Cornell Applied Research and Extension Program Councils and Work Teams

Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) and the Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station (CUAES) have jointly announced formation of five program councils, designed to provide input and guidance on statewide priorities, direction, and public dollar investments in extension and applied research programs.

Proposed as part of a CCE’s new strategic Committed to Excellence plan, the program councils will be composed of Cornell academic department chairs, CCE county association directors, and numerous program stakeholders external to Cornell. The councils will be organized around five major theme areas that are the focus of extension and experiment station activities. These theme areas include: agriculture and food systems, quality of life for individuals and families, youth development, community and economic vitality, and natural resources and environment.

The program councils will meet each year in January on the Cornell campus. In 2002, the councils will convene the week of January 14-18. As part of their work, the councils will review the relevancy of research and extension proposals seeking federal Hatch Act, McIntire-Stennis Act, and Smith-Lever Act support; overview the activities of newly formed program work teams (PWTs); suggest work team formation in new or unaddressed program areas; and refine program priorities for soliciting annual research and extension proposals.

D. Merrill Ewert, Director of CCE, said that “the program councils will help shape and focus the directions of Cornell Cooperative Extension's programs in New York State. The advice provided by these councils will inform our decisions and help us target our efforts on priority issues."

According to Daniel J. Decker, Director of CUAES, the councils will play a pivotal role in grounding and focusing the station’s support of research efforts. “As a mix of academic leaders, county-based extension directors, and New York citizens having a stake in Experiment Station-supported research conducted at Cornell, the councils will provide a structure and process whereby real-world needs are clearly communicated and discussed,” stated Decker. “Hopefully, the process of engaging a broad spectrum of people to provide input to our decision-making will result in the Experiment Station sponsoring research that is more focused, relevant and applicable to the priority needs of our stakeholders.”

Both directors believe that the work and guidance of the new councils will result in the closer integration of the applied research conducted by Cornell faculty with the educational outreach programs of Cornell Cooperative Extension.

A list of members on the five new program councils can be viewed here.