Tag: 2023June

We received very favorable feedback from our Program Team Coffee Chats, and I would like to continue a monthly open meeting for anyone who would like to join. Our new Drop-in With the Director sessions will be held from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., April through December on the first Wednesday of each month (excluding July). I look forward to talking with those of you who are able to join on the Zoom link Your feedback is important to me and the ELT, and I encourage honest and professional input with thoughtful consideration included toward enhanced processes and outcomes across our Cooperative Extension operations.

Session Schedule

• Wednesday, April 5
• Wednesday, May 3
• Wednesday, June 7
• Wednesday, August 2
• Wednesday, September 13 (new date)
• Wednesday, October 4
• Wednesday, November 1
• Wednesday, December 6

Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to people of all ages, regardless of race, color, gender, religion, national origin, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital or family status and is an equal opportunity employer.

As of September 27, 2023

New Hires

Amie Mabe: 4-H Youth Development Agent, Greenville County
Jackie Gallagher: Rural Health Agent, Colleton and Hampton Counties
Brittney King: Commercial Horticulture Agent, Florence County
Destyni Perry Tucker: EFNEP Nutrition Educator, Kershaw County
Makayla Wyndham: Administrative Assistant, Berkeley County
Glen Payne: Horticulture Agent, Beaufort County
Susan Long: Administrative Assistance, Newberry County
Vivian Rodriguez Espinoza: Administrative Assistant, Calhoun County

Transfers

Lindsey Craig: Director of Livestock Improvement Programs
Susan Lunt: Extension Associate, Carolina Clear
Mallory Maher: Extension Associate, Natural Resources

Service Milestones

(Anthony) TJ Saverno: Forestry and Wildlife Agent, 20 years of service

As of July 20, 2023

Katie Dore: EFNEP Nutrition Educator, Florence County
Starr M. Dunbar: Rural Health Agent, Aiken County
Cassie Castleberry: Water Resources Agent, Sumter County
Hannah McAntyre: Administrative Assistant, Spartanburg County
Geraldine Cuypers: Water Resources Agent, Florence County

As of June 19, 2023

David Mansfield: Agribusiness Agent, Savannah Valley Region
Laura Hair: 4-H Youth Development Agent, Orangeburg County
Martin Hamilton: Director, South Carolina Botanical Gardens
Christina “Christi” Leard: Program Manager, Cooperative Extension
Haven Blackwell: 4-H Youth Development Agent, Cherokee County

As of May 23, 2023

Alicia Cleer: Upstate Lead Administrative Coordinator/Trainer, Greenville County.
Rob Last: Commercial Horticulture Agent, Lexington
Briana Naumuk: Urban Horticulture Agent, Oconee County.
Alexis Daymon: Administrative Assistant, Dillon County
Jena Broome: Administrative Assistant, Georgetown County

As of February 20, 2023

Ginger Long: Horticulture/HGIC

As of November 22, 2022

Julia Newsome: Rural Health and Nutrition Agent, Union and Cherokee Counties
Madison Parker: 4-H Agent, Charleston County
Eric Eliassen: 4-H Agent, Lexington County
Tiffine Forster: Rural Health and Nutrition Agent, Barnwell, Allendale and Bamberg Counties
Jennifer Weaver: Urban Horticulture Agent and Master Gardener Coordinator, Lexington and Aiken Counties
Sallie Thompson: Livestock and Forages Agent, Aiken County
Lacey Harrington: Administrative Assistant, Clarendon County
Caitlin Leigh Olive: 4-H Agent, Darlington County

Transfers

Patricia A. Whitener: Extension Associate, Lead for 4-H Natural Resources Program Area

Ashley Burns: South Carolina State 4-H Leader/Program Team Director

As of November 17, 2022

Kristin Kunde: 4-H Agent, York County

Transfers

Matt Fischer: Agribusiness Extension Associate for Livestock, Statewide

As of October 25, 2022

Kyle Smith: Agronomy Agent, Darlington and Marlboro Counties
Adam Petty: 4-H Agent, Laurens County
Catherine Watts: Water Resources Agent, Horry and Georgetown Counties
Jevencia Hill: Rural Heath Agent, Colleton and Hampton Counties
Justin Foxworth: Rural Health Agent, Dillon and Marlboro Counties

As of September 20, 2022

Ericka McClam: Administrative Assistant, Aiken County

As of August 16, 2022

Hannah Shifflette: Rural Health and Nutrition Agent, York and Chester Counties
Heather K. Shultz: Extension Associate, 4-H Agriculture and Animals Program
Hillary Winburn: 4-H Agent, Marion County.

