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FAQs - Complete

Last modified 2009-04-17 11:31

Decision Making Process

How are decisions being made?
What process was used in the restructuring planning and within the restructuring task force? (9 Feb 09)
What is the communication plan to let the system know about actions to be taken, decisions made, etc? (9 Feb 09)
What role is the strategic plan playing in the decision-making process? (9 Feb 09)
If we lose too many employees, when and how will we ever recover and continue to serve the state? (18 Feb 09)
What is the rationale for using NRCS area divisions and names? (5 Mar 09)
So what is the timeline? It says immediately. (5 Mar 09)
Is the state going to decide who will be program assistants or will the county decide? (5 Mar 09)
When the second educator leaves, that will leave just my support staff and me as the county director as signers for our local checking account (2 signature account). The bigger issue is going to be when we start multi-county. Any thought about county checking accounts going to one signer? (Revised 20 Mar 09)
Some people, including county commissioners, have been confused by the use of the RC&D names for our EERA. They believe we are part of the RC&D now. Are we going to create our own names for these areas or continue to use RC&D's names? (27 Mar 09)

Communication

Reduction in Force (RIF)

Budget-Saving Options

Staffing

Reassigning Employees

Programs

Funding

Office Closures

Will county offices be closed? (9 Feb 09)

My Role

Contact Information

Whom do I contact for additional information on the RIF process and/or policies and procedures? (9 Feb 09)
How do I ask someone a question? (9 Feb 09)

Decision Making Process

1. How are decisions being made? (Revised 17 Mar 09)

Many internal and external factors will affect the restructuring model and implementation plan (local county funding, state funding adjustments, federal aid to states, and help from the university to name a few). There is a need for proper procedures / approvals to be followed / acquired with the restructuring itself and with handling personnel issues. Our decision-making parameters are:

Use OSU Extension mission/vision, strategic plan as our guide
Continue with four program areas included
Presence (flexible) in every county
Interact with the larger University
Best infrastructure to maintain and increase support
Partnership between federal/state/county
Partnership between OSUE/CFAES/OARDC/Other Colleges
Final recommendations to CFAES VP Cabinet/University – plan could change and/or be tweaked as implements, if necessary
Cuts made only once
Savings used to advance strategic plan, technology, etc
Decisions for the betterment of organization without biases
Holistic view – systemic
Err on the side of saving the organization
Flexibility to make decisions/changes
START tentative implementation by June 1; will continue to progress with actual pieces over possibly one year
Keep FNP & EFNEP (federal grants)

2. What process was used in the restructuring planning and within the restructuring task force? (Revised 17 Mar 09)

After the 5.75% cuts were announced by Governor Strickland, a task force was pulled together on January 5 to discuss potential restructuring models (using financial data, the Extension strategic plan, regulations from business office and human resources, etc). The task force then broke into three subgroups for additional work.
Task force members: Mike Boehm, David Civitollo, Julie Dalzell, Greg Davis, Garee Earnest, Mike Hogan, Nancy Hudson, Bev Kelbaugh, Jack Kerrigan, Rob Luikart, David Marrison, Rose Fisher Merkowitz, Vicki Schwartz, Treva Williams, Gary Wilson, and Susan Zies.
January 20 – task force reconvened and discussed scenarios, pros and cons, possible action steps & refined suggestions.
January 22-23 – Administrative Cabinet retreat met with the task force, and several models were presented by the task force.
Following extensive discussion during the Cabinet retreat, the outcome was a variety of ideas/suggestions/action steps/recommendations provided to Keith for further consideration. He clarified any questions with the task force representatives as necessary.
After further discussion by Executive Committee, recommendations were passed along to Dr. Moser and the VP Cabinet (approximately February 9.)
The task force currently has no further tasks; but will remain on call as necessary.
A new staffing model for OSU Extension must be in place before a reduction in force (RIF) with employees who are paid with state and federal funding will occur.
County/Unit Directors received a letter from Keith with updated information and a deadline for contacting/conversing with your county commissioners.
Keith sent a letter to all the county commissioners, with a general explanation of the process, parameters/thoughts that guided the restructuring process, and some Q&A that should be shared with them.
Note: Keith asked some county commissioners for their input and suggestions during the second week of February and beyond.
The restructuring process will begin around mid-February. Tentative implementation date of June 1.
We (OSUE) cannot control the exact final outcome/plan, but we CAN control implementation and the communication strategy.

3. What is the communication plan to let the system know about actions to be taken, decisions made, etc? (9 Feb 09)

We will share with the entire organization what we can at the appropriate times once we have final approval or know anything definite. There will be times when we cannot share information until it has final approval from the College VP Cabinet, Provost, and President Gee; or discussions have not occurred with specific stakeholders. In time, all information will be shared with the organization.

4. What role is the strategic plan playing in the decision-making process? (Revised 17 Mar 09)

We are using this time to thoroughly examine all Extension needs across the state and will restructure in a systematic way that is guided by our strategic plan. The restructuring process is diferent than the RIF process. The recent RIF decisions were based on state budget reductions. The restructuring is, however, now sped up due to the state budget reductions. The final state budget will determine the final number of Extension educator FTEs we can support.

5. If we lose too many employees, when and how will we ever recover and continue to serve the state? (18 Feb 09)

We are working to minimize the effects on our educational programming and research efforts as much as possible through the staffing model that is being developed. Our staffing and programming structures must be flexible and re-evaluated regularly; therefore, it is not intended that our model be static or last forever. Future administration and OSU Extension planning committees must continue to examine the current structure to determine if educational needs can be addressed in a more efficient and productive manner, while retaining those items that continue to function well.

6. What is the rationale for using NRCS area divisions and names? (5 Mar 09)

See Staffing FAQ #2.

7. So what is the timeline? It says immediately. (Revised 17 Mar 09)

The tentative date is June 1. The exact process depends on many factors, including how the Governor's budget for FY10-11 id decided. Before that time, the county Extension directors will have an initial meeting on April 2 to begin discussion about workin in areas. Area leaders will be selected by April 2. This spring the assistant directors will meet with program area personnel to discuss implementation.

8. Is the state going to decide who will be program assistants or will the county decide? (5 Mar 09)

The program assistants will be chosen by the local county coordinator and the appropriate committee in consultation with the area leader and the regional director.

9. When the second educator leaves, that will leave just my support staff and me as the county director as signers for our local checking account (2 signature account). The bigger issue is going to be when we start multi-county. Any thought about county checking accounts going to one signer? (Revised 20 Mar 09)

This is being discussed with the business office and is being considered as the new EERA account position descriptions are being developed. We will follow university policies and procedures to ensure separation of duties. Specifics can be found at:
http://www.ag.ohio-state.edu/~osueb/documents/CheckingAccountGuidelines.doc

10. Some people, including county commissioners, have been confused by the use of the RC&D names for our EERA. They believe we are part of the RC&D now. Are we going to create our own names for these areas or continue to use RC&D's names? (27 Mar 09)

No, at this point we want to remain with the same names. We just need to communicate with the county commissioners that we are using existing regions rather than creating our own. See Staffing FAQ #2.

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Communication

1. When a county has multiple County Directors, will correspondence come to all Co-Directors or just to the Co-Director with Personnel responsibility? (18 Feb 09)

All county directors will receive correspondence, typically via the county director listserv.

2. How do we get the new re-structured message out to 15K people rather than just 3 commissioners? (Revised 17 Mar 09)

A communication plan is being developed and the media will be notified statewide once the restructuring plan has been shared with our organization and the county commissioners. A press release and talking points were distributed to the county Extension directors. The general Ohio media received the same press release.

