Mission

Vision

• The College will educate students to be life-long learners, intellectually and ethically prepared to serve and lead in an increasingly complex global society;
• Division scholars and researchers will produce works of enduring effect that will improve the quality of life and stimulate economic development;
• The Division will be student-centered, scholarly-driven, community-focused, and performance based;
• The Division’s culture will support diversity, academic freedom, high aspirations, and mutual respect; and
• Cooperative Extension will provide the finest extension and outreach programs in the state and selected regional, national and international communities.

Core Values

Excellence - We seek excellence in all our endeavors and we are committed to continuous improvement.

Integrity – We are committed to the principles of truth and honesty, and we will be equitable, ethical, and professional.

Service – We believe that serving others is a noble and worthy endeavor.

Intellectual Freedom – We believe in ethical and scholarly questioning in an environment that respects the rights of all individuals to freely pursue knowledge.

Diversity – We respect others and value diversity of opinion, freedom of expression, and other ethnic and cultural backgrounds.

Stewardship of Resources – We are dedicated to the efficient and effective use of resources. We accept the responsibility of the public’s trust and are accountable for our actions.

Goals, Critical Success Factors, Objectives, and Strategies

Goal 1. Academic Excellence – Create and uphold high standards of excellence in instruction, research, and outreach.

Critical Success Factors:

• Continue the teaching and advising development and improvement program initiated in 2002
• Annually, 70 faculty with teaching appointments will participate in a teaching and advising development program or activity of the College
• Reverse of the trend of decreasing maintenance and operations budgets for College academic programs
• Move significantly towards the University goal of a faculty/student ratio of 19:1 based on teaching Full Time Equivalent (FTE) in the College
• Continue to have approved and active outcomes assessment plans for all academic programs
• Track and report the use of various assessment tools, including OSU’s outcomes assessment program, to plan and implement improvements in academic programs
• Create a Student Development Center for the College in the next 3 years
• Identify and introduce groups of outstanding freshmen and sophomore students each year for unique College and University developmental opportunities
• Update College multimedia classrooms and computer laboratories on a 3-year cycle

• Endowed chairs and professorships:
  1. 2 new chair positions will be initiated in the next 5 years
  2. Funding will be completed for 2 chair positions currently initiated
  3. 2 established and funded chairs will be filled in the next 2 years
• Ten faculty members will achieve national recognition in the next 5 years
• Identify research infrastructure needs in the Division as an initiative to improve research support services

• Introduce and support a legislative initiative to restore funding for county and area staff in Cooperative Extension
• The provision of proportional tuition offset funding each year
• Continue program input and direction through a high-quality, grassroots advisory system
• Involve extension professionals at all levels of the system in Experiment Station/Cooperative Extension comprehensive initiative teams

• Develop and initiate a plan to aid in the personal and professional development of instruction, research and extension faculty and staff
• Establish and implement a research and extension initiatives program for the Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension faculty
• Increase compensation for faculty and staff who demonstrate excellent and superior teaching, research, and extension programs
• Key academic departments will be ranked among the top 10 in their respective disciplines nationally
• Promote faculty awards and recognition for superior teaching, research, and extension programs in an organized and systematic way in full support of Division Units

Objectives:

• Plan and conduct faculty development programs in teaching and advising at the College level and support like programs and activities at the unit level.
• Provide flexibility for the use of limited teaching funds to support faculty and staff development in teaching and advising.
• Guide and support the objectives of the Committee on Effective Teaching and Committee on Student Counseling, Advisement and Retention.

• Maintain a database on faculty and staff teaching recognitions and plan and execute regular nominations for awards and recognitions.
• Support and reinforce unit level programs for faculty and staff recognition.
• Fund 3-year North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture (NACTA) memberships for all new College teaching faculty

• Support the programs of the OSU Office of University Assessment.
• Provide leadership of academic units in meeting OSU outcomes assessment goals and objectives.
• Support academic units in making program adjustments in response to outcomes assessment findings.

• Create a Student Development Center to focus on identifying opportunities for student engagement.
• Identify through several methods individual students who have a high potential for academic excellence, leadership, and service.
• Use senior students and alumni who have achieved national recognition as scholars in the recruitment of potential undergraduate students.

• Charge the College Committee on Effective Teaching with assessing College and OSU teaching facilities in Agriculture Hall, Animal Science building, and Noble Research Center.
• Develop a plan for improvement of University and College teaching facilities with central administration.
• Work with OSU Information Technology Division as the Technology Fee structure is changed to ensure adequate resources to meet teaching technology needs.