As of July 19, 2022

Rogan Gibson: Agronomic Agent, Allendale and Hampton Counties

As of June 21, 2022

Misty Galloway: Administrative Assistant, Pickens County
Sophia Jackson: Administrative Assistant, Georgetown County
Amanda Rudd: Administrative Assistant, Calhoun County
Rachel Zeiders: Administrative Assistant, Fairfield County

As of February 2022

Colin Crippen: 4-H Agent, Spartanburg County
DeAndra Cooper: 4-H Agent, Williamsburg County
Iris A. McDuffie: Rural Health Agent, Florence County
Samantha B. Knight: Administrative Assistant, Chesterfield County

New Program Team Directors

Lee Van Vlake: Livestock and Forage Program Team Director
Troy Helms: Agricultural Education Program Team Director

As of September 2021

• Harriet Palecek: Administrative Assistant, York County
• Elizabeth Rowe: Rural Health Agent, Lancaster County
• Emily Sweatt: Rural Health Agent, Darlington County
• Brad Fowler: Horticulture Agent, Horry County
• Julianna Lyle: Rural Health Agent, Anderson County

Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to people of all ages, regardless of race, color, gender, religion, national origin, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital or family status and is an equal opportunity employer.

Dear Extension Family,

The 2023 A. Frank Lever County Extension Agents Hall of Fame induction the other weekend was another memorable event. The Lever Hall of Fame honors the careers of “longtime, front-line county agents” whose service had an important economic impact on the communities they served. The members of the 2023 Class are Sharon Grice (Marion County), Amos Wells (Anderson), Jack Whetstone (Georgetown) and Powell Smith (Lexington County). You can read more about the event and the honorees in the Clemson News story. 

We have been working with the University’s Pre-Collegiate Program Office (PcPO) to improve the process for keeping our programs compliant. The PcPO was formed to establish consolidated oversight of the policies and operating standards for programs and activities involving non-student minors. We will hold mandatory in-person PcPO work sessions in June, July and August for 4-H Agents, select EFNEP Agents, 4-H and Agricultural Education staff, District Extension Directors, Program Team Directors, the Extension Administration Team and others who may be deemed necessary to participate. For agents and staff, your DED or PTD will notify you if your participation is required. Please refer to the Blog post for session dates and registration information. 

The County Agent Promotion Work Session (in-person) will be held on Tuesday, July 11, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the Lexington County Extension office (605 West Main St., Suite F, Lexington). Who Should Attend: County Agents eligible for promotion and others with additional questions and/or need help with the promotion packet. Pre-registration is required by July 1 and should be confirmed with an email to Ms. Alivia Gunter at aliviag@clemson.edu.

I would like to recognize the Clemson Agricultural Safety Program and Agricultural Sciences Research and Fabrication Lab for their incredible efforts to design and construct a Grain Entrapment Simulator for trainings across the state. With only a few of these units in the country, this is a vital resource for South Carolina. The trailer allows an individual to be safely entrapped in grain while rescuers can simulate and train for the rescue process. Please read more about the simulator in the Blog post.

It’s always exciting to welcome new employees to our team, and we have welcomed several new employees in addition to a new South Carolina Botanical Garden director and Cooperative Extension Program Manager. Please review the list of new hires in the Blog post. Additionally, it’s rewarding to hear about our employees reaching milestones working for the state of South Carolina. Congratulations to our Extension IT Support Extraordinaire for the Upstate, Marty King, for 20 years of service! We are grateful to have your IT expertise on our team.

