Programming in Extension is where we do our work. We develop our programs through a series of program planning steps that include information gathering, needs assessments, issue identification and prioritization. We design and develop our outcomes and indicators, utilize curriculum, and eventually engage, dialogue and teach our clientele in an effort to change actions, behaviors, and conditions. We evaluate whether that has happened and share our stories and successes all while deciding how to redesign, redeploy, or sunset the work.
These efforts are our programming plan, and we do this in Nebraska Extension by living and executing around our Extension values. These values are what we believe enable us to be most effective in our work. We strive to be uniquely local, serving Nebraska in every corner of the state. We collaborate with our clientele and each other to deliver relevant, innovative, and research-based information. We are inclusive, responsive, and accountable to each other and across greater systems in which we operate. These values are the core of how we do our work and through the following program responsibilities you should consider how you are ensuring these values are consistently fulfilled.
Office Support Staff
1. Exemplify positive and professional conduct and attitude among colleagues, clientele and partnering organizations.
2. Serve as Extension’s “front door” ambassadors for local office clientele connecting them to Extension professionals, programs and products to serve their needs.
3. Manage local programming finance operations in alignment with County and UNL business center policies and procedures.
4. Contribute to online presence via websites, social media and online learning.
5. Oversee day-to-day Extension office operations.
6. Support revenue generating strategies that contribute to individual, team and System viability.
7. Engage in collaborative team programming efforts.
8. Provide broad support for Extension operations including educational programs, fairs, volunteer support, advisory groups, and Extension professionals offering programs locally.
9. Participate in personal and professional development opportunities that enhance personal knowledge, skills and competencies relevant to your role.
10. Connect local people to Extension information, resources, educational opportunities, and professional expertise.
11. Develop and manage local Emergency Action Plans (EAPs) and Continuity of Operations Planning (COOPs).
12. Market and promote local and regional Extension programming and products.
13. Assist with program planning, organization, logistics, delivery, assessment and reporting including data management for 4-H, PEARS, CRMs, etc.
14. Foster inclusive, equitable, and welcoming learning environments.
Assistant/Associate
1. Exemplify positive and professional conduct and attitude among colleagues, clientele and partnering organizations.
2. Teach and deliver contemporary Extension education programming in assigned region.
3. Identify emerging issues and deliver programming accordingly.
4. Be proactive serving new and underserved audiences.
5. Foster partnerships with local youth serving organizations (when appropriate) focusing on community program priorities.
6. Manage (promote, coordinate, support and deliver) educational programs and events.
7. Manage volunteers, volunteer programs, and teach local volunteers to carry out programs.
8. Engage in collaborative team programming efforts.
9. Deliver responsive, innovative and engaging educational programs and products, usingmethods and strategies that have significant reach and impact.
10. Generate programming revenue that contributes to individual, team and System viability.
11. Contribute to the implementation of program evaluation plans by gathering impact data.
12. Foster inclusive, equitable, and welcoming learning environments.
13. Participate in personal and professional development opportunities that enhance personal knowledge, skills and competencies relevant to your role.
14. Develop Individual Action Plan(s) and complete corresponding Individual Action Plan Outcome Reports annually.
Educator (Includes Instructors)
1. Exemplify positive and professional conduct and attitude among colleagues, clientele and partnering organizations.
2. Develop and deliver proactive, innovative, and engaging educational programs and products, using teaching methods and strategies that have significant reach, engagement and impact in your county, accountability region, and as appropriate statewide and nationally.
3. Develop and maintain a robust local/regional clientele following that is documented and shared among colleagues.
4. Use innovative strategies and technologies to design, develop, deliver, and evaluate programs for a robust Extension education program/engagement at the county, accountability region, and statewide level.
5. Engage/teach in a collaborative-learning/problem solving environment in collaborationwith Assistants, Educators and Specialists to encourage learner adoption of research-based decision-making information.