• Develop and implement a faculty led initiative for agricultural life sciences.
• Establish working relationships with research faculty that will enhance research and grants opportunities.
• Implement initiative teams to address life sciences research opportunities.

• Enhance research on plant, animal and soils research through the initiatives program.
• Establish priorities for key research positions that can be filled when funding is available.

• Implement the research and extension initiatives program in the Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension.

• Develop processes that ensure maintenance and establishment of key research and extension facilities that serve faculty across the Division and other units of OSU.
• Develop processes that ensure the purchase and maintenance of key research and extension equipment that serves faculty across the Division.

• Nurture multidisciplinary, multi-institutional, and multi-state research and extension programs in soil, water, and renewable resources through the initiatives program.

• Support the passage of a legislative initiative.
• Support initiatives for federal base funding support for Cooperative Extension.

• Support the passage of a legislative initiative.
• Support initiatives for federal base funding support for Cooperative Extension.

• Develop and implement a mentoring program for new county educators.
• Support well-defined initiative team roles for Cooperative Extension field staff.
• Provide professional development opportunities to enhance the success of county educators in initiative team roles.
• Provide Cooperative Extension administrative leadership for initiative teams.

• Make investments to shift from traditional delivery systems to the electronic delivery of extension educational materials and programs.
• Work with Agricultural Communications Services and Information Technology Services at the Division and OSU levels on information technology strategies.
• Support the national E-Extension initiative through participation and cooperation at all levels.

Goal 2. Student Development – Recruit, retain, and graduate students in a collegial environment that encourages academic excellence, fosters the discovery of knowledge, prepares for careers, enriches personal development, promotes leadership and stimulates service learning.

Critical Success Factors:

• Increase enrollment in selected academic programs of the College per individual department plans and OSU enrollment management strategies
• Complete a College-level assessment of student engagement
• Foster early identification of potential OSU students through the 4-H program and involvement of the Cooperative Extension field staff
• Develop and implement strategies for academic and student-developmental program changes based on current and new assessment results
• Establish targets for total scholarship and student-development support and endowments
• Develop and implement strategies for the development of new scholarship endowments
• Develop and implement strategies for increasing endowments for student development and leadership
• Create a Student Development Center for the College (critical success factor under Goal 1)
• Identify outstanding freshmen and sophomore students each year and introduce them to appropriate College and campus programs and initiatives such as the Office of Scholar Development
• Maintain graduation rate at or above the 65% level and freshman retention at or above the 85% level
• Increase graduate enrollment per unit objectives adjusted to current research faculty FTE‘s
• Earmark a proportion of any new instructional maintenance and operations funds to support student development
• Provide opportunities such that in 5 years 25% of College undergraduates will have had an international experience by graduation
• Diversity of the student body in the College will reflect the overall diversity of OSU Stillwater (see Diversity Goal and Objectives)
• Adhere to the integrated plan for student development and career services in the College
• Continue the partnership with OSU Career Services for providing career services for our students
• Conduct the Oklahoma FFA Career Development Events on the OSU campus and support and participate in the Annual Oklahoma FFA convention

Objectives:

• Provide leadership at the College-level for the recruitment and retention of students for selected programs.
• Stimulate and assist programs to increase visibility and marketability.
• Assist in the recruitment and retention of 4-H members and volunteers.
• Maintain a close working relationship with Oklahoma FFA programs and Oklahoma Career Tech.

• Maintain key employer contacts and use input to make adjustments.
• Use alumni surveys to provide information on current and future program needs.

• Market the value of the College leadership and student development programs to potential donors.
• Seek foundation support for the establishment of leadership and development programs.
• Create publications to advertise program successes and highlight opportunities to stimulate new endowment support.

• Continue to maintain excellent alumni relationships that often develop into scholarship endowments.
• Create publications that recognize current donors and advertise how new donors can participate in the endowed scholarship programs.

• Provide seed funding for research scholars programs at the unit level.
• Recognize students who participate in research scholars programs.
• Support students who compete for Wentz Scholarships.

• Maintain the current emphasis on recruitment, effective advisement, student development and leadership, and career services.

• Provide seed funds for the establishment of international experiences.
• Reward faculty for supporting international programs for students.
• Seek greater cooperation with other universities that have international programs of interest to our students.

• Coordinate College and departmental efforts to actively solicit maintain and advertise internship opportunities.
• Create an internship staff position using student career fee funds.
• Work with current internship sponsors to improve on-the-job professional development opportunities for student interns.

