youth development. She had been a program specialist with the Appalachian Hardwood Center since October 2005. Robin’s previous experience includes serving as a science teacher in Grant County, as an agroforestry specialist with the U.S. Forest Service, and as a forestry extension agent in Senegal with the Peace Corps. She has a bachelor’s degree in comparative sociology from the University of Puget Sound, a master’s degree in forestry from Yale University, and a master’s degree in secondary education from WVU.
David Mazon resigned Aug. 31 from his position as WVU Extension agent in Roane County. He joined Extension Oct. 1, 2005.
Brenda Porter has transferred to Cabell County, where she will be the WVU Extension agent responsible for programs in family and consumer sciences. She joined the organization in 2000 as a nutrition outreach instructor in Wayne County. On Sept. 12, 2005, Brenda became an Extension agent in Putnam County. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Marshall University.
Donald Reed will join WVU Extension Sept. 10 as Extension agent in McDowell County, where he will be responsible for 4-H youth development programming. For four years, Donald has been the regional tobacco prevention coordinator for the Southern Coalfields Tobacco Prevention Coalition. He manages 130 volunteers and staff in six southern counties. Earlier, Donald was a transcript evaluator at Mountain State University. He received a bachelor’s degree in history from Concord University in 2002 and a master’s degree in interdisciplinary studies from Mountain State University in 2005. At Concord, he was the senior student coordinator with the Bonner Scholar Program and a member of the Bonner Executive Committee. Donald has provided the model substance abuse prevention curriculum, Project Toward No Drug Abuse, to McDowell County 4-H members at camps and to at-risk youths at the McDowell County Phoenix Center. He is a founding member of the Community Fund for McDowell County and of the Raleigh County SHAPED Youth Coalition. Donald is a certified trainer in substance abuse prevention and cessation programs.
Bill Richards is retiring this month after 16 years of service. He is a maintenance worker at WVU Jackson’s Mill.
Sharon Shreve, food service manager at WVU Jackson’s Mill, resigned yesterday (Sept. 3). She joined the organization Dec. 1, 2006.
Barbara Totten will become the secretary in the WVU Taylor County Extension Office Sept. 10.
Vada Zinn Woodford is resigning Sept. 7 from her position as Gilmer County Extension agent. She has been with Extension since Feb. 16, 2006. Vada will work as a Reading First Mentor Teacher in Gilmer County.
… Have You Heard?
David Cormier co-authored a paper presented at the Global Studies Association’s annual conference in Chicago. The paper, “A Labor Market Assessment of the Formation of ‘Precarious Classes’ in Latin America and the Caribbean,” focused on connecting labor markets with impoverishment. It also highlighted the need to reverse the process of impoverishment and reduce the number of people living in poverty. That paper and others were compiled into a book for which Dave served on the editorial committee. He has offered to work with the Reaching the Underserved Team to use this information to benefit West Virginians.
Rich Fleisher conducted a poverty simulation in August for 150 students at Villanova University in Philadelphia, Pa. Villanova’s Office for Service Learning sponsored the event.
Lydia Ann Heavner was born Aug. 31 to Janice Heavner and her husband, J.D. Lydia weighed 6 pounds, 15 ounces. Cards may be sent to the Heavners at HC 60 Box 3B, Upper Tract WV 26866.
Brandon Takacs has been selected by a committee of his peers in the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) to attend the 2007 Future Leaders Institute in Chicago, Ill. The leadership-building opportunity will focus on helping participants develop self-confidence, communications skills, public speaking skills, and networking abilities.
For several years, the Extension Associate Provost’s Office has followed a specific guideline to distinguish excellence from good in both teaching and service. This year, the Extension Faculty Evaluation Committee (made up of current and past chairs of program and central committees) voted to adopt this as a guideline at all review levels in Extension. After being approved by both the associate provost and the provost, this guideline is now the standard for determining excellence in teaching and service at all levels of faculty review in Extension. To read the guideline, check the intranet (http://intranet.ext.wvu.edu/policy/distinguishing_teaching_service_excellence.pdf)
Counties having the largest attendance at the three state 4-H camps this summer are as follows: Monongalia – 55; Jefferson – 51; Harrison – 46; Preston – 43; Randolph – 41; Lewis – 35; Marion and Nicholas – 30; Berkeley – 29; Hampshire and Pleasants – 28. Each year, the winning county will receive a plaque at Alpha II Camp.
Important Program Planning and Reporting Dates for 2007-2008
Sept. 11, 2007 |
Program team meetings (optional) at WVU Jackson's Mill to update 2007-2008 Program Indicator Report forms. |
Sept. 15, 2007 |
Requests for Proposals due: For Seed Grants for Research Projects, submit to Dave Cormier; for Competitive Funds for Team Activities, submit to Paul Becker. (Awards will be announced Oct. 12.) |
Sept. 17, 2007 |
Draft Faculty Assignment Document (individual) MS Word, due to program leaders. |
Sept. 17, 2007 |
Indicator Report forms for 2007-2008 due. Program teams submit Program Indicator Report form changes for new year to Paul Becker. |
| Dec. 17, 2007 | Final Faculty Assignment Document (FAD) due in MS Word and as hard copy signed by faculty member. Send both to program directors. |
| Dec. 17, 2007 | Faculty Program Accomplishment reports due (individual). By e-mail, send each report as a separate MS Word file to Paul Becker. |
| Dec. 17, 2007 | Faculty files close. P & T files due to program directors. |
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Our Continuing Mission . . .
The mission of the West Virginia University Extension Service is to form learning partnerships with the people of West Virginia to enable them to improve their lives and communities. To these partnerships, we bring useful research- and experience-based knowledge that facilitates critical thinking and skill development.
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Extension Focus is a publication of the Office of the Associate Provost for Extension and Public Service. News items should be sent to the Office of Communications, 506 Knapp Hall, P.O. Box 6031, Morgantown, WV 26506-6031.
Issues of Focus are archived on Extension's Intranet
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Submitted by Joyce Bower.