6. Partner with specialist and research faculty to engage in applied/validation research (e.g.on-farm/ranch/community) that can be amplified via multiple engagement platforms.
7. Demonstrate strong contributions to multidisciplinary team environments with Extension professionals and other internal and external partners to translate and teach the latest research-based information.
8. Engage local, regional and statewide partners to identify and address high priority issues where Extension is well positioned to contribute.
9. Use entrepreneurial practices to secure funding and partnerships to leverage Extension’s programming reach and impact.
10. Generate sustained programming revenue that contributes to individual, team and System viability.
11. Lead and contribute value to high performing Extension programming teams.
12. Participate in personal and professional development opportunities that enhance personal knowledge, skills and competencies relevant to your role.
13. Support youth development programs by contributing to areas related to your focused assignment.
14. Conduct needs assessments, identify priorities, develop multiple program/engagement platforms to engage with diverse audiences, measure program impact, and report impact results in your annual report and when appropriate to Extension boards, County Commissioners/Supervisors, State Senators, key stakeholders, at professional meetings,and in professional and Extension publications.
a. Within their accountability region Educators will engage with lead educators, Extension specialists, Extension advisory committees, and local stakeholders to determine needs and provide access to engagement opportunities using multiple platforms (i.e. focus groups, surveys, stakeholder meetings, etc.).
b. Participate on teams, composed of Assistants, Educators, Specialists and other staff or faculty, industry and community leaders that focus on current or futureneeds or strengths, and strategize in program areas where you contribute.
15. Cultivate a culture of collaboration with local and accountability region leaders that fosters and builds positive relationships among the University, collaborating partners, and the people we serve.
16. Foster inclusive, equitable, and welcoming learning environments.
17. Develop Individual Action Plan(s) and complete corresponding Individual Action Plan Outcome Reports annually.
18. Develop an annual Individual Impact Statement.
Specialist (Includes Professors)
1. Exemplify positive and professional conduct and attitude among colleagues, clientele and partnering organizations.
2. Develop and deliver proactive, innovative, and engaging educational programs and products, using teaching methods and strategies that have significant reach, engagement and impact in your county, accountability region, and as appropriate statewide and nationally.
3. Statewide responsibility to develop proactive, innovative, and accessible educational programs of excellence.
4. Conduct state level needs assessments, identify priorities, develop multiple programsand/or products to engage with diverse audiences, and measure and report impact.
5. Use innovative strategies and technologies to design, develop, deliver, and evaluate high priority statewide programs that exemplify robust Extension education and engagement.
6. Develop Extension educational programs and products in cooperation with Extension, IANR and UNL personnel.
7. Engage local, regional and statewide partners to identify and address high priority issues where Extension is well positioned to contribute.
8. Contribute to collaborative team environments with IANR faculty (including Extension educators) and staff, to promote, develop, and deliver Extension’s educational programs and products that have statewide impact.
9. Cultivate a culture of collaboration with statewide leaders that fosters and builds positive relationships among the University, collaborating partners, and the people we serve.
10. Demonstrate strong contributions to multidisciplinary team environments with Extension professionals and other internal and external partners to translate and teach the latest research-based information and provide appropriate professional development in relevant, high demand focus areas.
11. Use entrepreneurial practices to secure funding and partnerships to leverage Extension’s programming reach and impact.
12. Generate sustained programming revenue that contributes to individual, team, unit and System viability.
13. Develop and provide professional development in priority subject matter that is relevantto Extension faculty and staff that enhance and maintain their professional, technical, and Extension pedagogy and andragogy expertise.
14. Lead and contribute value to high performing Extension programming teams.
15. Participate in personal and professional development opportunities that enhance personal knowledge, skills and competencies relevant to your role.