3. Will our clientele understand the change? (27 Feb 09)

The restructuring plan has been well thought out, with input from a variety of individuals and decision makers, and the plan document and its executive summary are being finalized for release to the organization the week of March 2. The executive summary will be sent to the county directors on Tuesday, March 3 by 8:00 a.m. and they are to share it with their unit staff as well as the county commissioners. The larger document will be shared later in that week with the entire organization and will be posted on the Navigational Notes: Status and Structure Update web site.

4. When will employees know where they will be working and how they fit into the plan? (5 Mar 09)

As we move forward with implementing the full plan, every employee will understand his/her job roles and responsibilities and where he/she will be located. Some individuals may be asked to move to another office. The implementation is anticipated to begin June 1, but the actual process will take several months to complete.

5. As the plan goes more public, how do we respond to clientele and media requests for information concerning the plan? In other words, to whom do we refer these questions? (5 Mar 09)

The more detailed plan will be located at OSU Extension, to which you can refer clientele for more information. Look for special links on the home page for the executive summary and the more detailed plan.

6. We have an Extension Advisory Committee meeting and a 4-H Committee meeting scheduled. What if anything should be shared with these committees now? (5 Mar 09)

You may share the executive summary and indicate that the more detailed plan will be released late Thursday.

7. During the transition period, whom are we supposed to work with as our Regional Director? (5 Mar 09)

You will continue to work with your current RD until you are notified that we are transitioning into the new areas/regions.

8. March 31 is the date we are to be holding for the county directors. I know it is very difficult to find a date that works for everyone, but that is the statewide in-service training for Dining with Diabetes. As that is my signature program, I really would like to be there (but this will take priority). Will Keith's meeting be all day or part of the day? (Revised 17 Mar 09)

This has been changed to April 2 and will be an all-day meeting with all county directors, assistant directors and regional directors to develop implementation plans for each EERA. Every county is expected to be represented at this meeting.

9. Could the March 31 meeting be a WebEx or video communiqué so all employees can hear the same information at the same time? (5 Mar 09)

This has been changed to April 2. This meeting is to meet with all county directors, the assistant directors and regional directors to begin dialogues by each EERA on how to implement the plan. These initial dialogues will then be moved to the EERA for dialogues at the area level for further dialogues and implementation planning. WebEx may be used for additional dialogues statewide and/or within the areas.

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Reduction in Force

1. Will people lose their jobs? (9 Feb 09)

The restructuring will include a Reduction-in-Force (RIF) process because of state budgetary constraints. This means that some individuals will lose their jobs and/or have reduced FTEs; individuals remaining may have a different job (or different job description at a minimum).

2. Who will tell me if I am losing my job? (Revised 5 Mar 09)

The appropriate individual (immediate supervisor or administrative cabinet member) will privately notify those affected by the RIF process as soon as we know anything concrete. There is a very organized process of what happens when RIF occurs and university policies will be followed any time a RIF occurs.

3. How will Reductions in Force (RIF) be determined and which personnel will be affected? (Revised 27 Mar 09)

The decision for educator RIFs was made by Administrative Cabinet after careful deliberation, using the criteria of mission critical to OSU Extension, individual’s position in relationship to the mission, specialization of the of the individual, experience and qualifications, attendance, and performance. The final restructure of Extension will affect the staffing pattern. The entire RIF process will be handled in strict accordance with university human resources guidelines. Specific policies and procedures can be found at http://hr.osu.edu/ohrc/er_reductioninforce.aspx.

4. How do I begin the RIF process for my office if necessary? (9 Feb 09)

Do not talk with any employee until you have had a discussion with your Regional Director and Extension Human Resources. County Directors received an e-mail on January 29 regarding the specific steps you must follow if an employee is going to be RIFed in your office.

5. How should we handle requests for employee recommendations who are on RIF status? (9 Feb 09)

You may write a letter of recommendation for someone if you wish, but we are only required to verify employment. Employment verification can be done by giving the individual the following web site: http://hr.osu.edu/Payroll/verify.aspx or by calling 1-800-996-7566.

6. Will RIF affect the performance appraisal process currently underway? (9 Feb 09)

Follow the normal process and timeline for conducting personnel evaluations this year, even with those employees who are on RIF status. The A&P Promotion and the Faculty P&T review processes will be conducted for anyone requesting promotion, promotion and tenure, or required review.

7. Can CCS staff “bump” other CCS within the system? (9 Feb 09)

They can be only bump within county borders and within OSU entities but not across county borders (e.g., Marion county and OSU Marion campus).

8. Can individuals who are RIFed apply for other OSU Extension or Ohio State jobs? (9 Feb 09)

Yes, individuals who are RIFed are considered internal candidates (within Ohio State and OSU Extension) for one year.

9. How many people might lose their jobs? (Revised 17 Mar 09)

Dependent on how the federal dollars pan out, the potential federal stimulus package, county funding, how the governor allocates future cuts, the rate of retirements, and very importantly, how well our request comes out before the House and Senate in the upcoming biennial budget process. This plan (as presented) calls for a minimum of 180 educator FTEs, if the Governor's budget goes through as proposed now (an additional $3.5 million state reduction for OSUE). We will have more than 180 educator FTEs if we get more state funding.

10. How will cuts be distributed across the organization? (Revised 17 Mar 09)

The cuts implemented on March 5 were divided equally across program areas; gender, and the nine new EERAs of the state (per the restructuring model).

11. Are faculty “safe”? (9 Feb 09)

Tenured faculty are protected under the Office of Academic Affairs (OAA) policies, and we are committed to protecting probationary tenured faculty.

12. Are grant-funded / soft-funded employees safe from being eliminated? (9 Feb 09)

An employee funded 100 percent through a grant is safe at this time. Positions funded through a cost share with a grant will be dependent on the availability of cost share funds.

13. It has been indicated that the "last several years of performance data" will be reviewed. Will this be through the URS system or can those with a vita on file have the vita and/or their personal A&P promotion records reviewed instead? (18 Feb 09)

For all faculty and A&P employees, we will be using direct supervisor input, letters in the personnel file, assistant director input and the average percent merit increases over the last several years to determine level of performance for individual employees. Remember, performance is just one of the reductions in force criteria. CCS uses seniority as the major determining criteria.

14. If only one educator per county is “protected”, is it automatically the county director? (18 Feb 09)

We haven’t announced that anyone is protected except for tenured faculty and somewhat protected – tenure track faculty.

15. If county funding is strong, who decides if additional educators stay or not?(18 Feb 09)

Each regional director will work with county commissioners and keep state administration up-to-date.

16. If there are two educators in the same program area at the county level, is one of them automatically reduced in force, or can they both stay within the organization if they are effective in their positions and able to cover additional program areas if requested? (18 Feb 09)

See RIF Question #3

17. If the county chooses to only support one FTE educator and there are currently two FTE educators, what will be the process for deciding who will not be in the county. (5 Mar 09)

Decisions on staffing will be driven by the Strategic Plan. The primary factor will be is the position critical to the mission of Extension and the needs of the EERA. See RIF FAQ #16.

18. How will it be determined which support staff stay or go? (27 Mar 09)

This will follow a similar process as the educator changes (expertise, need, relevance to the strategic plan, etc.) This will also be discussed as part of the April 2 CED meeting. CCS policies and procedures will be followed.

19. Reading this recent information on the RIF’s, I am curious to know how we handle the county commissioners if this occurs – do we contact them to inform them that we have lost a position? If not, what happens if they call us because they heard about it and then we have them call whom? (17 Mar 09)

You may indicate that an educator position has been lost in your county. However, the restructuring plan provides for how the county will still continue to receive the amount of Extension programming they have paid for with their appropriation. If they purchased two FTEs then they will continue to receive two FTEs of Extension programming within the county.

20. If cuts are to be shared equally between the county and the state, how many state personnel have lost their jobs so far? (20 Mar 09)

At the state Extension administration level, 3.5 FTEs. Within the academic departments with Extension funding, the final number FTEs to be eliminated has not been determined. We will know more after April 1 when the department chairs submit their budget cut proposals. At the county level, 21 FTEs or 9% of the educator positions have been eliminated to date.

