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Dear IACEC Members –
It has been a week since the restructuring of ISU Extension has been announced. The IACEC Board of Directors was just as shocked as many of you were at the rapid implementation of the restructuring plan. We have taken a step back to identify what we did to try to mitigate the budget situation, the impact that IACEC had in the restructuring plan, and our recommendations for the near future for our members. I’d like to share the results of our reflection with you.
Here are some things that we feel good about:
1. IACEC passed along budget information to its members as soon as we received it. From early December when the first budget predictions were made for the State of Iowa, until the end of the legislative session, IACEC urged its members to advocate for Extension via legislative coffees, IACEC Legislative Day (over 170 attendees!), letters to the editor, and word of mouth. These efforts yielded support from the Iowa Legislature in that Extension (and ISU) was not targeted to receive larger cuts than the rest of the state government.
2. IACEC worked with Extension Administration to be allowed to submit budget suggestions prior to the development of a plan. Seventy-six Extension Councils and individual Council members submitted their ideas. These suggestions can be found at http://www.iacec.info/documents/ListeningSessionReport_ExtensionCouncils0409.pdf. For comparison, you can view the staff comments at http://www.iacec.info/documents/ListeningSessionReport_ExtensionStaff040809.pdf.
You’ll note that some council member suggestions are reflected in the plan. Others were not. And certainly not all Extension Councils would identify the same solutions to ISUE’s budget woes…so what one council may deem a worthy idea for consideration, others might see as detrimental.
3. Stimulus money, if it comes through, will help ease the transition from our current structure to a new structure, so that the timeline for implementation can be more fluid, rather than beginning or ending at an abrupt date.
4. Extension, while it will look drastically different, continues to exist as an outreach program out in the state, rather than only as a campus-based program. Other states are not so fortunate.
5. Extension Councils will have MORE say in how they spend their local funds. Through restructuring, Councils will retain 98% of their local tax dollars allowing them to target their spending on those program needs they feel are most critical to their citizens.
6. Extension Councils still remain responsible for what happens in their counties. ISU and Extension Administration do NOT have the authority to close county offices. That authority lies in the hands of Extension Councils as given to you by the Iowa Code. IACEC believes that Extension Councils are made up of competent individuals who will quickly figure out how to best work within the new structure to achieve quality Extension programming in their counties. IACEC is committed to advocating for Councils with ISUE Administration to make sure that the citizens in our counties are well served.
Here are some things that disappoint us:
1. There were no Extension Council or IACEC representatives at the table to develop the restructuring plan. IACEC negotiated with the Administration to have Council Members submit their budget suggestions (via the survey mentioned above) and passed along all additional county suggestions, but had no insight into the final draft.
2. The plan was introduced to staff, IACEC and councils on very short notice, the same morning that the regents heard and voted to implement. Not enough specific information nor time was available for IACEC to recommend a plan. The Board of Regents voted to implement the plan without hearing from the citizens of Iowa.
3. With the loss of the CEED position, we stand to lose not only their administrative skills, but a huge amount of our professional programming experience. This plan does not adequately reflect the loss of the value of the CEED’s professional subject matter expertise.
4. The focus of the cuts appears to be skewed heavily to counties, shifting financial responsibility to areas that need the programming but do not have the tax base. Extension services may soon shift to a more urban environment.
Here are suggestions that IACEC has for moving forward with the restructuring:
1. The IACEC Board has requested that Council members be allowed to participate in REED interviews for their own region. We are hopeful that Extension Administration will find a way to accommodate this request.
2. Ask questions. Make suggestions. Let your thoughts and concerns be made known. If you don’t make your voice heard, then decision-makers will assume that you are content with the plan!
IACEC does not believe that all of the details of the restructuring are set in stone. Use the regional conversations to make suggestions to the plan.
If you are unhappy with the suggested structure, contact ISU President Geoffroy (president@iastate.edu), members of the Board of Regents (http://www2.state.ia.us/regents/contactus.html), Governor Culver (http://www.governor.iowa.gov/administration/contact/), or Jack Payne (jpayne@iastate.edu). Be specific about how restructuring will impact the citizens in your county and which components of the restructuring plan that you oppose.
3. Let your IACEC Board representatives know how we can best represent you. If there is something that you want IACEC to do in response to the plan, please let us know. If you have questions that are not getting answered, let us know and we’ll make sure they are answered. Again, we can’t represent you unless we know what you’re thinking. You can e-mail us at IACECaction@iowatelecom.net.
This is bound to be a challenging time for Extension Councils. We wish you courage and wisdom as you move forth.
Sincerely,
Tom Ullrich, IACEC President & The IACEC Board of Directors
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