MU Extension new employee orientation

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Your support team

We want you to succeed and become a productive member of the MU Extension family. As a new faculty member, you will have a team of professional staff who will provide support to you during the orientation process. They are:

Normally, your support team will be identified and agreed upon by the regional director, program director and orientation coordinator before you arrive on the job. Enjoy the opportunities you have to meet and work with your support team members. They are all interested in seeing you succeed in your new position with MU Extension.

Regional Director
Your regional director is your direct supervisor. Headquartered in regional offices, there are eight regional directors in Missouri.  He/she is responsible for your orientation and will schedule to meet with you soon after your arrival in the region. Our regional directors are:

Orientation coordinator
Megan Martin is the orientation coordinator who will meet with you on your first day to welcome you to University of Missouri Extension. She will provide an overview of our organization and share our new faculty orientation notebook. Megan will also show you around campus and take you to lunch to meet with your program leader and/or state specialist mentor so that you can begin to get familiar with the MU Extension program.

Under Megan's guidance, you will also have the opportunity to meet with staff benefits to answer your questions there.

Within the first few months of your employment, a member of the New Faculty Development Team will make an appointment to come to your office to follow up with you, to answer your questions, and to determine how you are progressing in your orientation to University of Missouri Extension.

Program director
University of Missouri Extension has a director for each of its five areas of program emphasis. The program directors oversee system-wide program development and evaluation. Your program director heads up the extension programming for the area in which you specialize. If the schedule allows, he/she will join you for lunch on your first day to welcome you and share his/her perspective on program development in MU Extension. The program directors are:

County Program Director (CPD)
Each Missouri county has a county program director who is responsible for working with the county extension council (elected representatives) to oversee the county's extension program, its budget and the everyday workings of MU Extension in the county.  The CPD in the county where your office is located is key to helping you get acquainted with the local people, office procedures and culture. He/she will also help you find your way around. Sometimes it can get pretty lonely out there as a new faculty member, so don't hesitate to ask questions. Get to know your co-workers and learn as much as you can about what makes the local area tick. The CPD will also help you get to know one of our most valuable assets, the office secretary. Ask the CPD to take you to a council meeting and visit with the extension council members. Your success may hinge upon the relationships you develop at the local level.

Next: your community and region