• Create a College Student Development Center (see critical success factors under Goal 1).
• Integrate developmental advising as a part of the freshman and sophomore experience.
• Designate a staff and/or faculty position to lead and coordinate new and existing efforts.
• Improve needs assessment efforts for all students as a critical step in shaping support programs.
• Fully support student clubs and chapters of professional organizations.
• Provide training and recognition for faculty and staff who support student organizations, and recognize their contributions.

• Increase grants and contracts that include research assistantship support.
• Increase graduate-level scholarships and fellowships that can be used to recruit graduate students.
• Support the University in efforts to make OSU competitive with other research universities.

Goal 3. Economic Development and Quality of Life – Enhance the quality of life by contributing to the human, economic, and cultural development of Oklahoma adults and youth.

Critical Success Factors:

• Complete priority training opportunities for Division faculty and staff per unit objectives
• Focus 10 research and extension initiatives on new enterprises and enhanced production systems for improved agricultural profitability
• Focus 2 research and extension initiatives on farm, ranch and agribusiness management
• Focus 3 research and extension initiatives to improve soil, water, and waste management options for landowners
• Focus on new value added research, production and marketing projects through the Oklahoma Food and Agricultural Products Research and Technology Center and other units
• Complete 100 (20 per year) new or established value added product projects over the next 5 years
• Complete the 3 Cooperative Extension community development projects currently underway through the Initiative for the Future of Rural Oklahoma
• Continue and enhance funding for the Applications Engineers Program
• Implement and fund the New Product Development and Commercialization Center for Small Rural Manufacturers
• Increase Chartered 4-H Clubs by 20%
• Increase 4-H certified volunteers by 15% in half of Oklahoma’s counties

Objectives:

• Implement and support Division research and extension initiative teams
• Fill critical state specialist positions as identified by initiative teams and as funding allows
• Promote systems approaches in addressing producer problems, needs, and opportunities

• Continue education and technical assistance in support of alternative forms of business organization including new age cooperatives.
• Enhance producers’ application of risk management techniques and strategies

• Develop technically viable bio-based product systems.
• Foster opportunities for communities to develop bio-based industries.
• Continue and strengthen water quality research and extension programs.
• Maintain programs and partnerships to improve waste management practices.
• Develop and promote waste system alternatives that minimize negative externalities

• Grow and promote the capabilities available through the Oklahoma Food and Agricultural Products Center.
• Continue programs that enhance farm and ranch producers’ ability to capture added value
• Support development of market infrastructure to accommodate product differentiation, quality enhancement, and identity preservation when appropriate.

• Aid local decision makers as they attempt to build infrastructure and supply services.
• Provide education and technical support to assist communities in development of strategic plans for economic development.
• Increase technical support and product development for rural and small manufacturers.
• Provide technical assistance to home-based and other small businesses entrepreneurs.

• Foster community development using multidisciplinary teams that link the development of local leadership with economic development.
• Create a culture of public deliberation in Oklahoma through various techniques that leads to action on critical local and State issues.
• Sustain the Oklahoma Partnership for Public Deliberation.

• Continue Cooperative Extension support for various community and agricultural leadership programs
• Continue Cooperative Extension partnership with the Center for Local Government Training

• Develop, revise and distribute family resilience educational materials.
• Implement a family resiliency program aimed to reduce risk-behaviors in children and youth.
• Plan and conduct evaluation research to determine program effect and feedback.
• Provide technical support and training to county extension educators.

• Offer additional financial oriented programming through 4-H.
• Develop and deliver materials to support homebuyer education.
• Partner and collaborate with organizations and agencies to enhance consumer, financial, and economic education for youth, adults and families.

• Identify critical Food, Nutrition and Health (FNH) issues facing Oklahoma youth and adults.
• Develop and implement FNH youth and adult programs
• Deliver and evaluate the effect of Cooperative Extension/FCS FNH educational programming.

• Recruit, develop, and retain an outstanding support base of 4-H volunteers and staff.
• Increase 4-H membership by increasing the number of chartered clubs.
• Provide leadership workshops and training for youth.
• Provide science based programs to increase knowledge of science and technology as it relates to plant and animal systems, natural resources, and the environment.
• Provide in-service training for extension educators and volunteers on 4-H science and technology projects.

Goal 4. Diversity – Achieve diversity and create an environment of respect for individuals.