Although it’s still a season away, we have a few announcements for October. The 2023 SC State Fair will open on Wednesday, October 11, and close on Sunday, October 22. Our Extension booth set-up is scheduled for Tuesday, October 10. If you are interested in signing up to work a shift, please visit the Blog post for more information. The week of October 16, the University Office of Compliance and Ethics will hold in-person and virtual activities and talks. Topics will include ethical decision-making, privacy awareness (to include online activity), organizational citizenship and ethical implications of AI (artificial intelligence). For more information about compliance and ethics at Clemson University, please visit the Office of Compliance and Ethics website.

Our next Drop-in With the Director session will be on Wednesday, August 2, from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. Everyone is welcome to join, share input and ask questions about Extension-related topics such as work responsibilities, employee relations and general administration and operations policies or just listen in. We covered several important topics in the last session, and I appreciate those who participated. The Zoom link and schedule for the remaining sessions are available in the Blog post.

The budget conference report was adopted by the House and Senate and ratified on June 14. The budget was sent to the Governor, who, as of June 19, has five days, excluding Sunday, to issue vetoes.

We are halfway through the year, and July 4 is approaching quickly. I hope everyone has some fun outings planned, whether on land or in the water, with safety in mind. Enjoy your time off with friends and family. As always, please take good care of yourselves and your families, and thank you for what you do for Clemson Cooperative Extension.

Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to people of all ages, regardless of race, color, gender, religion, national origin, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital or family status and is an equal opportunity employer.

• The State Fair will open on Wednesday, October 11, and close on Sunday, October 22. The Cooperative Extension booth setup is scheduled for Tuesday, October 10.
• If you are interested in signing up to volunteer for a shift, visit the work shift link
• Please note signing up for a shift is a commitment and you will be expected to remain in the booth for the entirety of your shift (with a meal break). 
• There will be four workers per shift, two shifts per day and shifts will be scheduled from open to 4 p.m. and 4 p.m. to close. Be aware that fair hours vary per day.
• Shirts will be a t-shirt style this year, not a collared button-up shirt as in years past. You must work two shifts to be eligible to receive a t-shirt.
• Those who choose to work multiple, consecutive days may be eligible for accommodations.

Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to people of all ages, regardless of race, color, gender, religion, national origin, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital or family status and is an equal opportunity employer.

Writing for an Extension Audience

(The below information is available as a PDF file)

Dates and Registration Links

• July 18: PeeDee REC, Florence: Registration Link
• The Clemson and Sandhill REC workshops are full.

Contact

Susan Guynn, PhD
Director of Assessment and Scholarship
Associate Extension Specialist
sguynn@clemson.edu

Workshop Information Overview

Purpose:

The purpose of this workshop is to provide writing training for Clemson and SC State Extension Agents, so they can write publishable material for the Land-Grant Press and other professional publications, and write effective impact statements.

Workshop Overview and Format:

The main goal of the workshop is for Clemson and SC State Extension Agents to gain hands-on experience with the writing process and to develop efficient, effective writing strategies to use after the workshop ends.

Participants will bring an existing article or an idea for an article to work on throughout the workshop. They will leave the workshop with a revised existing paper or an outline of a new paper idea, a description of their target audience to refer to in the writing process, and a checklist of steps to use while writing and revising.

The workshop will be broken up into five stages: 1) planning, 2) paper organization, 3) paragraph organization, 4) sentence organization, and 5) steps to completion. Throughout the workshop, sample topics and papers will be presented as models for the writing process. We will reflect on the target audiences and develop strategies for organizing material in ways readers expect. We will clarify your own position on the subject and determine the most effective language to communicate your message. Each stage of the workshop will be broken up with activities to practice the concept (e.g., writing a clear topic sentence) and explore in small group discussions.

Workshop Agenda

• 9:00am Introduction: Writing is a learnable skill! Additionally, it can be a significant method of enhancing our own knowledge base as we address ourselves to our audiences in order to inform or sway opinions. Writing is a process and can be approached methodically. It invites reconsideration of our ideas through writing and revising. Methods and motivation: How do you make time for writing? What is your current writing “strategy”? Which one of these strategies might work for you?
• 9:30am Part 1: Planning Stage: Position. Audience. Purpose. Context.
• 10:30am Part 2: Decoding the paper organization. (Writing Papers in Biological Sciences) Transition question: What is the best way for my readers to access my purpose?
• 11:45 Lunch (provided)
• 12:30pm Part 3: The Paragraph (Writing Papers in Biological Sciences, Ch. 7)
• 2:00pm Part 4: Sentence Organization (Writing Papers in Biological Sciences)
• 3:00pm Part 5: Complete your article. 4:00pm Part 6: Free Work Time, Survey, and Close

