January 17, 2002January 17, 2002
Editor's note: This article is the first of a series to update faculty and staff on the status of University Outreach and Extension's revenue generation initiatives. This information may be shared with council members and other local stakeholders.
University Outreach and Extension's efforts to develop strategic partnerships already are paying off with a $36,624 grant resulting from discussions with representatives of the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. The grant will support the delivery of a four-component nutrition curriculum in southern Missouri. (See related story: "Diabetes Today grant results from strategic partnership efforts.")
Strategic partnerships are one facet of UO/E's revenue generation plan, which is designed to identify additional funding sources to support the outreach mission. While not a new idea, UO/E has renewed its emphasis on strategic partnerships.
"We are making a concerted effort to look for obvious links with agencies and organizations that share common goals," says System Program Director Julie Middleton.
Associate Vice President Pat Sobrero, System Program Director Steve Wyatt, and Regional Director Al Black and Wayne Moore also are working with other land-grant extension programs to develop and find funding for an E-Extension initiative.
"This extension initiative has the potential to permit UO/E to be something to nearly everyone in the state," Sobrero says.
In the past three months, Middleton and Sobrero have been working to strengthen existing relationships and forge new ones with agencies and organizations that share common goals. They have visited with officials from the state Office of Administration; Missouri Departments of Mental Health and Health and Senior Services; and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in Kansas City.
"Strategic partnerships are the foundation for all of the other components of our revenue generation plan," Middleton says. "The most important thing in obtaining grants is building relationships.
"As these relationships develop and we begin talking about specific programs, we are involving faculty, staff, administrators and council members as a team."
Following the initial meeting with a health and senior services official, the department's Bureau of Chronic Disease Prevention contacted UO/E about providing Diabetes Today in eight counties. The department was familiar with the program, but through the meeting, learned that UO/E regional specialists were delivering the curriculum in Missouri.
"The Diabetes Today grant is an example of how developing strategic partnerships can result in additional resources to support the outstanding programming we already are doing," Middleton says.
Another outcome of the developing relationship with health and senior services is the possibility of a joint health initiative in St. Louis. On Jan. 30, UO/E representatives, including regional extension faculty; MU and UMSL faculty; and state and local HSS officials will meet to discuss how the two organizations can work together to improve health among residents.
Initial discussions are under way with the Department of Mental Health to use the Missouri TeleCenter Network to conduct staff meetings with department employees located throughout the state. Conversations also are ongoing with the state Office of Administration to collaborate on training aimed at regional extension specialists and OA employees with supervisory responsibilities.
"We don't know how many of these ideas will come to fruition," Middleton says. "But down the line, they're going to think about UO/E because we've brought ourselves to their attention."
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Eileen Yager,
yagere@umsystem.edu |
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