Extension as Catalyst for Institutional Transformation: Design and Development of the Interdisciplin

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Extension as Catalyst for Institutional
Transformation Design and Development of the
Interdisciplinary Center for Environmental
Research, Education and Outreach

• Emmett P. Fiske, PhD
• Interim Director
• Center for Environmental Research, Education and
  Outreach (CEREO)
• Washington State University

Linda Kirk Fox, PhD Dean and Director Washington
State University Extension
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Context
Through much of Cooperative Extensions history,
its people and programs have been located within
a single Land-Grant college Agriculture. While
this situation is beginning to change, many
university colleagues engaged in teaching and
research in other colleges have virtually no
experience withand basically little
understanding ofthe value added by Extensions
connecting and catalyzing the knowledge of the
university with the needs of the public.
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Overview
This assessment certainly rang true at WSU. That
is until Extension intervened and converted a
traditional top down planning approach into a
cross-disciplinary, university-wide involvement
by researchers, instructors and outreach agents
and specialists alike. The result is currently
viewed by university administration as a poster
child for bottom up institutional
transformation.
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Presentation Outline

• What is the Center for Environmental Research,
  Education and Outreach (CEREO)?
• PrecursorsThe Culture of Our Land-Grant System
• PurposeWhat CEREO Hopes to Achieve
• Organization and Structure
• Implementing the Concept
• Recent Developments
• Lessons Learned
• Whats Next?

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Land Grant System 101 A Brief Review of the
Peoples Colleges

• 1862 Morrill Act (Teaching)
• 1887 Hatch Act (Research)
• 1914 Smith-Lever Act (Extension/Outreach)
• 1925 Purnell Act (Social Science within Colleges
  of Ag.)

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Evolution of WSU as aPeoples College

• USDA funding initially directed to the College of
  Agriculture (formula funding, non-competitive
  grants)

• Partnership among Federal, Stateand Local
  Governments
• Faculty tend to be on 12-month appointments
• Extension recently expanded beyond CAHNRS to
  become University-wide
• CAHNRS beginning to hire jointly with other
  Colleges (especially for Research Teaching)

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What is CEREO?

• An inter-departmental entity involving various
  colleges throughout the WSU system
• Organized to more effectively integrate,
  stimulate and facilitate collaborative
  interaction among WSUs instructors,
  investigators, and outreach faculty
• Organized as a program promoting interactions
  among investigators in different departments and
  colleges
• No single unit currently provides either the
  focal point or the necessary catalytic synergy
  for realizing the Center's interdisciplinary
  goals.

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How CEREO Came to Be

• 1. Until RecentlyVarious Pathways to the
  Environment Summit at WSU

• Route A Sciences (ES/RP)
• Route B CAHNRS (NATRS)
• Route C Engineering Architecture
  (Environmental Engineering)
• Route D Education (Environmental Education)
• Route E Liberal Arts (Environmental Sociology)

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How CEREO Came to Be
2. During the Past DecadeSeveral Consolidations
Attempted

• Late 1990s College of Ag. Environmental
  Sciences (rejected)

• 2002 2003 CAHNRS attempted creation of
  School of Natural Resources Environment
  (rejected)
• 2003 2004 Sciences CAHNRS propose School
  of Earth Environmental Sciences (involving two
  units from each college modified approved but
  not implemented)
• 2004 2006 Sciences College of Ag., Human,
  Natural Resource Sciences establish committee to
  look at the environment suggest improvements

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How CEREO Came to Be
3. Charge by Deans (includes five colleges)
Fairly Narrow

• Increase undergraduate majors in Natural Resource
  and Environmental Science (NR/ES) disciplines

• Increase quality and number of graduate students
  in NR/ES
• Increase research interactions and external
  funding
• Promote research, teaching and outreach in NR/ES
  to WA residents
• Propose alternatives for ES/RP and NATRS to
  work together to enhance scientific
  leadershipand scholarship

Source Charge Given by Deans Griswold Cook to
Committee Members on March 10, 2004
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How CEREO Came to Be
4. Committee Expanded Charge InterdisciplinaryUn
iversity-WideResearch, Education and Outreach)

• Deans of five colleges designated two
  faculty/college to serve on the committee
• Keith Blatner served as chair, while Emmett Fiske
  assumed role of facilitator and note-taker
• Between March, 2004 April, 2006 the committee
  held 28 meetings with various administrators,
  reviewed discussed similar efforts at WSU
  other universities, drafted proposal for
  consideration by WSU Faculty Senate
• Approximately 120 WSU Faculty expressed written
  interest in affiliating with CEREO
• Approved by Faculty Senate on April 13, 2006.

