Share your thoughts on Cooperative Extension’s future

While listening sessions across the state have wrapped up, the N.C. Cooperative Extension Service is still seeking public comment as part of its ongoing strategic visioning and planning initiative.

The visioning committee has a comment form to solicit insights aimed at helping the Extension Service’s administration evaluate and shape the organizations future.

The North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service is part of N.C. State University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and a national Cooperative Extension network. The Extension Service works with county and tribal governments and N.C. A&T State University’s Cooperative Extension Program to provide research-based educational programs in 4-H, agriculture and natural resources, family and consumer sciences and community development to people in all 100 counties and to the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Nation.

The Extension initiative follows a similar college strategic planning process. Many of the college’s goals were directly tied to the work being done by its Extension professionals on campus and across the state.

Dr. Joseph Zublena, associate CALS dean and director of the Extension Service, said that while he is encouraged by the opportunities presented in the CALS plan, significant budget cuts, particularly in recent state budgets and the federal budget sequestration, have affected many Extension positions and programs.

“To meet the opportunities that lie before us as we start our next century, we must review our programs and develop a prioritization plan that will align our financial, human and research resources with our highest priority programs,” he said. “This process will be inclusive and transparent, but we need your participation.”

For more information about the planning initiative, see the strategic visioning website.