21. If an employee were to get eliminated for any of the reasons that he/she has read about and was interested in moving and getting a job on campus, would there be help to get another position? Would the person be a preferred candidate if he/she met the requirements? (20 Mar 09)

The individual may work with Extension HR (Terri Gustafson) to obtain assistance with building resumes and/or cover letter writing. However, the individual would be considered an internal candidate for any positions within the University and/or Extension for up to one year following their severance period. See RIF FAQ #8.

22. Can we collect unemployment after the severance pay runs out? (27 Mar 09)

Yes. See the OHR reduction-in-force FAQs at http://hr.osu.edu/Policy/resources/severancefaq.aspx#2

23. Can you share what percentage of county educators were lost in the recent RIF due to insufficient county funds? I keep hearing that many counties are having severe funding challenges and wonder if this was big part of the RIF. (27 Mar 09)

All 22 educators RIFed on March 5 were due to the state budget rescissions of 4.75% and 5.75%. However, 23 county funded support staff and/or program assistants have been RIFed or taken a reduced FTE position between November 08 and March 09 due to lack of county funding.

24. What will happen to the sick time of a person who is paid by county funds but falls under the RIF? I read where they can freeze them for 10 years. If a person would be able to find employment into a state or county office, would the sick time still be able to transfer if it hasn't been 10 years? (09 Apr 09)

If the individual is not eligible for retirement, his/her sick leave is banked for 10 years with the state. If she/he accepts employment with any state entity within 10 years, the hours will be reinstated. Documentation of this balance is required by the new state entity.

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Budget-Saving Options

1. Are nine-month appointments for faculty being considered? (9 Feb 09)

Nine-month appointments for faculty have been reviewed by Administrative Cabinet. At this point, we feel they will not work for our faculty for a multitude of reasons.

2. Are furloughs (i.e. one or more days or weeks/year) or other staff time adjustments allowed? (Revision 27 Feb 09)

This type of FTE adjustment must be approved by the college and university (and via Ohio State Human Resources). We are seeking additional information about these possibilities, but it does not look promising. Individuals may volunteer to take a reduction in FTE/hours if they so choose. However, they must write a letter indicating they are volunteering for reduced FTE/hours and understand the ramifications of their decision. This must be strictly voluntary. A “forced” reduction in time (RIF) must follow university policies and procedures, which gives the employee options.

3. Can we go to four-day work weeks? Or other options to perhaps cut everyone’s salary but save jobs? (9 Feb 09)

At this point, all options are being considered. There are many pros and cons with each option – the choices must be weighed carefully. We are working with University Human Resources to explore all of these options.

4. Will there be a buyout? (9 Feb 09)

We do not know at this point, but it is very unlikely. This is a very expensive option and really would not save money for the organization, especially in the short run.

5. Will there be an incentive, like in early 2008, for individuals eligible to retire? (9 Feb 09)

We do not know at this point, but it is unlikely.

6. Since the Commissioners pay support staff salaries, they have asked if they could buy-out remaining years of service for the support staff in our county? (18 Feb 09

At this time, the university has not approved a buy-out for any employee classification. All CCS support staff are university employees and fall under university policies and procedures regardless of where the money comes from for their salary and benefits.

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Staffing

1. What does “shared administrative services“ mean and does that mean we will do away with the county director role? (27 Feb 09)

Shared administrative service, which came out of the strategic planning process, means that support staff functions such as fiscal responsibilities, web site maintenance, database management, etc. will be shared within a geographic area. Some support staff roles and responsibilities will be realigned based upon the individual’s skill set and area of expertise. This will also eliminate some duplication of effort in a number of tasks.

2. Will we have any input on what the geographical service delivery areas look like? Could the delivery areas be based on 4-H camp districts such as Camp Piedmont & Camp Hervida (10 counties)? (27 Feb 09)

Several options were considered for the geographical delivery areas. After discussions with several stakeholder groups, county commissioners and others, we have chosen a geographical structure that is more relevant to the county commissioners and how they work across county lines.

3. It appears many educators will be assigned to a geographic area larger than one county. Will educators be required to commute to different work sites each day without travel assistance and only be assisted with expenses if they travel between work sites during a single work day? (27 Feb 09)

An educator serving a larger area than the county will have a “home base” in one county that will serve as his/her office. Travel within the geographic area will be reimbursed according to OSU Extension, Ohio State and federal per diem policies.

4. At the county level, I know some educators who are constantly busy and others who are less so. In the restructuring process, is there a way to equalize workloads across the system in order to maximize efficiency and to create the perception of fairness across the system as well? (27 Feb 09)

The overall goal of the restructuring plan is to poise our organization to meet the needs of our clientele most effectively and efficiently as possible with the funding available. This will mean more team work will be required within a geographic area, Extension program teams will be expected to continue their work across the state, and signature program teams will be expected to continue to develop and expand their efforts.

5. I heard recently that Governor Strickland is reducing middle management positions that do not interact directly with clientele. I was wondering if OSU Extension can do the same by protecting front line staff who interact directly with clientele by possibly restructuring and combining positions that are several steps away from direct involvement with clientele? (27 Feb 09)

Each unit / academic department has been requested to submit plans on how they will each reduce their budgets by 20%. This includes everyone. No one will be held harmless. These budget cuts will affect us all, regardless of our position within the organization.

6. Were educator specialties taken into account when EERA’s were drawn up? (5 Mar 09)

Yes, this was one of the determining factors.

7. The funding and proportionate Extension programming provided is not clear to me. Can you help me to understand it better? For example, if a county is only supporting 1 FTE, will that county receive programming from all program areas? If a county is supporting 3 FTE, for example Ag/NR, 4-H Youth development and FCS educators, does that county receive programming in all program areas? If those educators are now expected to provide programming throughout the EERA, then isn’t it possible that actual programming within that county could decrease? On the other hand, if a county is going to receive programming by just supporting 1 FTE, then what incentive is there for a county to provide funding above 1 FTE? If programming is dependent upon the program area of the educator supported at the county level, then do the commissioners designate their cost-share funding? For example, we are supporting the 4-H Youth Development and Ag/NR program, but not FCS. (5 Mar 09)

Counties will receive programming in all 4 program areas with 1 FTE; however this FTE will be distributed among the educators located with the EERA. If the county funds 1 FTE, then it will receive 1 FTE’s worth of programming. If counties purchase more than 1 FTE, then programming will be proportionate to the number of FTE’s cost shared. The more funding received, the more OSU Extension programming the county will receive. County commissioners will not designate their cost share funding to a particular program area(s). Each FTE purchased will increase the level of OSU Extension support.

8. We know staffing levels will be reduced and that there will be RIF’s. The plan still does not provide specifics. What positions specifically? Where, in what specific EERA is such and such specific position being eliminated? Are educators going to move? Which positions and where to? (5 Mar 09)

We are not releasing a list of individuals whose positions are being eliminated. We are working to treat these individuals with the utmost respect and dignity during this downsizing process, and all university policies and procedures are being followed. Yes, educators will be asked to move in some instances. That will be determined as we work through the transition into the fully implemented plan.

9. How does Adventure Central fit into these plans? I noticed recently Adventure Central has been put into the category of "field unit", and I am a bit unclear as to how to interpret the restructuring plan based on that designation. (5 Mar 09)

The educators located at Adventure Central are cost-shared educators with state and federal funds. However, the agreement with the MetroParks will still be honored as long as the cost share funding continues. These educators will not be expected to work within the EERA.

10. What is the difference between a 4-H program assistant and coordinator? (5 Mar 09)

The level of duties and responsibilities increase with the coordinator position. Extension HR will work to ensure that the positions will be properly classified as we move with implementation.

