April 2022
Colleagues,
It probably goes without saying that volunteers are essential to our agency’s service work. April is National Volunteer Month, and we’d be remiss if we didn’t thank the 86,371 Extension volunteers who this past year donated 4.2 million hours of service valued at around $122 million. Of course, supporting each volunteer’s efforts is an AgriLife Extension agent or specialist. So many of you have spent countless hours to teach volunteers and inspire them, often volunteering plenty of your own time and effort.
I’m talking about Extension agents like Barbie Loraine Wymore, who served as a Texas 4-H and Youth Development agent in Jim Wells County for 26 years. Texas 4-H first captured Barbie’s heart in the third grade, when she began showing pigs in Raymondville, in Willacy County. After earning her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in agriculture education, she became an Extension agent.
As a Texas 4-H agent, Barbie enriched the lives of countless children with dedication, kindness, professionalism, energy and a sense of fun, according to her community, which loved her. She went the extra mile to make events both educational and memorable. She helped 4-H members apply for and be awarded countless college scholarships. She also spent countless hours handwriting thank-you letters and notes to volunteers and others who made a difference.
Sadly, Barbie passed away last week. She is deeply mourned by many, including her family, her community and her AgriLife Extension family. Barbie, or “4-H Mom,” as her 4-H members knew her, will be remembered, and greatly missed, but her legacy lives on.
One part of Barbie’s legacy are the volunteers she worked with. AgriLife Extension volunteers — from everyone who helps with 4-H, to everyone involved in “Texas Master” groups, to those who serve on leadership advisory groups or program area committees — enrich Texans’ lives. They make their communities stronger. They also become stronger themselves by staying active, making use of their expertise and creating joy.
So, let’s take some time to think of volunteers and people like Barbie Wymore. This month, National Volunteer Month, makes it especially important to say how much we appreciate these selfless efforts.
Thank you for all you do,
Rick Avery, Ph.D.
|
|
Magnetic Name Badges
Reporting Steering Committee
A steering committee was recently established to focus on the agency’s efforts in reporting and accountability. This group has already met twice. The charge to this group includes:
- Review feedback from agency focus groups regarding agency reporting.
- Assist in the design of a new reporting system that increases efficiencies and enables greater agency impacts.
- Serve as liaisons to your colleagues in understanding the goals and achievements of this committee.
- Serve as use testers for new systems being developed.
- Ultimately, help the agency transition to a new reporting system at the start of the new fiscal year.
Program Planning Steering Committee
A steering committee was recently established to focus on the agency’s efforts in program planning. County agents, specialists and the various mid-manager roles are represented on this committee that has been charged to:
- Evaluate the current timeline for program planning.
- Provide recommendations on the program planning process.
The committee will also be identifying tools and resources the agency can potentially use for developing program plans and will be participating in user testing as we explore and/or develop options. It is our hope that we will have a new program planning system and processes established for use in the 2023 year. We will continue to keep you updated as the work on this steering committee evolves.
AgriLife Extension's COVID Guidance
Review of the System Regulations for External Employment
Planning to offer your expertise as a consultant? Starting a side business? Before your do, make sure to review the applicable regulations of the Texas A&M University System.
SR 31.05.01 is for faculty members who will be engaging in consulting or external employment that is directly related to the faculty member’s professional discipline. Full-time faculty who plan on engaging in external employment will need to submit an external employment form as well as a supplemental addendum.
Faculty consulting and/or external professional employment is defined by SR 31.05.01 as any work, advice or service related to a faculty’s field of discipline for which the faculty member receives compensation, services, goods or any other item of value.
In addition, the provision of certain types of scholarly or research expertise to foreign entities without compensation constitutes faculty consulting and/or external professional employment. For example, participation in scholarly or scientific research projects or publications, or communication of any information subject to export control, publication restriction or confidentiality agreement is required to be disclosed to any agency of the U.S. government. All consulting or employment with foreign entities, regardless of compensation, must be disclosed to our office for Restricted Party Screening and other Export Controls reviews. This information is shared with the Research Security Office.
SR 31.05.02 covers all external employment of employees other than faculty covered by SR 31.05.01. This regulation covers faculty members engaging in consulting and/or external employment that is not directly related to their professional discipline. An External Employment form will still need to be completed and submitted so that our office can review it to ensure that the proposed employment is not reasonably expected to create a conflict of interest, present a conflict of commitment, or in general interfere with the regular work of the employee.
At minimum, 10 days before the external employment’s start date, please submit both the following to Texas A&M AgriLife Human Resources:
-
The System Faculty Consulting and/or External Professional Employment Application and Approval Form.
-
AgriLife form AG-406, Faculty Consulting and/or External Professional Employment Addendum.
AgriLife Human Resources will review and route to AgriLife Ethics and Compliance for additional reviews prior to sending to the Director, or designee, for final approval. Once approved, the forms should be filed in the employee’s personnel file.
Please note, that use for external employment of system resources, including facilities, equipment, work time or personnel, is prohibited except as authorized by SR 33.04.01 Use of System Resources for External Employment. SR 33.04.01 specifies that the external employment must be approved and that use of system resources is incidental in nature, meaning such use will not:
- Cause an additional non-reimbursed expense to the system.