Critical Success Factors:

• Continue to reach minority populations at a rate that meets or exceeds the proportion of the minority populations in the target audiences for Cooperative Extension programs
• Incorporate cultural perspectives into Cooperative Extension program development and delivery
• Educate Cooperative Extension personnel in the delivery of programs to diverse audiences
• Recruit and retain a student body that reflects the diversity of the Oklahoma’s population
• Organize faculty, staff, and students to develop a plan for the formal and/or informal inclusion of diversity topics, issues, and programs into academic programs

Objectives:

• Continue to emphasize the cultural and organizational benefits of considering diversity in all aspects of recruiting, interviewing, and hiring.
• Fully support and participate in the Oklahoma Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.
• Target diversity objectives in the development of new scholarship opportunities.

• Incorporate diversity training into professional development programs.
• Embrace diversity objectives in the recruitment and hiring of new field staff.

• Discuss with faculty, staff, and students ways to increase the awareness and responsiveness to diversity issues in both formal and informal programs of the College and Division.
• Develop a strategy for formal and informal inclusion of diversity topics and issues in academic programming.

• Continue to seek special funding for extension programming directed at specific underserved audiences.
• Continue to acquire and translate priority publications and other communications resources into the Spanish language.
• Maintain and improve partnerships with agencies and organizations serving and representing Native American tribes, African American producers and communities, and Hispanic producers and communities in Oklahoma.
• Provide in-service training for county Family Consumer Science, Agriculture, and 4-H extension educators on serving diverse audiences.

Goal 5. Human Resources – Recruit, retain, and develop an outstanding faculty and staff within a collegial atmosphere that recognizes diverse contributions.

Critical Success Factors:

• All new tenure-track faculty hires, who demonstrate excellence in teaching, research and/or extension, will be retained through the promotion and tenure process to the next level
• Increase the number of staff who participate in organized staff development programs by 10% per year
• Have, on average, 5 active faculty sabbatical programs in-process at all times
• Entry salary levels for new faculty and staff will reflect market and/or peer-institution averages
• Annual formal and informal appraisals will be conducted for all faculty and staff on a regularly scheduled basis Division-wide
• 2 faculty members will participate in National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges (NASULGC) leadership development program each year
• All new Division administrators will participate in an organized management skills training program within the first 2 years of their appointments
• All new Cooperative Extension field staff will participate in a specially designed professional development program

Objectives:

• Encourage faculty, and staff to participate in OSU’s training and development programs and or other professional development programs to enhance their performance or develop needed skills.
• Encourage and assist faculty to seek sabbatical opportunities that will enhance or provide for the advancement of their research objectives.
• Continue to participate in NASULGC professional faculty and new administrator development programs.
• Identify critical staff development needs of Cooperative Extension County Extension Educators and Paraprofessionals, and design, deliver, and evaluate to meet identified needs.
• Utilize appropriate technologies to provide in-service training programs.
• Foster an environment that encourages and supports our faculty and staff growth and development and which recognizes and values the contributions of individuals at all levels in the Division.

• Aggressively pursue recruitment of individuals who are successful in their chosen discipline or who have great potential for developing the skills, knowledge, and talent necessary for success.
• Facilitate the development of a supportive and enriching work environment in which employees are able to develop and contribute to the mission and goals of the Division and University.
• Study successful mentoring programs currently in place in the Division units.
• Provide workshops and otherwise encourage units without mentoring programs to develop and implement such.
• Work with units to establish a mentoring program for current faculty and staff who have or assume significant new responsibilities.

• Use market surveys and peer-institution information to establish salary ranges for faculty and staff positions.
• Support the central OSU administrations efforts to improve the OSU retirement program for faculty and staff.
• Provide current market salary information to the central OSU administration for disciplines in the agricultural and natural resource sciences.
• Recognize the contributions of faculty and staff through the OSU merit salary program.

• Encourage unit administrators and supervisors to provide constructive and relevant feed back to employees throughout the year.
• Continue the effective program of appraisal and development reviews that are administered at the unit-level, and the focus on the developmental aspects of an individual’s performance.
• Continue to use appraisal and development reports as an important component of the Reappointment, Promotion and Tenure process.

Goal 6. Leverage Resources – Leverage and focus financial and physical resources to achieve strategically targeted national prominence.