11. Is there a responsibility chart/diagram with the new system available? (5 Mar 09)

This will be in the more detailed plan document that is to be sent out late on March 5.

12. Will the county coordinator educator in each county have programming responsibilities in addition to the administrative responsibilities outlined in the executive summary? If so, how will the programming responsibilities be assigned in each county? (5 Mar 09)

Yes, the county coordinator will be an educator who is assigned the county coordinator responsibilities in each county. This assignment reduces the amount of administrative work that the former county directors were responsible for in their county.

13. Can a county coordinator also be an area leader? (5 Mar 09)

Probably not. The county coordinator responsibilities will be assigned to an educator. The area leader is a .5 FTE educator who will also have programming responsibilities within the EERA.

14. What is the Extension educator/county coordinators role to the commissioners? Who is responsible for the budget? (5 Mar 09)

The county coordinator will be the day-to-day contact with the commissioners. He/she will also manage the local budget.

15. If our county can afford a 4-H educator, can there be an educator and a program assistant? (5 Mar 09)

Yes, as long as the county cost share for the educator and the salary and benefits for the PA are provided by the county commissioners.

16. For counties that have money in their budget, will all of their educators be EERA area leaders? (5 Mar 09)

No. There will only be one area leader per area. This position is a .5 FTE.

17. If we hire an extra educator, do we have to hire a program assistant? (5 Mar 09)

The ultimate goal is to have one 4-H program assistant in every county. Ideally, it would be great to have a PA in each program area in each county. These PAs would support the work of the educators within the EERA. Counties may choose to hire an educator and have the cost share funding for the second educator or support the third, fourth, etc. positions entirely.

18. For those counties that have adequate financial support, what is envisioned as the "model Extension office" under this plan? (5 Mar 09)

If funds are available from the county, we fully support the model of at least one educator in each program area within the county.

19. Will area leaders be included in the educator cap of 180? (5 Mar 09)

The .5 FTE educator portion of the position is included in the 180 FTE educator cap. The additional 4.5 are not included in this number.

20. Is there an educational qualification for the 4-H program assistant/program coordinator position? If so, will the position require a high school diploma, an associate degree, a BS, a MS? (5 Mar 09)

OSUE PA 1 – bachelor’s degree preferred
OSUE PA 2 – bachelor’s degree required
Program Coordinator – bachelor’s degree required, master’s preferred
We will be following university policy regarding the degree required for the position as this is developed.

21. The plan calls for speclfic numbers of program FTEs in each EERA of the state. Will there be more than this minimum number listed if the state budget improves? (17 Mar 09)

Yes -- the EERA model is intentionally flexible to allow additional educator FTEs if we receive more funding.

22. Where do support staff and program assistants fall into the restructuring plan? (17 Mar 09)

These positions are county commissioner and/or grant funded (EFNEP / FNP). The restructuring plan is mainly focused on positions that are state and federal funded. However, these positions may change as a result of the restructuring plan to better meet the needs of local clientele. Support staff and program assistants are a vital part of the overall strategic plan.

23. The restructuring model does not name office associates in the shared services section. Since it is the office associates who do the fiscal and inventory duties at the county level, is it assumed that the "accountants" will be office associates? It also lists an office assistant as doing fiscal and inventory - should that have really been office associate? It appears that it would be a lot easier to train an office associate to be front line than it would be for the office assistant to learn all the fiscal duties. Or will there no longer be office associates? (17 Mar 09)

The shared services plan calls for two accountants for each EERA. These positions may be office associates whose positions are reclassified to meet the needs of these positions. The office assistant/associate positions will still be used depending upon the position description of the position.

24 How will split appointments be handled? (Revised 27 Mar 09)

State specialists will still continue to have split appointments between OSU Extension, OARDC and general funds. Educators will not have shared programmatic responsibilities (e.g., FCS/CD, AgNR/CD 4-H/FCS), but will be more focused on their specializations.

25. Many counties already employ part-time or full time 4-H program assistants. When these folks were hired, the job description and expectations were very different from what a 4-H program assistant/coordinator will have under the restructuring plan. Will present PAs become the new PA regardless? Will counties have the opportunity to open that position up? What would happen to those already employed? (17 Mar 09)

If PAs currently are in these positions, we would expect that they would continue in these positions; however, with a revised positions description due to changes in job responsibilities. If a PA position does not exist and the county chooses to hire one, then the position will be posted.

26. Are additional layers of administration being added? (17 Mar 09)

The area leader positions may seem like an additional layer of administration but these positions were deemed necessary to ensure equitable programming within the EERA, serve as an additional legislative contact for county commissioners and legislators, serve on the educators’ support team, and oversee the EERA advisory committee. These positions were actually encouraged by the County Commissioner’s group that Keith met with. They felt these positions were critical for equitable programming.

27. Who are the Extension Specialists in the College of Mathematics and Physical Science?.....5.95 FTE's We are unfamiliar with this Extension programming. It appears 4-H Youth Development is of lesser importance, based on state level FTE's?

State level FTE’s have not changed proportionately between Agriculture, 4-H, FCS and CD in 40 years. If anything FCS has been hit the most with reductions. These Extension specialists are actually 11 people with part-time FTEs in Extension. They are all entomologists, who were in the College of Biological Sciences and are now in the College of Mathematics and Physical Sciences. They include: Needham, Hammond, Edwards, Jones, Welty, Canas, Kovach, Michel, Tew, Hoy, Herms, Fisher, etc.

28. The summary says no split appointments. Many FCS and Ag Educators help with 4-H events pre-fair and during fair, but there is not 4-H appointment in their title. Will those responsibilities continue? (17 Mar 09)

Yes, those responsibilities will continue. The goal is for holistic programming within each EERA based upon the educator’s specialization. Educators will continue to support 4-H based upon these specializations (i.e., livestock, clothing, etc.)

29. I think the plan is fairly well thought out. Is the implementation plan as well established? When will the EERA administrative function be put into place and when will the county coordinator be put into place? These two functions seem to me essential to the transition. There is going to need to be a lot of salesmanship in the implementation and we are going to use up a lot of goodwill. The success and for that matter the failure of this restructuring being successful is that every employee sells this as a good plan or if not good at least the best option under the circumstances. It will not take much to derail this as I look at the pitfalls of the plan. (17 Mar 09)

The area leaders will be appointed by April 2. The county coordinator positions will continue with the current county Extension director as we transition into the new structure. Yes, all have to be engaged in this plan that was developed with representatives throughout the organization. The best plan for now.

30. The OSUE 4-H partnership with Cleveland MetroParks (Youth Outdoors) is similar to Adventure Central but is not classified as a field unit as mentioned in the Staffing FAQ #9. (See below). The Youth Outdoors educator position is funded with a combination of a Cleveland MetroParks subsidy to OSUE, 4-H designated dollars, state and federal funds. I assume the Youth Outdoors agreement will continue to be honored, as was stated for the Adventure Central agreement with the Five Rivers MetroParks. Is this correct? (17 Mar 09)

Yes, Youth Outdoors agreement will continue to be honored as well as Adventure Central.

31. Even if the Youth Outdoors educator is not expected to work within the EERA 4-H team, is the educator FTE included in the total 4-H FTE for the Western Reserve EERA? (17 Mar 09)

Youth Outdoors pays the cost share portion of the educator.

32. Will current 4-H educators have the opportunity (or choice) to become a program coordinator or program assistant and what will be the process if it is an option? (17 Mar 09)

Current 4-H educators will continue to be 4-H educators. These positions are not being eliminated or changed. We expect that our 4-H educators continue to develop and conduct proactive applied research and educational programs. Those individuals in positions that were abolished (RIF) may apply for any OSU position as an internal candidate for one year from the ending date of their severance period.