16. Conduct needs assessments, measure program impact and report impact results in yourannual report and to key stakeholders, at professional meetings, and in professional and Extension publications.
a. Specialists will engage with Extension educators, advisory committees, and key stakeholders to determine needs and provide access to engagement opportunities using multiple platforms (e.g. focus groups, surveys, stakeholder meetings, etc.).
b. Participate on teams, composed of Educators, Specialists and other faculty, industry and community leaders that focus on current needs/strengths and strategize on future needs in program areas where you contribute.
17. Foster inclusive, equitable, and welcoming learning environments.
18. Develop Individual Action Plan(s) and complete corresponding Individual Action Plan Outcome Reports annually.
19. Develop an annual Individual Impact Statement.
Focus Team (Assistants/Associates, Educators and Specialists)
1. Each Program Area consists of one or more Focus Teams.
2. The number of Focus Teams depends on the size and scope of the Program Area.
3. Provide concentrated effort, expertise and resources to a priority area/issue important to the people of Nebraska.
4. Operate as professional colleagues within a multidisciplinary environment.
5. Develop a comprehensive state action plan within this area of concentration.
6. Specialists, Educators and Assistants should collaborate on at least one Focus Team and are encouraged to contribute to more than one, within or outside their primary program area, as appropriate.
Focus Team Leader
1. Provide overall organizational leadership to the Focus Team.
2. Intent is to have two Focus Team Leaders per Focus Team, ideally one Educator and one Specialist.
3. Engage and communicate with other Focus Team Leaders to facilitate collaboration and cross disciplinary awareness of Focus Team direction and activities.
4. Responsible for program planning within each Focus Team including needs assessment, plan development including outcomes and indicators, recommended deliverables,program delivery, tracking activities and success stories, and program evaluation.
5. In collaboration with the Program Area Leader(s), develop/update the Focus Team’s portion of the Program Area’s State Action plan annually.
6. In collaboration with the Program Area Leader(s), complete the corresponding portion of the Program Area’s State Action Plan Outcome annually.
7. Use entrepreneurial practices to secure funding and partnerships to leverage Extension’s reach and impact.
8. Contribute to annual Program Area Impact at a Glance stakeholder document.
Program Area (Assistants/Associates, Educators and Specialists)
1. Provide organizational structure for programming.
2. There may be multiple Program Area Leaders within a Program Area depending on the size and complexity of the Program Area.
3. Multidisciplinary Program Areas (i.e. Reaching One Reaching All, Extension Disaster Education Network, etc.) may be created or discontinued as needed.
4. Program Areas are to be Multidisciplinary including Extension personnel working in a broad subject area.
a. Program areas may contain multiple Focus Teams that provide concentrated effort, expertise and resources to a priority area/issue that is important to the people of Nebraska.
b. Extension personnel are encouraged to work collaboratively across program areas as needed/desired to enhance the co-creation of a better tomorrow for the people of Nebraska.
Program Area Leader
- Program Planning
- Provides overarching leadership and vision for the Program Area.
- Coordinates program planning within each Program Area including coaching, mentoring, monitoring, mapping, team building and collaboration, needs assessment, state action plan development including outcomes and indicators, recommended deliverables, program delivery, tracking of activities, tracking of success stories, and program evaluation.
- Fosters strong connection and collaboration among specialists, educators, and assistants.
- Establishes and fosters a robust network of external stakeholders that inform and collaborate on priority programming initiatives.
- In collaboration with Focus Team Leaders and informed by key external stakeholder input, lead State Action Plan development including needs assessment, outcomes, and indicators.
- Monitors program delivery and deployment, tracking of activities, tracking of success stories, and program evaluation.
- Use entrepreneurial practices to secure funding and partnerships to leverage extension’s programming reach and impact.
- Coaches Program Area members to contribute to outcomes, indicators and deliverables.
- Responsible for the annual development and uploading of the Program Area State Action Plan.
- Responsible for annual completion of the corresponding Program Area State Action Plan Outcomes.
- With Focus Team leaders, develops an annual Program Area Impact at a Glance stakeholder document.
