Nov. 21, 2003Nov. 21, 2003
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| MU Provost and Executive Vice
Chancellor Brady Deaton (left) and UM executive vice president and director of cooperative extension, address participants at the Missouri Galaxy conference. |
A spirit of cohesiveness and revitalization permeated the Missouri Galaxy conference, Nov. 18-19, at Lake of the Ozarks.
Ron Turner, UM executive vice president and director of extension, set the stage with remarks about the upcoming consolidation of UM and MU extension. Turner said he and MU Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Brady Deaton had jointly recommended to UM President Floyd the consolidation of UM/MU extension in the context of overall UM/MU consolidation.
"We concluded this was the direction the University was going -- combining University Hall and Jesse Hall operations -- so it is the right thing to do. The principal advantage is that most of the academic resources for extension come from the Columbia campus. Anything we can do to strengthen the relationship between regional faculty and councils and those on the campus we should do."
Deaton also said the University's "very tight financial situation" due to state budget cuts has forced a review of priorities.
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| Executive Vice President and
Director Ron Turner received a "Good Guy" award -- a white hat -- from the University of Missouri Extension Association for his dedication to the University's outreach mission. |
Deaton said the consolidation "marks a recommitment to extension … a commitment to broad-based, University-wide support of the extension mission. It's a re-engagement of various divisions of the campus to support what you're doing outstate."
Deaton said he sees extension as "that element of the University that is always asking, 'What can this University do to serve the state?'" In that regard, he said, "I really like the current mission statement; I think it's fantastic."
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| MU Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Brady Deaton (right) speaks with Roxanne Miller, EC information specialist. |
Deaton took the opportunity of the Galaxy gathering to announce the appointment of Tom Henderson as interim vice provost for extension and director of cooperative extension, effective Jan. 1. (See related story.) Deaton said Henderson brings to the appointment 30 years of extension experience in the field, on the Columbia campus and with the UM System and the credibility to "engage you to keep the ship stable."
Turner said the 95 percent of extension resources devoted to programming will not be harmed. "If anything, they
will be enhanced." Responding to a question about whether the day-to-day responsibilities of regional specialists would change as a result of consolidation, Deaton said, "I don't foresee changes at this time. We'll continue to examine the mission, the priorities we are committed to and the resources to address the needs."
Deaton said he is optimistic because "when you look at what the University has already been through, you realize that we have amazing resiliency to make adjustments to support programs while reducing cost. The less we compartmentalize and work together, the farther down the road we will go."
Turner concluded the remarks by saying, "I admire each of you and all that you have done; the state of Missouri benefits so much. As Tony DeLong's Columbia Daily Tribune editorial said, 'Extension is probably the most tangible manifestation of the University of Missouri that exists for thousands of Missourians.'
"You can't put a price on that."
Also see:
Henderson named interim extension director
Consolidation Transition Team reaches agreement on key points
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Eileen Yager,
yagere@umsystem.edu |
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