33. The FAQs shows two of the levels for 4-H program assistants as being hourly employees. How is it possible to expect an hourly employee to work 40 hours a week and still accomplish what is necessary to lead a 4-H program? (17 Mar 09)

Program assistants are responsible for managing the activities within the county and the educator is expected to provide leadership for the 4-H program. The PA works under the guidance of the educator.

34. When will the job descriptions with “assignments” referred to on page 21 of the OSU Extension Restructuring Model: 2009, be made? What are the “assignments”? (17 Mar 09)

These positions (assignments) will be necessary if we have to reduce our educator FTEs to 180 as a result of the Governor’s proposed budget cuts. As we work in transitioning into our restructured model, positions may have to be realigned due to needs within some of the EERAs. For example, the Ohio Valley may need an additional ANR educator so a position description would be developed based upon the specific needs of the EERA (e.g., livestock). This position would be offered to those educators within the OSU Extension system as an internal transfer before it would be posted externally.

35. Could the courtesy appointment concept be clarified for A&P Educators? The department policy document describes courtesy appointments for regular faculty; will this departmental alliance be available for non-faculty educators?

The office of Academic Affairs (OAA) policies and procedures indicate how these type of appointments may be made. They can be viewed at: http://oaa.osu.edu/documents/OAAHBVol1_002.pdf. In addition, each department has its own procedure for approving and extending courtesy appointments to regular faculty from other departments. Currently, OAA policies state this is for regular faculty.

36. How have the regional directors’ jobs changed? A large part of their role seems to be replaced by area leaders. (20 Mar 09)

Regional directors will be taking back the responsibility for performance reviews of all educators in their region (60-72 educators each) and serve as the immediate supervisor of the educators (with input from the Assistant Directors as well). In addition, they will have major responsibility for legislative contacts with county commissioners and Ohio House and Senate members.

37. How many other departments at the University are as “top heavy” with positions as we are? Very few of these positions help us do our jobs—education and research. (20 Mar 09)

All departments within CFAES are experiencing severe funding constraints because of Extension cuts. Currently, there are 13 Extension administrators (11.5 FTEs) – Director; Associate Director, Program/Department Chair; four assistant directors; three regional directors; Leader, Business Operations; Leader, Human Resources; Director, Communication and Technology; and Director, South Centers. Other positions at the state level support the work of the entire Extension system. This equates to 1.4% of the total Extension’s FTEs that are allocated to administrative positions.

38. If there is only one educator in an office, how will daily phone calls or office visits by our clientele be handled? A 4-H agent does not have FCS or Ag training and vice versa. (20 Mar 09)

The educators within the EERA conduct and support the programming within the counties regardless of where they are housed. The educator and/or support staff will make a referral to get the educator with the needed expertise involved via phone, e-mail, visit, meeting, etc. to address each client’s needs.

39. What is the difference between an impact area leader and an assistant director? This looks potentially like a duplication of positions. Could these responsibilities be handled by the ADs? (20 Mar 09)

The impact area leaders will focus on impacts generated across program areas. The assistant directors’ focus will be on disciplinary expertise and related resources, working with academic departments across campus, and securing disciplinary expertise/resources.

40. We are anticipating additional cuts from our county. As counties become unable to cost share on as many educator positions within their county, will this have an effect on the total number of educators that can be supported in the restructuring plan? If we have to go to the 180 FTEs due to the Governor’s proposed budget cuts and a county reduces the number of FTEs due to county commissioner budget cuts, won’t this reduce the number of FTEs to lower than the 180 proposed? (20 Mar 09)

If we have to go to 180 FTEs due to the Governor’s proposed budget cuts, this total number of FTEs is across the state. The 180 FTEs proposed are based upon the 60% state and 40% county cost share funding model across the state. If the overall county commissioner cost share goes below the 40% needed to support this funding model, there will be less than 180 FTEs. However, an individual county may reduce the number of FTEs it can support, but other counties that have additional funding may purchase additional FTEs. This allows a reallocation of FTEs statewide to maintain the 180 FTEs.

41. We have no program assistants currently funded by county dollars. Our PAs & program coordinators are all paid by grants and contracts with partners and have specific duties outlined in support of meeting the program commitments related to these grants. How is a county in a situation like this expected to "cover routine programmatic functions" (e.g. county fair details, horticulture, consumer and food safety questions, etc) if the educators are now to be viewed as EERA-wide specialists not tied to routine service/program delivery?

See Staffing FAQ #7 and Staffing FAQ #17

42. Will county commissioners have to buy an educator FTE to have Extension? In other words, what will keep a county from simply hiring a 4-H program assistant and running their own 4-H program - not supporting the re-structure? (20 Mar 09)

Yes, in order to have Extension programming, the county commissioners will have to cost share on an educator FTE.

43. It is clear that services are required to assist OSU Extension in moving forward with plans to adopt and use advanced technology for research, instruction, program delivery and professional development especially with a focus on improving customer service (OSU Extension Restructuring Model, 2009, p. 18). What plans are in place to improve the structure and responsiveness of CommTech? (27 Mar 09)

On July 1, 2009, CommTech’s Extension budget will be reduced from last year’s level in line with the rest of the organization by approximately 24%. A new staffing pattern, based on this reduction in support, will be forwarded to administration on April 1. CommTech leadership is using Extension’s strategic plan as its guide in its planning efforts. CommTech will strive to bring as many critical services as possible to the greater organization.

44. Regional techs are critical to counties for support. Is there a plan to increase techs to help with technology? (27 Mar 09)

Rob Luikart, the CIO, is working with the district technicians to design a technology support plan and program for the EERAs. The addition of FTEs to this plan is completely dependent upon Extension funding for such positions.

45. Will temporary employees be eliminated in the new structure? What about counties who already have temporary employees on their staff? (09 Apr 09)

No, temporary employees are usually paid with county funds and are on the payroll for less than one year. However, CCS temporary employees are on the payroll for less than 180 days.

46. When are the county coordinators going to be appointed? Our EERA team requested that this happen as soon as possible. In some cases, counties have co-county directors and need to know who will have this responsibility. In other cases, there is only one county director, but she/he requested that this position be confirmed. Who makes this appointment? (09 Apr 09)

The RD’s are finalizing the list and the county coordinators will be identified within the next two weeks.

47. When does the area leader's responsibility begin? If it starts immediately, does some funding come with it to visit counties, etc.?(09 Apr 09)

Immediately, April 2. The travel funding is being addressed and will be communicated with the appointed area leaders soon.

48. If the person taking the accountant position’s title changes to “Accountant” - what happens if in the future, it is decided the system does not work well and the work is sent back to the county offices? If I understand correctly, according to CCS rules, accountant can only bump accountant. Does that mean the only possible positions for those employees would be Columbus campus?

The accountant positions will be in the A&P category, which does not have bumping rights. However, even if the accountant position was in the CCS category, the individual would have bumping rights but there would not be anyone within the county boundaries to bump. The A&P accountant also earns more vacation than CCS. See Restructuring Implementation – Shared Services.

49. Will the accountant position be funded by the counties they are serving (i.e. if serving 5 counties, 20% of the funding would come from each county)? If yes, what happens if one of those counties loses county commissioner funding? Does the accountant position then become 80% time or is the additional 20% taken up by the remaining counties? If the accountant position is funded by the host county, how will the county commissioners feel about paying for 80% of the accountant’s time that is spent doing work outside the county and not for their constituency?

The goal is that no funds change hands, but rather duties that the accountant was performing in the office will now be transferred to participating offices, such as web site design, communications…

50. Under the new system, will program assistants continue to have split appointments? If not, who will determine which program area they work within?

This will be determined by the county Extension director in consultation with the county staff and county advisory committee based upon needs within the county.