- Working with appropriate Associate Dean, provides:
- Discipline focused onboarding and training.
- Team building and collaboration.
- Coaching and mentoring of Focus Team leaders.
- Serves as a consultant to extension assistants, educators and specialists in program planning.
- Foster an inclusive culture in which contributions to teams are appreciated and recognized, collaboration and innovation are encouraged, and the abilities of all are engaged to fully realize the potential of teams, and each team member has a sense of belonging.
2. Coach and Performance Consultant [in partnership with Engagement Zone Coordinator (EZC) or Academic Unit Leader (AUL) as appropriate]
- Contributes to coaching Extension Educators and Assistants/Associates as a program performance consultant.
- Supports supervisor in coaching, directing, and supporting employees’ programming performance.
- Develops metrics to evaluate, measure success, and inform the annual performance review process of Extension Educators and Specialists.
- Provides program area/discipline-based guidance for employees.
- Informs check-ins, performance reviews, and academic promotion recommendations relative to employee contributions to programs, products, leadership, and teams.
- Participates in check-ins and performance review conversations.
- Serves as hiring official for Extension Educator searches, working with appropriate associate dean, EZCs and AULs to:
- Develop Extension Educator position descriptions.
- Develop mission critical Extension Educator position requests.
- Complete request to search forms.
- Cultivate a dynamic strategic statewide staffing plan.
- Supports supervisor in coaching, directing, and supporting employees’ programming performance.
Engagement Zone Coordinator (EZC)
1. Program Planning
a. Provide clear and routine guidance on policies, procedures, and expectations related to success for Extension educators, instructors, and assistants/associates in the Zone.
b. Ensure that communication is strong among the Extension Promotion Committees, Program Area Leaders, and Extension personnel in the Zone.
c. Awareness of programming, outcomes and indicators in all Program Areas.
d. Coach Program Area members to contribute to outcomes and indicators via specific deliverables.
e. Observe faculty and staff delivering programming.
f. Provide support in Extension pedagogy and andragogy to ensure successful programming efforts.
g. Use entrepreneurial practices to secure funding and partnerships to leverage Extension’s reach and impact.
h. Foster an inclusive culture in which all contributions to teams are appreciated and recognized, collaboration and innovation are encouraged, and the abilities of all are engaged to fully realize the potential of teams, and each team member has a sense of belonging.
2. Evaluate, Coach, and Performance Consultant
a. Evaluate the yearly performance of Extension Educators, which includes program contribution performance.
b. Contribute to coaching Extension Educators as a program performance consultant.
c. Support the programming efforts in the Zone and ensure accountability region coverage.
d. Serve as Search Advisory Committee chair for Extension Educator searches for off-campus positions.
e. Work with appropriate Associate Extension Deans and Program Area Leaders
i. Contribute to mission critical position requests.
ii. Contribute to Request to Search forms.
iii. Contribute to a dynamic strategic staffing plan.
iv. Develop metrics to evaluate, measure success and inform the annualperformance review process of Extension Educators.
Academic Unit Leader (AUL)
1. Provide clear and routine guidance on policies, procedures, and expectations related to success for Extension educators, instructors, specialists and professors in the Unit.
2. Ensure that departmental Promotion and Tenure Committees have Extension representation, and that communication is strong among the Extension Promotion Committee, the academic unit leader, and Extension personnel in the Unit.
3. Provide mentoring and facilitate professional development opportunities (including appropriate resourcing) for success of embedded Extension personnel within unit.
4. Foster collaboration and team engagement within unit for embedded Extension personnel, including involvement in unit governance and engagement with students and staff.
5. Use entrepreneurial practices to secure funding and partnerships to leverage Extension’s reach and impact.
6. Serve as Search Advisory Committee chair for Extension Educator searches in your unit.
7. Foster connections with off-campus Extension educators and appropriate integration with the Extension Educator Affiliate program.