Critical Success Factors:

• Research priorities that focus on enhancing the economic vitality of Oklahoma’s agricultural and natural resource industries will be clearly identified
• Programs will be aligned to attract sufficient resources to meet the identified research priorities
• Extramural funding proposal submission will be increased by 10% per Experiment Station research FTE over the next 5 years
• Extramural funding in the Experiment Station will be increased by 25% in the next 5 years
• Initiate 5 new multidisciplinary programs in the next 5 years
• Up-to-date financial information will be readily accessible to unit heads, faculty and others
• State-of-the-art facilities will be provided that help faculty leverage extramural support
• The Division will be a management center for a major federally appropriated program
• Grant expectations will be included in all appropriate position descriptions and annual appraisal and development goals and objectives statements
• A development officer will be hired for the Division
• An incentive program will be developed for units that show significant increases in extramural support per Experiment Station FTE

Objectives:

• Develop effective streamlined financial systems that are responsive and accessible to unit heads, faculty, and administration.
• Provide a structure to financial systems that provides for staff training, development and advancement.
• Cross train staff to perform multiple tasks within the financial system.
• Ensure that support is provided for financial system personnel to manage the fiscal affairs of the Division and it’s units

• Provide workshops and training programs for proposal preparation.
• Encourage more faculty members to serve on review panels at the national level and organize a feedback process to strengthen the competitiveness of new grant proposals.
• Provide annual training sessions for new and established faculty members and staff focusing on Division and OSU grant proposal processes.

• Work with unit heads, faculty and staff to develop a management system that encourages the sharing of facilities.
• Work closely with the OSU administration on facility funding, management, and utilization to better serve the OSU System.
• Develop plans for the improvement of research infrastructure of the Experiment Station’s and unit’s of the Division.

• Develop the budget needed to support the proposal.
• Work with legislative leadership to draft legislation.
• Work within and outside the OSU system to get broad legislative support for the initiative.

• Invite government and industry funding organizations to conduct workshops and training sessions for faculty.
• Develop and publicize web-based systems that identify potential sources of funding.

• Maintain close affiliation with the e-extension initiative and associated funding opportunities.
• Include funding for the use of information technology for technology transfer in research and extension grants and contracts.

• Develop request for proposal guidelines that outline the criteria for the proposal process.
• Organize teams that address priority issues.
• Provide seed capital as a base from which to leverage extramural support for priority initiatives.

• Use internal Experiment Station and cooperative Extension funds as seed capital.
• Enhance recognition and rewards for faculty involved in multidisciplinary efforts and unit heads that support such efforts.
• Encourage OSU administration to develop and implement policies and procedures to recognize individuals and permit all participants to receive credit for multidisciplinary efforts.

Goal 7. Image/Pride/Recognition – Communicate an image that reflects achievement and pride.

Critical Success Factors:

• An attractive and effective redesigned web site for the College will be fully operational
• Technology will be integrated into all aspects of the academic programs to include on-line forms and applications for prospective and current students, alumni, and employers
• A regular process for publicizing the success of programs, faculty, staff and students will be developed and fully operational by 2005
• Cooperative Extension and the Experiment Station will prepare an operational plan for the beautification or enhanced image of field facilities and field offices
• The Agricultural Alumni Association will continue to develop plans for greater interaction with College administration, faculty and staff students and the promotion of the College to:
  1. Increase in job shadowing and intern opportunities
  2. Increase in alumni participation in current annual activities with students
  3. Establishment of an expanded student recognition program
• Membership of new graduates in the Agricultural Alumni Association will be increased
• Active Agricultural Alumni Association membership among current College alumni will be increased by 10%
• At least 1 major multimedia display will be produced each year for use in the promotion of the Division programs

Objectives:

• Provide funds for graduate student and staff support for the College web site development and maintenance.
• Work with Information Technology Division Services as OSU refines web presence such that the Division web functions work well in the OSU system.
• Solicit feedback from users as input for change.
• Develop a strategy for an improved web presence for research and extension.

• Identify through several methods individual students who have a high potential for academic excellence and success at the College, University and national levels.
• Introduce identified students to opportunities for academic advancement, leadership development, service learning and scholarship opportunities.
• Involve senior students and alumni who have achieved OSU, State and National recognition as scholars and leaders in the recruitment of students with high potential.

• Develop systems in the College, Cooperative Extension and Experiment Station to assure the nomination of outstanding faculty, staff and students for recognition.
• Annually host a major national or regional conference or symposium.

• Continue to upgrade research and extension field office and station signage.
• Continue to partner with county governments to provide quality, attractive, and safe county extension offices.
• Create within the budget management system a mechanism for the funding of facility maintenance and improvement.

• Continue to support the annual scholarship and award events of the College and academic departments.
• Continue to communicate with our alumni and constituents throughout the State through our publications such as the Cowboy Journal and Agricultural at OSU.
• Improve the process of communicating the accomplishments of the students and alumni of the College.

• Draw on the success of Partners in Progress series for accountability.
• Create multimedia displays that showcase results and impacts of Division programs in exciting and innovative ways.