51. When will job descriptions for 4-H Educator and 4-H PA or Coordinator positions be available?

Most educator job descriptions will be revised by the area leader, regional director, assistant director and Extension HR. All program assistant/program coordinator job descriptions will be developed by the county Extension director in consultation with the county staff and county advisory committee, with approval from the regional director and Extension HR.

52. As I envision the proposed plan, not all counties within the EERA will have direct costs from their budgets. Some counties will have no expense if they do not have a shared services position housed within their county. How will this be equitable across the counties within an EERA?

The goal is that no funds change hands, but rather programming, services, etc. will be shared within the EERA on an equitable basis. The area leader has the responsibility to ensure this equity within the EERA.

53. Instead of exchanging non-monetary services, can the home county be reimbursed by the other counties within the EERA for the actual costs of these positions specific to each county? (Ex: the information associate housed in County A would charge County B for X hours of his wage/benefits, mileage, etc. used to work on County B’s database) This would reduce the proposed financial burden on the home county, and alternatively fairly charge the county for which the expenses are incurred.

See Staffing FAQ #52.

54. Wouldn’t this plan as proposed deter staff from the shared services positions, knowing that their home county would face more expense for their already diminishing county budget?

See Staffing FAQ #52.

55. Why would the home county want to encourage staff to take these positions knowing that they will face more expense in their already diminishing county budgets with this plan as proposed?

See Staffing FAQ #52.

56. Wouldn’t this plan as proposed cause tension between the staff in these positions and their home counties due to the added expense to their already diminishing county budgets…especially if it causes other staff to be RIF’ed?

No one will be RIF’ed due to services being shared unless funding decreases within the county in which the individual is housed. The shared services should not trigger a RIF.

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Reassigning Employees

1. Why were the former Center Specialists moved into Educator positions? (Revised 20 Mar 09)

Moving former center specialists to county positions will save some state and federal funds and save additional educator positions (as many as 11 positions). Some of the former center specialists are being moved into open educator positions beginning March 1. We do not consider this a demotion or see this affecting the individuals’ ability to apply for promotion. These individuals are highly valued faculty members, and these moves are being handled according to university policies and procedures. Recently, it was decided that specialists (from previous centers) would continue to do what they are doing and not be tagged to an EERA at this time. Once the governor’s budget is announced, then permanent assignments will be made in a county within an EERA.

2. Could I be reassigned to another county / unit? (9 Feb 09)

Yes, this is a possibility, especially, if your county funding is cut drastically. However, you will continue to work in your same program area(s) or job classification (i.e., office associate).

3. Can an office associate be reassigned? (9 Feb 09)

Yes, an office associate could be reassigned if he/she was being cut in one county and another county would need someone. This wouldn’t be the “bumping” per CCS, but it would be to find them a job if we have openings and they wanted to stay within OSUE.

4. Will local clientele or OSUE administration dictate what educator types each county desires to pick up with local funds? Must we use all four types if we have not before? How will the old “agriculture matrix” apply to the new formula for AgNR educators? (27 Feb 09)

This information will be in the executive summary and the plan document being released the week of March 2.

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Programs

1. How will cuts be distributed across the organization? (9 Feb 09)

See RIF question 10.

2. Will programs be eliminated? (Revised 17 Mar 09)

Yes. Those programs that have less importance in relation to important topics needing to be addressed today will be considered. These decisions will be made according to our strategic plan, as we progress through implementation.

3. What tools will you use to evaluate programs and decide what to keep or eliminate? (9 Feb 09)

We will be considering the strategic plan, the impact areas (which do incorporate all four program areas), and the Signature Programs as guidelines. The Assistant Directors will be involved in these discussions.

4. What if a county commissioner wants to decrease program areas from three to two? (Revised 17 Mar 09)

Contact your regional director and bring him or her into the discussion. We will offer all four program areas with a minimum of 1 FTE in each county. These programs are the core of Extension, but their delivery will look somewhat different after we implement the restructuring plan.

5. Will program assistant/coordinators really be running the county 4-H program? Will that destroy 4-H locally? Will the state help cover any of those staffing costs? (27 Feb 09)

Program assistants/coordinators will be managing the daily 4-H activities within the county while the 4-H educator will be focusing his/her efforts on determining the programming needs within the area; developing curriculum, conducting scholarly activities/research, writing grants within his/her area of specialization; training the program assistant, etc. This will enhance and strengthen our 4-H youth development program across the state. The program assistant will be paid through county funds.

6. What about counties that are working jointly on grants, camps and other programs together that have now been split by EERA groups? (5 Mar 09)

These types of working relationship will continue to function and it is expected that cross-area projects will continue to be formed.

7. Will individual counties still have committees (4-H advisory, livestock committees, Extension advisory)? What is the role of the county advisory committee in the new structure? (5 Mar 09)

Yes, county will still use program advisory committees; however, the county advisory committees will be converted into an EERA advisory committee.

8. If each of us is assigned a specialty area to work in, will we each still be responsible for participating in a signature program? (17 Mar 09)

The expectation remains the same for everyone to participate in at least one signature program.

9. Our county lost a 4-H educator due to Extension's restructuring process. Who will work on the plan to determine coverage for the already scheduled 4-H activities? For example, will another 4-H Educator in our EERA provide Quality Assurance training? It is scheduled in late April. Will 4-H camp be held in each county as planned? How soon will these details be available? (17 Mar 09)

The educators within each EERA, along with the new area leader to be appointed by April 2, will determine the working plan to meet clientele needs. 4-H programming will continue within each county for 2009, even if all funding has been eliminated. We do need to continue educating our county commissioners and emphasizing to them the need for a continued base of local support.

10. The strength of the Ohio State University Extension system is found within its ability to deliver educational programs based on the identified needs of the local family, youth, community and agricultural sectors (Rationale p. 1). If this is true, then why is there no local (CED, County Commissioners, County Advisory Committee, etc.) input in staffing decisions for each county? (20 Mar 09)

There are still county program advisory committees in each county; however, the overall county advisory committee will be rolled into an EERA advisory committee. With educators working within an EERA instead of just a county, the EERA advisory committee will have a better view of the needs within the entire area and can help the educators to determine programming strategies, etc. Gwen Wolford is beginning to develop ideas for how these EERA advisory committees are structured and implemented. Feel free to contact her with your ideas/suggestions.

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Funding

1. How will counties with local increases be handled? Will they be hit as hard? (9 Feb 09)

We want to protect our supportive counties so they are not impacted negatively. This is something we are taking under consideration.

2. What percentage of the Extension line item goes to support state and department staff? What percentage goes to support regional staff? What percentage goes to support county staff? (Revision 27 Feb 09)

Academic departments in all colleges (FAES, EHE, Vet Med, MAPS) – 33%; Extension Educators – 32%; Extension state departments – 26%; Transfers – 8%; and Other – 1%. Transfers are those expenses for items that OSUE partially funds, such as ATECH, EBIG, Plant Pest Diagnostic Clinic, Physical Facility charges from the University, Development charges, etc.

3. Are the cuts being made proportionally to the level of state funding involved, or are the counties being forced to absorb most of the pain in the restructuring process? (18 Feb 09)

Academic departments are feeling just as much pain. They have been asked to make 20% cuts in their Extension line – which will mean people and programs. We’re all in this together.

4. Is OSUE going to cover inter-county travel costs or will that be picked up by the local tab? (27 Feb 09)

Travel between counties is being explored and most likely will be from a shared pool of funds provided by the individual counties within the geographic area.

5. How will cost share be passed on? What will the “2 nd educator by choice” look like? (Revised 17 Mar 09)

The county cost share will continue to be a part of the funding for educator FTEs. The plan outlines the actual cost share amounts for the first educator FTE ($25,000), second FTE ($38,200) and additional educator FTEs ($60,000).

