Roll Call

Toni Stephan, Carole Smith, Cam Holmes, Janice Smiley, Shanna Northway, John Baggott, Lillian Larwood, Kim Tarrant, Debbie Maddy, Melanie Mintken, Katie Ahern, Glenda Hyde, Mike Knutz

Mylen Bohle, Erin Devlin, Janice Cowan, Marilyn Lesmeister, Maureen Hosty

General Structure for 2015 OSU Extension Conference

A lot of notes were sent out related to the structure and folks wanted to make the most efficient use of time. How do we structure to make the best use of time and allow for program collaboration?

Comments from the group included:

  • Making it a split conference with program areas splitting to allow staff to only have to attend for part of a week, instead of a full week.
  • Suggestion for a week-long conference and hold sessions multiple times at the beginning and end of the week to accommodate those that can only attend for part of the week.
  • Have one day for office staff (management and support)
  • Mylen- It was clear that there are so many things going on that a split conference with a day in the middle to come together would be better, 2nd comment- could stretch- Tuesday afternoon to Thursday morning, split assignments offer complications to having a split schedule.
  • Toni- Felt the same way, have office staff there on Wednesday, compromise and everyone one together on one day in the middle of the week
  • Mike- worth a try to phase in and out to reach different program areas, but overlap for things like the keynote
  • Problem scheduling Retirees and Cooperators Banquet- BBQ Tuesday, Cooperators on Wednesday at all Extension day of Conference
  • Lillian- have we looked at Mon-Thurs
  • John concept of split but wanting to be all together, possibility of win-win situation, 4-H/FCH split can’t be at the activities for the other organization.
  • Janice Smiley- Roger and Sally would like to have separate time frames for 4-H, FCH and SNAP, more people being hired with the split assignment
  • Shanna- Have the times split to meet those who have split assignment
  • Carole- There are things that everyone needs to go to- keynote speakers, important for Support Staff to be included and in the General sessions. A lot of time, need more than one day.
  • Gail- Tuesday, Wednesday Thursday- General sessions, keynotes, Administrative Updates, bookends of Mon & Fri- 4-H/FCH, Ag/Forestry
  • Debby-Consider mixing the programs a different way- 4-H/Forestry/Sea Grant & FCH/Ag
  • Provide the opportunity for FCH to collaborate with Ag/Master Gardners
  • SNAP Ed and FCH will be separate; some people may be split in that assignment as well.
  • Mylen- because of the timing may be the option for others to stay longer due to light schedules, but may be a budget issue
  • Use technology and record what is happening so others, would be an additional cost.

Decide on dates for 2016 OSU Extension Conference

Possible Dates:

  • October 3-6, 2016- NAE4-HA Conference in Louisiana
  • October 24-27, 2016
  • October 31 – November 3, 2016
  • November 7 -10, 2016- removed from Thanksgiving, 11th is Veteran’s Day and causes a 4 day week
  • November 14-18, 2016
  • December 5-9, 2016

Will move forward with Nov. 14-18, 2016 and secure these dates as it is a full week.

Discuss and Decide on Keynote Speaker for 2015 Conference

Many suggestions for the speaker have come in, now we need to figure out what we want out of our speaker.

Mylen- Last year’s keynote cost around $9000 total, Deb Maddy agreed $9000 was around the cost for the Keynote.

Send out to everyone and refer it to a committee to make the final decision and research the cost.

Gail will put together a Qualtrics survey with speaker information and videos. Will put a short deadline on the survey to get moving and get a speaker in place soon.

Debbie has contracted with one of the speakers for a County Leader program and he will offer a discount for a 2nd presentation in the same calendar year. Michael Caruso.

What Program Elements do we need to / want to include for the 2015 conference?

What do we want to keep for 2015 specifically Peer Reviews, Poster Sessions and Tours

Why were Peer Review sessions eliminated? Ran out of time in 3.5 days

How were they presented in the past and general structure? A couple of sessions spread throughout the week, preselected, Debbie M.- never hosted peer-reviewed presentations, the Search for Excellence was the only peer-reviewed piece included. Lillian remembers the Poster and then the Search for Excellence

Debbie’s question- Why Peer Reviewed presentations? What is the benefit to that? They do not have a lot of weight in your Vita. Search for Excellence are not blind reviewed, they must have impact and scholarship. Search for Excellence is more of an award and less of a scholarly activity.

Decision- We will send out a call for Proposals, but not put the peer review label on it. They would be for those who want to share information with their peers, could be related to skill development or research.

Tours- What to do? Keep them or not? How do we do them?

Mylen- Mixed bag last year, extend the time we offer the tour, may be knowledge tours. It might have been better if we had more time to hear the research. Maybe we need to tie them in with subject matter training.

Fewer tours, longer, more in-depth. Difficult to do 2 tours in a 2-hour time period. Gail is against 2 tours in a single time block.

Popular tours last year included-

  • Wine & Cheese
  • Whole Grains Tour
  • Oak Creek Center

Poster Sessions- OSUEA function, Lillian suggests that they take that on, committees responsibility to place them in the schedule

Important to market different segments of the conference so that people are aware of their value.

Janice- would also like to see a larger number of people at the Cooperator’s banquet.

Action items:

  • Gail will create a mock schedule, hopefully before the end of the month
  • Secure the Alumni center for 2016
  • Gail will put together a survey for keynote
  • Need to market the different elements of the conference to all of extension, no peer reviewed oral presentations, instead a call for proposals, tours tied to subject matter
  • Next steps-Contact people to chair different elements-
  • Steve Renquist for posters
  • Mylen Bohle for tours
  • Classified staff member to put together a schedule for things that would be of interest to that group
  • Search for Excellence Chal Lundgren and Weston Miller.