- Impede normal business functions.
- Be for non-approved private commercial purposes.
- Be used for illegal activity.
- Be used to intentionally access, create, store or transmit obscene materials.
- Be used to compete unfairly with private sector entities or private consultants.
|
|
HELPFUL ONLINE EMPLOYEE RESOURCES
|
|
|
|
Looking for a "who's who" for your topical questions?
|
|
|
|
Discover Extension: May 31-June 3 |
Please email Tearney Woodruff to communicate about any new employees you have hired or will be hiring in the next month.
|
|
Summer “Book” Club
Connect with colleagues around the state through a common “reading” to gain knowledge, develop a skill, engage in robust discussion or just for enjoyment. Materials may include an online training, a book, a series of articles, a podcast and more, depending on the group’s interest. If your interest is piqued and you want to learn more, fill out this form and send it to your colleagues who might be interested.
Community of Learners: Graduate Studies
Are you pursuing a graduate degree? Thinking about it? Finished one? We would like to facilitate community building and support for those currently pursing advanced degrees and those contemplating doing so. Please fill out this form if you would like more information.
|
|
VOLUNTEER MONTH SPOTLIGHT:
The Texas Master Naturalist Program
|
|
|
|
TMN Volunteer and astronaut takes service to new heights!
Gulf Coast Chapter member Kjell Lindgren is a NASA Astronaut commanding the SpaceX Crew-4 shuttle to the International Space Station with a tentative launch scheduled for the week of April 25-30. Catch all the details here:
|
|
MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS |
|
Update on the AgriLife Extension web hub
Thank you to the District Extension Administrators and county representatives who responded to our county office survey last month. Congratulations to Moore County staff on being the recipient of the $500 in marketing and educational resources drawing. Soon, AgriLife Extension leadership and AgriLife Marketing and Communications will be reaching out across the state to help gather information on programs and services. We appreciate your continued partnership in this matter and will be in touch with specifics in the near future.
|
|
Got events? Get them on the AgriLife Live Whale Calendar
The LiveWhale calendar is a one-stop-shop for showcasing all Texas A&M AgriLife events from around the state. For Extension, this includes face-to-face, local events as well as multi-county and hybrid events. Our strategist team is working hard to ensure that when the AgriLife Extension web hub goes live this summer, each topic, program and county page is reflecting a robust variety of your events — but to do so, we need your help.
Share your events with us by completing this form to ensure maximum event promotion and exposure. It's quick and easy. Have questions? Reach out to our team — we're here to help.
|
|
|
|
Coming this Summer: social media training |
Catch the summer wave of social media training opportunities. Through this three-part series, we equip you with the resources and knowledge to better connect with your community stakeholders through social media. Dates coming soon! |
|
Topics will include:
- Branding your county / program — the "AgriLife way"
- Exploring which platform (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) is the best fit for you
- Ensuring the new Extension Hub is working for your county / program
- Connecting your events to LiveWhale for easy social content
- Leveraging the strength of the AgriLife brand with Texas A&M AgriLife Today
- Creating visual content with Canva
|
|
Celebrate Volunteer Month with our
Master Volunteer templates
Join us all month long as we celebrate and recognize our amazing volunteers across the state. We're sharing OUR love by sharing these volunteer program inspired Canva campaign templates!
|
|
AGRILIFE DIGITAL EDUCATION |
|
Update regarding transition from bookstore to AgriLife Learn
As mentioned in previous communication, the old AgriLife Bookstore URL was redirected to AgriLife Learn for the six months ending March 1.
AgriLife Digital Education has received questions about the former site URL and wants to ensure that members within the organization are informed of this transition.
Recommendations:
|
|
AGRILIFE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY. |
|
Please welcome Jill Hughson, AIT’s new Manager of IT Training and Development
Jill’s focus will include the development and implementation of instructor-led training for various AgriLife technologies.
Jill brings 25 years’ worth of experience in IT training with her to this new role, most recently as the manager of the AgriLife IT FirstCall Service Desk. She has trained employees in both IT and customer service fields in New York, Maine, Scotland and England, in addition to Texas.
Jill will officially step into her new role on May 25. Jill will set up a team of instructors who will lead on-site, in-person training. We will provide more information on the AgriLife IT website later this month about this new service and on how to engage with Jill and her team. This team is part of a project in response to feedback received requesting more training resources.
|
|
AgriLife Learn online courses are here for Texans, and they can also be valuable educational supplements to your in-person programs.
Check out the latest offerings developed by your colleagues!
|
|
|
|
Don't get too bzzzzzy this spring to learn something new! Start your first beehive and discover the beekeeping equipment, honeybee biology, and what to expect in the first year of beekeeping, with this online beekeeping course for beginners.
|
|
|
|
Food Handlers Certification |
The courses will allow food service employees, cottage food business operators, Master Wellness Volunteers or others to meet the requirement of having a food handler or food safety course.
This course is offered in English and Spanish.
|
|
|
|
Junior Master Gardener
Early Childhood Learn, Grow, Eat & GO!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