6. If we have local grants/contracts to supply services for XXX agency, JFS, courts, a business etc. how will we handle those contracts and will we be able to honor them? (27 Feb 09)

Yes, educators will be able to continue their work with the grants and contracts. The restructuring should not affect these projects/programs. It may even enhance the efforts that Extension can provide to the project/program.

7. How bad will political fallout be for us if we no longer can deliver programming or services we promised in our last levy cycle?

See Staffing Question #4.

8. What will be the cost of a 4-H program assistant, 4-H program coordinator? Who picks up the cost? (5 Mar 09)

The program assistant/coordinator cost will be paid by county funding.

9. As we are also being asked for ways to cut money out of our county budget, what is the advantage for our county to pay for a second FTE, and then there won't be money to hire a program assistant for 4-H? (5 Mar 09)

This is a challenge for counties where the budget is limited. It is hoped that as the economy turns around, there will be funds to have both. Again, the more a county supports OSU Extension, the more OSU Extension programming they will receive.

10. How much of a cost share is needed for Educators beyond the second FTE? The executive summary only gave cost share information for the first and second educator. If they cost share on three or four educators, then will they be "housed" here in the county? (5 Mar 09)

This question will be answered in the more detailed plan document that is to be sent out late on March 5.

11. How much will commissioners be expected to put in to the pooled travel for the EERA? (5 Mar 09)

To be determined as we begin implementation.

12. Looking at the information, we are permitted to have two cost share educators if we have county dollars, correct? (5 Mar 09)

Yes, that is correct.

13. Could we have a .5 FTE Extension educator funded totally with county dollars in addition to our two cost share Extension educators? (5 Mar 09)

Yes, that will be a possibility.

14. Does the new cost share for the first Extension educator start July 1, 2009? (5 Mar 09)

Yes.

15. Where does funding for area leaders come from and where does the fiscal management part of the money come from? (Revised 20 Mar 09)

We have built these costs into the overall plan. Funding for area leaders will come from a small equal portion of the first educator cost share and state dollars. The .5 for the educator portion of the position will be cost shared with a county within the EERA. The area leaders still have programming responsibility within the EERA. Area leaders will manage any area fiscal transactions.

16. How should we proceed with development of FNP 2010 grants? (5 Mar 09)

Each county is to develop its own FNP grant. We recommend that the co-PI be conservative, with OSU Extension personnel in-kind match and work with nonfederal public partners to make up the difference with third-party match.

17. What is the maximum that can be paid to program assistants? (5 Mar 09)

Pay ranges are as follows:

OSUE PA 1 $10.66 to $16.05/hr
OSUE PA 2 $11.55 to $17.44/hr
Program Coordinator $2,583 to $4,070/month

18. What is the timing for the Governor's budget? (17 Mar 09)

OSU Extension testimoney bdfore the Ohio House Ag and Development Subcommittee was March 11. The budget is due out of the House by mid-April. Our testimoney before the Senate is set for May 12.

19 Who will pay severance, sick leave, and vacation to employees paid from county funds if they have to be let go? (17 Mar 09)

The county commissioners are responsible for these costs.

20. From where does the pool of travel dollars come? (17 Mar 09)

The pool of travel funds is a proposal. It has not been determined from where these funds might be derived.

21. Are we subsidizing other counties? (17 Mar 09)

No. Individual counties will receive the amount of Extension programming based upon the amount of educators FTEs they purchase.

22. Can any of the stimulus money be sought out to appropriate for Extension? If so how? (17 Mar 09)

We are seeking out these funds. There is a web site that has been set up by the Governor that Keith, Ken and the AD’s are all a part of. We are watching for RFP’s from the stimulus package that came to Ohio on a regular basis.

23. My county received a 3% budget increase. To stay with the current funding and staff we now have to go back and ask for another $27,200 to pick up the increased educator costs, plus $25,000 - $35,000 for a 4-H program assistant/coordinator to stay with the plan. I don't believe it's feasible to assume that they will gladly give us $50,000 more. In fact, I would anticipate a reduction from 3 to 2 educators. How do you see counties with a 4-H educator functioning without a program assistant/coordinator when there is no increased funding for the coordinator position? It is most likely that I will be out of the office more delivering programs based on the new plan with no office support for the 4-H program. How does this "streamline" program delivery? (17 Mar 09)

	Current	With Governor's Proposed Cuts
1st FTE	$19,750	$25,000
2nd FTE	$38,200	$38,200
3rd FTE	$38,200	$60,000
Total	$96,150	$123,200
	Difference	$27,050

Counties that pay more will receive more services. For each FTE purchased, the county will receive programming in all four program areas; however, these services will be limited if only one FTE is purchased. The second FTE purchased will guarantee more programming in all four program areas respectively.

24. Will the third Educator always cost more than the second Educator? (17 Mar 09)

That depends on the Governor’s final FY 2010/11 budget. Remember, no matter how many FTEs are in a county each county has access to information provided by Educators throughout the entire area.

25. How does this “pay more, get more” plan affect levy counties? (17 Mar 09)

This actually helps counties with levies have more local/direct programming by helping with county cost share, etc.

26. FNP grant requires cost share from a county director. Given the new structure of the organization, who will that be (grants are due April 10th with that information included as well as that person's signature)?

Joyce McDowell and Jill Nolan are looking at how the FNP program will continue to function under a different cost share model.

27. Does the new cost share for the third Extension educator start July 1, 2009? (17 Mar 09)

Yes that is the current plan if the Governor's proposed budget reductions are implemented. See Funding FAQ #23

28. What is a county budget going to look like under this model? It appears we are going to have to move funds around within our current budgets to cover more cost for program staff. The reality I think we all face is there will not be additional dollars from the county in the foreseeable future, so we can at best case scenario is to maintain the funding we have. In fact, I think some commissioners were looking to be able to trim budgets under this reorganization and consolidate services. What is the definition of financial support as it relates to the statement "Counties that provide more financial support will receive more from OSUE.” (17 Mar 09)

The program assistant positions are the ideal; however, those positions will depend upon county funding. Counties that pay the cost share will continue to receive that amount of Extension programming within all four program areas regardless of the number of educators. One FTE equals one FTE’s worth of Extension programming in all four program areas. If two FTEs are purchased, the county will receive two FTE’s worth of Extension programming in all four program areas. Each FTE purchased guarantees one FTE of Extension programming in all four program areas.

29. A commitment to provide funds for travel and programming has been provided annually by OSUE 4-H in support of the Youth Outdoors educator position. Will the commitment for this amount be maintained? (17 Mar 09)

The commitment to provide funds for travel and programming to Youth Outdoors from OSUE 4-H will continue through the end of calendar year 2010. Then we will re-visit the situation.

30. How will decisions concerning funding priorities for the Auglaize County Cooperative Extension Endowment and Ruth Arnold Steva Endowment ensure that money raised for Auglaize County be used in Auglaize County programs? These designations were established by the OSU Board of Trustees when establishing the funds. (17 Mar 09)

Endowments will continue to be spent based upon the agreement with the funder(s).

31. If the third Educator costs $60,000 to the county, how is it determined, in the Buckeye Hills Region, which county has to pay for that third Educator? For example, there are 19 proposed Educators for 9 counties, meaning there are two in each county; which county has to pay the extra money for the third Educator? (17 Mar 09)

The 19th FTE may be shared among two or more counties so that the $60,000 cost would be divided among those counties wanting a larger portion of Extension FTE programming.

32. For counties that are fully supportive, what has been the conversation about how not to hurt them? (17 Mar 09)

This discussion/consideration has been very in-depth. We have included examples from other states (e.g., Minnesota) about how to fairly incorporate programming in each area for the money spent on each FTE.

