EXPANDING THE ROLE AND FUNCTION OF THE COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SYSTEM IN THE UNIVERSITY SETTING

Cooperative extension has prided itself on being the outreach of the land grant university. However, with changes in the structure of the population, the economy, and agriculture in particular, extension has had to change as well. Increasingly, extension service providers are reminded that they cannot be all things to all people. There is also increasing competition from other campus units that feel they have an outreach mission. As traditional base funding sources decline, decisions must be made regarding the role and function of extension within the university system. This paper explores these issues using historical data, reports, and six case studies. The case studies provide insights into the ways different extension services have collaborated and partnered in university outreach. The case studies demonstrate that the role of extension reflects such things as past experiences, the level of support for extension, the administrative structure of extension and the university, and the vision of those within and without the extension system.Teaching/Communication/Extension/Profession,

Conflict in the Community: A Challenge for Land Grant Universities

This paper revisits the notion of conflict in the community and then discusses a relatively new strategy for dealing with community conflict that is gaining popularity: alternative dispute resolution (ADR), particularly mediation. While ADRs are not entirely new, there has been a renewed interest in them as viable strategies for community development and public policy education. Conflict in communities is ubiquitous and should demand greater attention by rural sociologists, particularly those involved in community development. Environmental mediation is a strategy through which rural sociologists can effectively assist a community in resolving conflict Furthermore, as rural sociologists study and practice environmental mediation, they can provide their colleagues, as well as communities, with a deeper understanding of community conflict and the value of mediation in resolving differences. Since environmental mediation is consistent with principles of good practice in community development, it also is a useful tool for the community development practitioner. Environmental mediation is a viable area for research, teaching, and Extension education. * This article is a revised version of the presidential address delivered at the annual meeting of the Southern Rural Sociological Association, 1995

A Conjoint Analysis of Public Preferences for Agricultural Land Preservation

Public preferences for the nonmarket services of permanently preserved agricultural land are measured and compared using conjoint analysis. The results from a survey of 199 Delawareans suggest environmental and nonmarket-agricultural services are the most important preserved-land attributes. Results also suggest that open space associated with wetlands on farms is neither an amenity nor a disamenity. On the margin, preserved parcels with agricultural and environmental attributes provide net benefits, which may exceed $1,000,000 for a 1,000-acre parcel. Preserved forestland provides benefits per acre that are statistically equivalent to cropland, though forestland may be less expensive to preserve.Land Economics/Use,

Regaining Our Youth, Empowering Our Communities: Service Learning and Community Development

This paper describes a development process which builds upon the strengths of community service learning and community development by providing teenagers a chance to get involved in the community while providing a valuable service leading to local action. The strategy focuses on building partnerships among students, teachers, and local leaders to learn about community leadership, conduct a community needs assessment survey, and address a local need through a community development process. Experience from projects in Florida and Kentucky suggests that this strategy can help youth get involved in the community while providing a sounder basis for the community to act on its needs

Do You Need a Water Treatment Product?: What You Need to Know and Ask Before Buying

A homeowner may have obvious problems with the drinking water system; such as, staining of porcelain sinks, stained clothes after washing, cloudy water, foul/funny tasting or smelling water or corrosion of faucets or plumbing. The homeowners may be very concerned about their water because of recent publicity, advertisements or door-to-door sales which raised issues about the quality of the drinking water from a private or public water supply. The homeowners may be concerned about the water supply after a recent educational program that was attended or presented in the local media outlets. How does that homeowner determine if a water treatment product is needed

Home Water Disinfection Methods

The source of bacteria in your water supply can come from the water source itself, the contamination of the well and/or piping system during maintenance or construction or improper well construction. There are four disinfection methods available for the private water system: Chlorination (simple chlorination, super chlorination and shock chlorination) Ultraviolet (UV) light Ozonatio

Emergency Disinfection of Drinking Water

In preparation for emergency situations, there is a need to have a supply of stored water and the ability to disinfect that water and other sources of water that may be available. In emergencies, the main threat from drinking water for people is disease causing organisms. It is important that all water be disinfected before using when there is an uncertainty as to its purity. Stored water that has been disinfected and placed into disinfected containers does not give a person complete certainty of the absence of disease organisms when it is opened because the lids of these containers can not be sealed to prevent these organisms from entering the containers. As the temperature changes in a container, the container breathes; that is, air enters and leaves the container as the air expands and contracts with the rise and fall of the temperature. The residual chlorine in the water when it was put into a container will dissipate with time. The residual chlorine does prevent contamination only while it is present. Therefore, any stored water should treated prior to use

Introducing problem-based learning techniques into the natural resources managment curriculum at the University of Delaware

Natural Resource Management is a relatively new interdisciplinary major in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Delaware. This paper describes the efforts of faculty to incorporate problem-based learning techniques into several courses in the Natural Resource Management major. It includes a brief history of the major; an overview of problem-based learning programs and initiatives at the University of Delaware; a discussion of problem-based learning techniques recently introduced into courses in statistics, community economic development, environmental law, and a senior capstone course; and observations by faculty and students on the problems and benefits of problem-based learning techniques

Quality of Private Ground-Water Supplies in Kentucky

About 3.7 million people live in Kentucky, of which 1.9 million (52 percent) live in urban areas (roughly defined as any community with 2,500 or more people) and 1.8 million (48 percent) live in rural areas (University of Kentucky, 1993). Figure 1 summarizes sources of drinking water for Kentucky residents. About 70 percent of Kentuckians get their daily supply of water from surface-water sources - lakes and streams; about 25 percent get their water from ground-water wells; and about 5 percent get their water from other sources - springs, cisterns, ponds, or hauled water

EXPANDING THE ROLE AND FUNCTION OF THE COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SYSTEM IN THE UNIVERSITY SETTING

Cooperative extension has prided itself on being the outreach of the land grant university. However, with changes in the structure of the population, the economy, and agriculture in particular, extension has had to change as well. Increasingly, extension service providers are reminded that they cannot be all things to all people. There is also increasing competition from other campus units that feel they have an outreach mission. As traditional base funding sources decline, decisions must be made regarding the role and function of extension within the university system. This paper explores these issues using historical data, reports, and six case studies. The case studies provide insights into the ways different extension services have collaborated and partnered in university outreach. The case studies demonstrate that the role of extension reflects such things as past experiences, the level of support for extension, the administrative structure of extension and the university, and the vision of those within and without the extension system