This week has many of the same agenda items on it as past weeks though that's not to say that there isn't progress. I am winding down conversations with candidates for the appointment as Assistant Vice Provost of the RECs and Cooperative Extension (2 appointments, total, each at about 10 hours per week). The individuals who will hold these appointments work under the direction of the Vice Provost – Research and Extension to provide support to the Vice Provost. Responsibilities are variable and likely to change, particularly after we onboard a new Vice Provost – Research and Extension. The Vice Provost - Research and Extension is the first point of contact for County Directors and REC directors as well as the direct supervisor of these groups. One of the candidates summed up the role well by stating that the Assistant Vice Provosts will have ‘responsibilities without authority'. The individual did not mean this in a negative light but to capture the relationship the Assistant Vice Provosts have with the Vice Provost and Directors. In fact, this relationship affords many benefits.
I had to carry forward my Strategic Plan update homework that I had hoped to complete over the weekend. While I know where to find the baseline data for progress metrics, I haven't actually procured it yet. I really need to get on that. There's only one metric in the plan that I am not comfortable with or certain that it will be meaningful. I've run into that before in trying to quantify my research and Extension program impacts so I know that I can't be sure if it's a reasonable metric until I give it a try. This, too, shall remain on the ‘to do' list.
February 7, 2018 seems a long ways away yet but there are already competing meetings for that date! Program Council is scheduled to meet. The California Farm Demonstration Network steering committee has identified that date as the preferred meeting date but unless something changes with Program Council, I won't make the steering committee meeting if held on Feb 7. Also taking place that day is a Climate Change in CE Workshop. The workshop is the result of an RREA grant that Susie Kocher (@UCsierraforest) led. In my previous academic life I would have attended and was part of a Midwest group that developed climate change materials for use by Extension professionals.
Faith Kerns (@frkearns) is a member of the Climate Change workgroup. Yesterday I heard about some of the extended media coverage Faith's articles for Bay Nature and The Conversation have had. Who would have expected Rolling Stone would quote a portion of the Bay Nature piece! And CBS News, too! Way to go Faith!
Time to move on to other things for the day and see what items from last week I can wrap up.