33. How is the current status of Paulding and Allen County going to be viewed from a program delivery standpoint with no commissioner funds involved? (20 Mar 09)

Allen County will continue to receive programming that it has specifically paid for with the designated funding they have received from the local 4-H supporters. These designated funds ensure 4-H programming only; therefore, Allen County will not receive any FCS, Ag or CD programming. Paulding County will continue to receive programming in all four program areas until the funding from the anonymous donor is depleted and/or funding is restored from the county commissioners.

34. Academic Departments on campus receive 33% of OSU Extension’s budget. It seems that some units are a great investment for OSU Extension. They provide faculty and staff who do spend all or most of their appointment on Extension work and who are readily available to assist field Extension faculty and staff. Other units use Extension dollars to support faculty and staff who do not spend a proportionate amount of time on Extension programming and applied research. It is my understanding that there is currently a system in place to rank these units based on the Extension work that they accomplish; however, this system is currently not being used to determine the budgets of departmental units (or only token funding is allotted based on this system). Is there a plan to use this or a similar system to allocate funding to academic departments? (27 Mar 09)

Yes, the system and accountability document are still being used. Keith has been meeting with the department chairs about the accountability document. Resources are given to departments based on how well they perform using the criteria of the document.

35. Does OSU Extension benefit from overhead generated from grants received by academic department faculty who are on OSU Extension appointments? If not, is there a plan to begin to recover some of this money in the future? (27 Mar 09)

For Extension grants in the field, we collect the indirects at the state level and return 25% to the unit that generates the monies. For Columbus-based faculty and staff, many factor affect the amount of indirects returned and how overhead is distributed (e.g., nature of the project, location of work). Steps are being taken to standardize and simplify this process. OARDC collects the indirects from its faculty grants for maintenance, etc. at the Wooster campus.

36. If we are basing the restructuring plan on 180 educators with up to 2 cost-share educators per county, what happens if a county cannot afford 2 cost-share educators? Can another county have a third cost-share educator at the lower rate? For counties who have traditionally supported Extension at a high rate, the number of educators housed in their county (even though working multi-county) will have a more positive effect on funding than having fewer educators housed in a county. (27 Mar 09)

We are still exploring the issue of the third educator cost share. We are looking at charging the third educator rate ($60,000) only when the number of FTEs are exceeded within the EERA allotment.

37. A CED mentioned to me that he thought the $60,000 for the third educator position for the county would remain primarily in the county, and thought he would try to "purchase" three Educators, leaving the 4-H educator to conduct the 4-H program in the county since the county is paying the full ride of that position. Is that correct? (27 Mar 09)

No, the third educator in any county will also have programmatic responsibility within the EERA. The third FTE just guarantees that the individual county will receive three FTEs of Extension programming within all four program areas.

38. If a county can afford three educators, how much of their time can a county expect to receive? I believe that this is an important question that county administrators and commissioners want to know. (27 Mar 09)

See Staffing FAQ #37

39. If a county is expected to pay $25,000 for one, $38,200 for the second, and $60,000 for the third educator, with the pooled dollars for travel, is it not $26,500, $39,950, and $61,750 needed per educator respectively (not counting necessary local travel dollars)? (27 Mar 09)

The pooled travel dollars have not been determined. The proposal is that Extension administration would provide $1,000 per educator within each EERA to support travel between counties within the EERA. The outcome of the Governor’s proposed budget cuts will determine how much or if this funding can be provided. As we further develop the implementation plan, we are encouraging the counties within earh EERA to pool grant funds and cost recovery funds to support travel within EERA travel. See page 20 of the OSU Extension Restructuring Model, Operational Support.

40. Can a county fund a portion of an educator FTE? If so, how small of a portion may they fund: 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/16? (27 Mar 09)

We are currently developing those guidelines, but we are considering that the minimum would be to purchase FTEs in increments of .25 FTEs.

41. How are we justifying creating two new positions in Extension (Business Development Specialists at Piketon) when it has been stated many times that we can't afford the number of Extension employees already? If alternative funding can be found for these positions, why wasn't alternative funding sought to keep those employees we have already? (09 Apr 09)

The new business development positions at the OSU South Centers are program specialists and are open to anyone who wants to apply, including existing and past Extension personnel. Both positions are fully funded externally - one from Entrepreneur Signature Program (ESP) funding and the other from ODOD Small Business Development Center (SBDC) funding. The OSU South Centers include many programs, centers, and funding sources. As for determining that these two positions were needed, many factors were evaluated, including: (1) the departure of David Boulay; (2) the need to fulfill project requirements that meet the objectives outlined by funding organizations; and (3) the opportunity for the OSU South Centers to continue leveraging resources in order to play a vital part in helping deliver impacts that fit with the OSU Extension mission. With these challenging times, we will continue to make personnel decisions that are aligned with the future of Extension and the sources of funding that support the positions. For example, the funding of a full-time Extension educator and the funding for a program-specific grant-funded position present different situations and solutions.

42. Safe to assume that there is financial compensation for accepting the area leader position? Can you tell me what it is, please? (09 Apr 09)

Yes, the stipend will be $6,000/year. If the individual no longer holds the position, the stipend will be removed.

43. How do we discuss cost share with our counties when levy funds are used to support Extension? Often the expectation is that levy funds provided by the county are dedicated for county programming only. (09 Apr 09)

It is important to remember that with the county cost share for educator positions, we ask counties to provide 40% and the state provides the other 60%. Our current policy is that educators are to participate in state-level activities for approximately 10% of their time. Therefore the expectation that educators contribute their expertise in an area of specialization throughout the EERA should not be a problem, as the state is providing that portion of their support.

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Office Closures

1. Will county offices be closed? (9 Feb 09)

That is not what we want to do; we are committed to having an Extension presence in every Ohio county. However, this may occur in some instances.

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My Role

1. What is my role until I know more information about what might happen to me? (9 Feb 09)

We recognize this is a tense and stressful time in our organization, and the uncertainty can be distracting to your work. However, we ask that you focus on your job right now, while we wait for a review of the suggested structural plan and for how some of the external factors (funding, stakeholders, etc) will affect the outcome. In the meantime, we need each of you to be dedicated employees to and within the organization. Please continue working for the overall good of the organization’s mission and vision.

2. How do I respond when my colleagues are sharing information (i.e., rumors, speculation, the Extension grapevine) that has not been shared with the system? (9 Feb 09)

It is imperative that, as professionals, we wait until we receive official communication from Extension Administration before we share any news and/or information with others. By engaging in the rumor discussion, it can and has had detrimental effects on our organization’s credibility and with some of the plans that have not been fully developed and approved.

3. Can those left behind be effective as jacks-of-all-trades? (27 Feb 09)

Educators will be focusing more of their efforts within their area of specialization to meet the needs of our clientele across the state.

4. It seems that if I go to my county commissioners with this information, it raises a lot of questions that I can’t answer. A lot of my time will be spent saying “I don’t know.” They are going to want to know specifics. (5 Mar 09)

When you meet with your commissioners, it is important to keep in mind and to remind them that this is an executive summary. The plan will come out on March 5 with more details, which you can then discuss further with your county commissioners. All questions will not be answered even then. This plan will continue to evolve as all plans of this magnitude must.

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Contact Information

1. Whom do I contact for additional information on the RIF process and/or policies and procedures? (Update 5 Mar 09)

Contact the Extension Human Resources Hotline with any additional questions at 614-292-1500. HR will make sure that proper processes and procedures are followed. All employees will be treated with the utmost respect and assistance.

2. How do I ask someone a question? (9 Feb 09)

You may send your questions to Cheryl Buck (buck.19@cfaes.osu.edu). Cheryl will make sure your question is passed along to the appropriate individual(s) and you will be contacted directly by this individual. Your question will likely be posted anonymously in the FAQs for others to see and read the answer.

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Decision Making Process

Communication

Reduction in Force

Budget-Saving Options

Staffing

Reassigning Employees

Programs

Funding

Office Closures

My Role

Contact Information