Donhowe, Charles E.

English

Research Papers in Economics

THE  COMBINED  RESOURCES  OF  THE
INSTITUTION-HOW  IT  WORKS
Charles E.  Donhowe,  District Supervisor
Extension  Service,  Iowa  State University
Extension  supervisors,  because  of  their role  in middle  manage-
ment,  deal  directly  with  problems  of  providing  to  the  public  the
benefits  of  the  combined  resources  of  the  land-grant  institution.
This  role  is  an  emerging  one  as  the  role  of  extension  supervisors
changes to meet the demands placed on a modern Extension Service.
Within  the past  fifteen  years the responsibilities  of  supervisors,
which  traditionally  have  included  the  recruiting  and  training  of
staff  members  and  the  maintenance  of  extension  activities  have
expanded  to include  broad program leadership.  During this period
specialist  groups  have  often  expressed  concern  about  supervisors'
shortcomings  in  general  leadership  and  their  failure  to  promote
specific  subject  matter  areas.
Supervisor  conferences and workshops,  increased  understanding
and refinement of program  development principles  and procedures,
and  experience  in  meeting  broad  problems  which  require  an
interdepartmental,  interdisciplinary  response  have  placed  super-
visors  in  a  new  role  of  program  leadership.  How  can  they  fulfill
this  role?  Certainly  institutional  resources  must  be  coordinated
and  combined  and  be made  available  to  county  extension  offices.
The  combined  resources  of the  institution infer  a responsibility
not  only  to agriculture  but  also  beyond  agriculture.  Local  people
should  be  entitled  to  call  on  the  resources  of  a  public  supported
institution to meet their concerns in any areas where the institution
has  competence.
The  institution  assumes  that  adult  education  is  one  of  its  sig-
nificant  functions.  It  recognizes  that  much adult  education  is less
than adequate both in method and content.  From  a careful  analysis
of  purpose  and  function,  the  institution  can  develop  its  area  of
priorities,  educational  standards,  and  concepts  of  institutional  ex-
tension  activities.
We  cannot  assume  that  everything  is all  right  in  Cooperative
Extension  and  that  the  only  problem  is  expanding  a  concept  to
the  other  colleges.  Although  real  progress  has  been  made  in  co-
ordinating  and  integrating  the  traditional  lines  of  Cooperative
Extension  work,  continued  efforts  are needed  toward  interdepart-
129mental and  interdisciplinary  work.  What  are  the  elements  of  this
problem?
Interdepartmental  efforts  raise  concerns  about  who  will  lead,
who  will  play  the  important  supporting  role,  and  who  will  get
credit.  One  of  the  dangers  is  the  development  of  an  interdepart-
mental  package  program  which  may  not  fill  completely  a  county
request  which  developed  through  planning  committees.  This issue
challenges concepts  of grass roots  and state leadership,  the validity
of program  planning,  and  the objectives  of  staff members  at  both
the  state  and  county  level.
The key  to  these  concerns  in  connection  with  Cooperative  Ex-
tension  and  the  entire  institution  appears  to  be  staff  agreement
achieved  through committee  participation;  seminar  attendance  and
presentation,  discussion,  and  review  of  papers;  and  involvement
in  implementation  and  evaluation.
But  this  solution  seems  too  pat.  The  capacity  of  the  several
departments  and  colleges  within  the  university  to  withhold  their
cooperation and resources  is obviously  considerable.  What is needed
is a process  which  creates  institutional  policy,  operating  logic,  and
joint  commitment.  The  important  education  function  carried  on
by  scholars  in  the  classroom  must  be  designed  to  flow  to  an
audience  beyond  the  campus  community.  This  calls  for  study  by
the institution  of  what  is  required  from  the institution  and  from
the  Cooperative  Extension  Service.  Within  this  study  the  oppor-
tunity and  obligation  to  perform  new  tasks  can  be  seen.  Changes
in  procedures,  habits,  and  programs  are at  best  difficult  and  slow
and  require  flexible  plans  because  the  concept  is  vague.
Turning  specifically  to  Cooperative  Extension,  several  princi-
ples  and  considerations  seem  to  be  important:
1. The  county  office  is the  key  service  point  of  the  Extension
Service  and  its  program.  Effective  performance  by  the  county
office  is  the  principal  measure  of  the  effectiveness  of  the  whole
system.
2. Not  all staff members  respond  to the  same  "push." Perform-
ance  is  not  uniformly  high.
3.  High  level performance  results in new  and  important  status
in  the public  mind.  Demands  increase.
4. Performance  goals  must  be  established.  Staffs  capable  of
high  levels  of  performance  must  be  given the  necessary  tools.
5. Successful state-wide programming need not develop all parts
130of  the  system  at  the  same  speed.  All  parts  must  be  challenged
to  develop  at a  pace consistent  with  county  interest  and  capacity.
This  requires  program  guides,  manuals,  and  aids  as  tools.  Inter-
pretation  of  these  are  administrative  and  supervisory  responsibil-
ities.  The  result is  a  genuine  program  leadership  which  will  come
from key  counties  as  well  as  district  and  state  staff  members.
6. The  role  of  the  district  supervisor  is  expanding.  It includes
the supervision  and coordination  of program  efforts,  responsibility
for  interdisciplinary  efforts,  program  leadership  in  the  district
team,  staff  training  fitted  to  the  county  with  adaptations  of  the
state-wide  effort.  The  problem  of  the supervisor  is  to manage  the
numerous  details  in his  work  load.
7. The state  director's office should  assume  a primary  responsi-
bility in initiating  and coordinating programs  that are interdepart-
mental  in  character  or  state-wide  in  scope.
From  these  principles  and  considerations  and  the  development
of a broad university extension  function can evolve a service  which
provides  a  base  and  resource  for  education  to:  (1)  guide  the
management  of  economic  and  social  change  and  (2)  improve  the
quality  of  life for  its people, both  rural  and  urban.
131

THE COMBINED RESOURCES OF THE INSTITUTION - HOW IT WORKS

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Research Papers in Economics