As requested, the following document speaks to major accomplishments made by Extension Communications and Educational Support ( then the Information Department) relative to goals set in our strategic plan of 2001, which was written in support of the college (then CAHE) and Extension goals at the time.

Support of CAHNRS Goals:

Goal #1

Deliver superior undergraduate and graduate teaching and learning in agriculture, natural resources, and human sciences locally, statewide, and globally.

The Information Department will continue its support of undergraduate and graduate teaching and learning for CAHE and will expand its support of teaching for both CAHE and the rest of the university via the following activities:

Original target activity: We will provide World Wide Web design and hosting services for CAHE faculty and their undergraduate and graduate classes.

Accomplishment: We now are hosting some 300 websites with nearly two million files on our webservers.

Original target activity: We will provide user authentication and computer server services for CAHE faculty and their classes.  Services include disk space, security, anti-virus/Trojan/hacker protection, network management, file backup, email, and file transfers.

Accomplishment: We have implemented and installed Microsoft Windows Collaboration Tools including common Active Directory user authentication, Exchange Email (and Calendaring) and Sharepoint collaboration services.  The Active Directory allows a common method of user authentication and access to WSU network resources. Exchange offers a comprehensive email system, including web access, which is more robust than UNIX email. Exchange also offers on-line calendars with the ability to share them to other users. Use of Sharepoint has grown to 74 collaboration sites. Sharepoint allows our users to share and edit documents regardless of the user’s location.  We are hosting file servers for most CAHNRS departments, including the new School of Economic Sciences.

Original target activity: We will provide Washington Education Conferencing Network (WECN) interactive video over Internet Provider (IP) for student conferences, seminars, and some limited academic classes between WSU, CAHE, Cooperative Extension, and Learning Center sites.  This effort will be closely coordinated with the Washington Higher Education Telecommunication System (WHETS).

Accomplishment:  In response to a dramatic increase in demand for videoconferencing services (over 400% since 2001) we have: 1) added a second support person for WECN, funded first via income dollars and now by reallocation of some departmental salary dollars, which was then matched by WSU Extension and 2) by upgrading our Multi-point videoconferencing bridge and gatekeeper so we now have over 138 units registered with our gatekeeper and can have 68 units involved in video conferences on our system at the same time.  We are now handling in excess of 200 videoconferences a month.

Original target activity: We will provide advising and counseling to students in the Agricultural Communications major and will serve as advisors for the Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow student club.

Accomplishment: Information department staff have provided advising and counseling to students in the Agricultural Communications major and the Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow.

New activity: We are currently developing a communications plan and marketing materials for the new Agricultural and Food Systems degree in CAHNRS.

 

Goal #2

Deliver superior noncredit, Extension, educational, personal, and professional development opportunities to learners throughout the state.

Original target activity:
Integrate all available technologies into delivery of educational programs for Extension and its clientele.  We currently use satellite, IP-based video conferencing; fiber optics, audio conferencing, video streaming, and frame relay data transmission

Accomplishment: We are now utilizing a combination of several technologies, including IP- based videoconferencing, satellite delivery and video streaming technologies in our Telecon Center originated broadcasts.  We produce about 25 broadcast events a year from the Telecon Center for both internal and external audiences on a regional and national level. 

For internal audiences, we recently produced a lab safety-training program that was simultaneously videostreamed and delivered over WECN videoconferencing.  We have also produced a series of internal training programs for Extension Support Staff Training on financial topics such as budget control and billing.  All of our training materials are archived and available to view on the Internet.

We have also started using web-based training software purchased by our department for delivery of professional certification programs.  Specifically we are delivering Pesticide Re-Certification and a Viticulture Certificate program via the web using Adobe’s “Breeze” software.

Original target activity: Experiment with video streaming of educational content, as WSU’s ability to multicast becomes a reality.  This technology holds promise for providing educational content to WSU Learning Centers, Research and Extension Centers, and county offices

Accomplishment: We are now simultaneously videostreaming all of our satellite events and are using videostreaming as our primary source of delivery for our "Extension Engaged," "CAHNRS Update "and our "Extension Staff Support Training" series. All videostreams are archived on our Information Department webpage.  We have also assisted the university to better meet its ADA requirements by helping them do the first open captioning of the President's fall address. We are now using open captioning of videostreaming for selected events.

Original target activity:
      Explore opportunities to use our technological expertise and infrastructure to partner with other agencies and organizations to meet their and our professional development needs.  We are currently doing this primarily with satellite technology through full broadcast video for training and conference type events with partner organizations.  We have also started to use video streaming and IP-based videoconferencing with this clientele.

Accomplishment: The Information Department has developed many partnerships over the past five years via the use of our technology-based delivery systems. We have built new partnerships with the NW Food Processors Association, the Spokane office of USDA’s NRS program, the American Distance Education Consortium and USDA’s Risk Management Agency, all of whom we have worked with to produce several Extension related training programs using our information technology production and distribution capacity.

Revised Goal:We have undertaken a major effort to with WSU Extension to shift publishing efforts for Extension educational materials to online delivery. The pilot effort is underway with a large segment of our 4H educational materials collection, which will be distributed via CD or DVD instead of in a printed format. We currently have 936 publications on-line and in print and 161 are on-line only.

