Serving The Many
Faces of Missouri
One of the most distinctive
features of University of Missouri
Extension is its mandate,
organizational structure and
geographic distribution of
professional personnel to design and
deliver programs pertinent to the
needs and aspirations of very
different localities and regions
across one of the nation's most
diverse states. Missouri is part Corn
Belt, part Sun Belt, part East and
part West. It is agricultural and
industrial, and the economy is
affected by high-tech and service
jobs. Missouri's economy also is
greatly affected by tourism (one of
the top economic contributors).
Missouri's population is dispersed
among central cities, suburbs,
regional trade centers, remote rural
villages and the extensive
countryside.
University of Missouri Extension
has the capacity and professional
resources to adapt University of
Missouri educational programs and
resources to very different local
needs and aspirations. It has the
capacity to deliver appropriate and
effective services to localities
throughout the state. MU Extension is distinctive
because it is distinctively local.
To expand this potential,
University of Missouri Extension will
strengthen its capacity to scan
continuously the environments in which
people live and work. Change in where
Missourians live, what they do to make
a living, how they gain access to
necessary services and their ability
to sustain quality of life are
changing significantly and rapidly.
Monitoring those changes through
formal environmental scanning and
analysis of data-based trends will
show changes affecting the needs and
aspirations of the clientele.
The role of MU
Extension is to continue providing
relevant, credible and valued
education and resources to the publics
of the state.