8. Participate in personal and professional development opportunities that enhance personal knowledge, skills and competencies relevant to this role.
9. Foster an inclusive culture in which all contributions to teams are appreciated and recognized, collaboration and innovation are encouraged, and the abilities of all are engaged to fully realize the potential of teams, and each team member has a sense of belonging.
Associate Dean
1. Work in tandem with the Extension Dean and the Extension Executive Team to visualizeand develop strategic initiatives that guide and facilitate the overall growth, development, and effectiveness of Nebraska Extension.
2. Engage with Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources (IANR) AULs, Program Area Leaders, Hub Coordinators and EZCs, state and federal organizations and agencies, stakeholder groups, and private partners to stay informed of evolving, critical issues and to leverage Extension resources to meet the needs of Nebraskans.
3. Facilitate the development and delivery of proactive, innovative, and impactful Extension programs addressing critical issues for Nebraska.
4. Identify and pursue opportunities for program integration and collaboration to address critical, evolving and/or complex challenges faced by Nebraskans.
5. Coordinate communication among Program Area Leaders.
6. Mentor and Coach Program Area Leaders.
7. Engage with Program Area Leaders and Extension faculty to develop and plan delivery of professional capacity building opportunities that build knowledge, skills, and contemporary Extension andragogy and pedagogy that strengthen Extension professionals’ overall effectiveness with clientele.
8. Engage in educator and specialist position descriptions and search processes to recruit, hire, and develop key talent to support Extension’s mission.
9. Represent Extension on University, State, North Central Regional, and National committees and serve as the Dean’s chief liaison and engage in conversations on state, regional, and multistate initiatives.
10. Pursue resources (financial and other) and coordinate these resources with peers to support collaborative, integrated proposal development and engagement opportunities.
11. Use entrepreneurial practices to secure funding and partnerships to leverage Extension’s reach and impact.
12. Contribute to state and federal reporting requirements.
13. Participate in personal and professional development opportunities that enhance personal knowledge, skills and competencies relevant to this role.
14. Foster an inclusive culture in which all contributions to the team are appreciated and recognized, collaboration and innovation are encouraged, and the abilities of all are engaged to fully realize the potential of the team, and each team member has a sense of belonging.
Dean and Director
1. As a member of the IANR Senior Leadership Team, partner and collaborate with colleagues to ensure IANR and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln coordinate and promote all aspects of our land-grant mission serving all 531 rural and urban communities in 93 counties.
2. Provide leadership and oversight of all Extension programming and engagement efforts within IANR.
3. Enhance the diversity among Extension faculty, staff and clientele to meet the needs of the people of Nebraska, and promote an inclusive culture, ensuring that opportunities. are available to all and that every effort is made to engage diverse audiences, especially those that are traditionally underrepresented and/or underserved.
4. Provide vision and dynamic leadership in the direction, administration and management of Nebraska Extension to ensure its place as a leader of Extension systems nationally.
5. Build, develop and nurture a strong leadership team and faculty focused on excellence in Extension and delivery of high impact programming across Nebraska and beyond.
6. Engage communities in learning, identifying local needs and opportunities, and problem solving.
7. Promote and develop multidisciplinary and multifunctional programs.
8. Mentor and Coach Associate Deans.
9. Represent Extension within IANR, UNL, University of Nebraska, the Nebraska Unicameral, the Nebraska congressional delegation, stakeholders present and future, and serve at the regional, national and international level as the chief advocate of Nebraska Extension.
10. Pursue resources (financial and other) to enhance the growth, relevancy and excellence of Nebraska Extension.
11. Participate in personal and professional development opportunities that enhance personal knowledge, skills and competencies relevant to this role.
12. Foster an inclusive culture in which all contributions to the team are appreciated and recognized, collaboration and innovation are encouraged, and the abilities of all are engaged to fully realize the potential of the team, and each team member has a sense of belonging.