Original target activity Work with departments and Cooperative Extension programs to explore outside sponsorship and funding for selected educational materials.  This may prove extremely valuable for underwriting the cost of educational materials for programs like the Master Gardeners, and Pesticide Applicator Training.
      ELIMINATE THIS ONE

Original target activity: Increase sales of educational materials through innovative marketing methods.  Our goal is a growth rate of 10% to 15% per year.  This will generate additional income for Cooperative Extension to use in enhancing program support and delivery efforts.

REVISED: Our focus has shifted from an increase in sales to a profitability model and seeking a more sensible balance between income and expenses involved in producing educational materials. After three years of increasing gross sales, with a net negative balance in expenses versus income, this shift in our focus resulted in last year being the first year in the previous three where we actually showed a net profit in publications sales/expenses (over $50,000), although our gross income was the smallest it’s been since 2002.

Original target activity: Search outside sources for materials requested by our clientele where we do not have the in-house expertise.  Materials reviewed by our CAHE faculty and deemed of high quality can be purchased at a substantial discount, thus generating up to a 50% profit without tying up, or placing undue burden on, CAHE research and production resources. ELIMINATE THIS ONE

Original target activity: Provide technical support, consulting, database construction, and software programming to Cooperative Extension and university wide Extension faculty and staff.  Where appropriate, make available our programming efforts to others in the university and to our national partners.  This will likely be carried out on a fee-for-service basis.

Accomplishment:  We have made one of our programmers available, with funding from the Provost’s office, to help rewrite and adapt our AICS accountability system to be useable by the entire university.  Currently she is rewriting the system to include the requirements of faculty at WSU Vancouver as well as CAHNRS.

Original target activity: Continue our involvement in the American Distance Education Consortium (ADEC) and its subcommittees, such as the program panel, e-commerce subcommittee and the ADEC strategic planning committee.  Through this association, keep CAHE faculty and staff aware of distance learning opportunities available from consortium member institutions.

Accomplishment:  We have produced two national satellite broadcasts for the American Distance Education Consortium during the past five years (IDEAL3 and “Digital Libraries.”) In addition, we have been a cooperating institution in the AIESP (Advanced Internet Extension Satellite Project), which has experimented with high-speed data and video transmission via satellite technology.  We have also provided several satellite broadcasts to the ADEC network for re-broadcast as a multi-cast via the ADEC satellite network.

 

Goal #3

Conduct high-quality, productive, relevant, and recognized research programs with areas of excellence and high impact on the regional, national, and global food system.

We will help CAHNRS faculty and staff achieve this goal via the following specific activities:

Original target activity:
•Produce ARC materials and special research bulletins where appropriate.

Accomplishment:
We developed commodity-specific research handouts for use by college administration in addressing those groups and have contributed writing, images and editorial support to the ARC annual reports.

Original target activity:
Provide World Wide Web services for CAHE graduate faculty, researchers, and their graduate classes.

Accomplishment: (addressed in response to Goal #1)

Original target activity:
Provide user authentication and computer server services for CAHE faculty and their graduate classes.  Services include disk space, security, anti-virus/Trojan/hacker protection, network management, file backup, email, and file transfers.

Accomplishment: (addressed in response to Goal #1)

Original target activity:
Provide WECN interactive Video over IP services for researchers to use to consult about their research collaboration.

Accomplishment: (addressed in response to Goal #1)

Original target activity:
Provide support for graduate computing labs.

Accomplishment: (addressed in response to Goal #1)

Original target activity:
Provide access to statistical and other analytical software packages to faculty and graduate students.  We will install these on the CRU servers and make them available.  As an example, in conjunction with other departments we provide Statistical Analysis Software program (SAS) to CAHE faculty and graduate students.

Accomplishment:  (addressed in response to Goal #1)

Original target activity:
Provide technical support, consulting, and computer programming to CAHE faculty and staff.

Accomplishment:  (addressed in response to Goal #1)

Original target activity:
Install on our servers and make available computer programs that will facilitate CAHE research activities.

Accomplishment:  (addressed in response to Goal #1)

Original target activity:
Use mass media, trade, and other niche media to communicate with various publics and clientele about CAHE’s high priority research programs.  The purpose of these messages is public awareness and public education about science and associated public issues.

Accomplishment:
We have produced news releases and stories for dissemination to media, including trade and industry publications, highlighting specific research grants, projects and findings.  Some examples:  In 2001, we played a role in garnering national and international attention for research on apple growing systems conducted by John Reganold and helped produce a video segment that appeared in 25 markets for the ABC affiliate Science and Technology News Network. In 2005, grizzly bear research was featured on ABC’s “Good Morning America” as well as the ABC evening news.  In 2005 the news team generated national (mostly ag industry) publicity for research conducted by Kim Kidwell and colleagues on research that reported that glyphosate may help suppress Asian soy rust.

Accomplishment:
We are participating in a university-wide effort to identify video resources and make better use of our video and television resources to advance the university’s strategic goals.

Original target activity:
Support production of CAHE alumni magazine, “Connections,” by providing writing editorial and design services. We will also explore our ability to totally produce this magazine in our department in an attempt to save the CAHE some of the current production costs.

Accomplishment:
We have redesigned the CAHRNS alumni magazine, “Connections” to a four-color format and have done so while keeping the costs down by having competitive bids taken from outside vendors, resulting in University Publishing matching the outside price, thus saving CAHNRS thousands of dollars.
In addition, we have launched a new fund-raising vehicle for 4H and Extension, “4H Forever Green” in 2005. The premiere issue was the winner of the Gold Award in the “MarCom Creative Awards” competition.