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How CEREO Came to Be
5. Center Implementation Underway by Mid-2006

• Start-Up Funding for 2006 2007 from Provosts
  Office (65,000)
• Soft Commitment of 250,000 per year for X
  number of years
• Emmett Fiske Selected as Interim Director and
  Facilitator
• Hired Part-Time Staff
• Obtained Office Space and Equipment (additional
  10,000 request)

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What CEREO Hopes to Achieve

• Identify areas for potential cooperation and
  collaboration across the WSU system in research,
  education, and outreach
• Coordinate university-wide interdisciplinary
  seminars, summer research experiences for
  undergraduates, symposia, and newsletters focused
  on environmental topics
• Develop a highly visible undergraduate / graduate
  road map for environmental education
• Serve as a clearinghouse for internships and
  other opportunities for experiential learning

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What CEREO Hopes to Achieve

• Enhance extramural funding opportunities by
  identifying available funding and assisting in
  grant preparation, and by facilitating
  interdisciplinary collaborations among
  investigators
• Coordinate and facilitate a university-wide
  academic plan for environmental-oriented fields
  of study including the creation of new / expanded
  university-wide academic programs
• Coordinate and facilitate hires of
  interdisciplinary environmental faculty including
  cluster hires.

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Planned Organization
Structural Considerations

• Search for Permanent Director
• Establishing Appropriate Oversight (designated
  Dean, Executive Committee, university-wide
  Advisory Council, External Advisory Board)
• Enhancing Electronic Communication (web page,
  electronic newsletters, brochures)
• Bridging Disciplines, Campuses, Statewide System

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CEREOEnhancing Achievement through Concentrating
on Strengths

• Ecology and Evolution of Infectious Diseases
• Economic Development and Environmental Quality
• Ecosystem Dynamics
• Education for Ecological Literacy and Citizenship
• Environmental Entrepreneurship
• Environmental Justice
• Human Natural Systems Interactions (including
  Global Change)
• Relationship between Culture, Society and the
  Environment
• Subsurface Science
• Temporal Responses to the Environment (Paleo
  Evolutionary)
• Water and Atmospheric Resources

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Implementing REO

• Interdisciplinary Research (Mission to D.C.,
  2/07 IGERT Proposal, 4/07)
• Interdisciplinary Education (Environment Across
  the Curriculum)
• Interdisciplinary Outreach (Kick-Off Event, 3/07
  Grad Student Poster Presentations, 3/07 Seminar
  Series Retreat, 07 08)

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Securing a Sound Financial Foundation (WSU
Campaign Initiatives)

• Generation, performance and dissemination of
  Earth Systems Research
• Knowledge transfer to decision makers
• Connecting University knowledge to societal needs

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Recent University-Wide Developments

• Declining Enrollments throughout WSU System (loss
  of 3.5 million)
• Reallocationfor Student Recruitment (3.5
  million)
• Anticipated Legislative Assistance for University
  shortfall (7 million)
• Result Scale Back in Prior Commitment to CEREO
  from Central Administration

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Where Things Currently Stand as of April 16, 2007

• Central Administration Rethinking its Preferred
  Leadership Style for CEREO
• Balancing ActKeeping Up the Momentum in Times of
  Declining Resources

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Lessons Learned

• Interdisciplinary Collaboration is Tough, given
  the Current Institutional Structure
• Many distinct siloseach of which wants to
  make sure it gets the credit grants and
  contracts and the enrollment numbers student
  credit hoursin competition with Central
  Administrations strategic plan for reshaping the
  university.
• This Should Come as No Surprise to NACDEP
  Colleagues. We know all about how to maneuver
  the manure to maximize the fertilization of
  institutional transformation!
• Redundancy in Communication is Absolutely Vital
• 20-20-20-20 Vision is Essential

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Lessons Learned

• University conversations begin with Capital R
  (RESEARCH), smaller case e (education) and
  seldom o (outreach or extension)if you cant
  talk R they wont listen to partnerships and
  potential in e and o
• In-reach into the university faculty ranks is
  difficult for county or community-based extension
  educatorscenters can help overcome this
• Centers are feared by many administrators
• Centers resonate with team and community
  oriented educators

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Navigation Aids
So, How Does One Navigate Around the Land Mines
on the Road to Resolution? Here are some aids to
help facilitators arrive alive

• High stakes poker requires a pile of chips (or a
  champion in administration)
• If youre not two steps ahead, youre already
  behind
• Facilitation foreplayhandshakes are nice, but
  contracts are better
• Buddy up to build infrastructure

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Navigation Aids

• Humor helps!
• Touchy-feely doesnt just happen...
• Everyone has a piece of the truth
• Help your colleagues educate their constituents
• The task is never done