Workshop Instructor Information

Facilitator’s Name: Cameron Bushnell, PhD
Organizations: English Department, College of Arts, Architecture, & Humanities, Clemson University; Pearce Center for Professional Communication, Clemson University
Facilitator’s Background: Associate Professor of English with experience teaching university writing courses; Director of Pearce Center for Professional Communication, which organizes semester-long graduate student seminars in writing in the disciplines. Dr. Bushnell has also conducted writing workshops for various departments, including Chemistry, Biological Sciences, Civil Engineering, and Environmental & Earth Sciences.

Learning Objectives

You cannot become a great writer in just one workshop, but you can make improvements by developing the vocabulary to discuss writing and develop an awareness of what makes writing strong by reading, discussing, and evaluating writing samples. A major aim of the workshop is to help Agents become more confident in their writing. The learning goals of this workshop are as follows:

Discuss and explain the preliminary stage of writing an article:

• Identify and describe the article’s target audience and what this audience knows/doesn’t know about this topic.
• Define the objective(s) for the article.
• Describe relevant context surrounding the issue (to address the audience’s prior knowledge and lay the foundation for citations).

Apply effective writing principles to the agent’s own writing:

• Identify and practice strategies for organizing information on three levels: the article level, paragraph level, and sentence level.
• Identify and use transitional phrases and words to organize paragraphs and sentences.
• Explain the need for citations and how to cite textual documents and visuals.
• Identify and use basic grammar and style principles.

Develop efficient writing practices to use after this workshop:

• Organize and defend a logical outline for the article based on audience, article objectives, and relevant context. The goal of this outline is to practice planning an article and to use it as a template for future articles.
• Create a working “audience avatar” to refer to while writing the article for a more concrete sense of the “audience.”
• Develop strategies for overcoming writing obstacles, such as not knowing where to begin, procrastinating, not making time to write, and lacking motivation to write.

Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to people of all ages, regardless of race, color, gender, religion, national origin, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital or family status and is an equal opportunity employer.

For 4-H Agents/Ag Ed State Staff, District Extension Directors, Program Team Directors and selected EFNEP Staff

• June 22, 2023 9:00 am to 12:00 noon
  Chris Heintze, host Anderson Extension Office
  (Contact) LaDonna Peoples lpeople@clemson.edu
• June 23, 2023 10:00 am to 1:00 pm
  George Dickert, host Spartanburg Community College
  (Contact) Alicia Cleer acleer@clemson.edu
• June 26, 2023 9:30 am to 12:30 pm
  Michael McManus, host Pee Dee REC – Florence
  (Contact) Anjanette Washington anjanew@clemson.edu
• July 25, 2023 9:30 am to 12:30 pm
  Deon Legette, host Sandhill REC Lake House
  (Contact) Amy Overbaugh amaula@clemson.edu
• August 2, 2023 9:00 am to 12:00 noon
  Karissa Ulmer, host Colleton Extension Office
  (Contact) Brandi Murdaugh bbmurda@clemson.edu
• August 3, 2023 9:00 am to 12:00 noon
  Matt Burns, host Clemson Campus Poole F-149
  (Contact) Kelli Nalley kanalle@clemson.edu

We have been working with the director of the Pre-Collegiate Program Office (PcPO), Mr. Greg Linke, to clearly communicate policies and improve the process for keeping our programs in compliance. The PcPO was formed in 2011 to establish consolidated oversight of the policies and operating standards for programs and activities involving non-student minors.

The PcPO takes a proactive approach to protecting children and University faculty, staff and volunteers working with minors in programs or activities affiliated with the University. They will help ensure we are educated about policies and operating standards for programs so that we always uphold the promise of providing a safe environment.

• Mr. Linke has agreed to conduct six training sessions. These sessions will be informative, positive, and productive with the goal of achieving a clear system to enact across Extension. I ask that everyone come prepared with an open mind to fully participate, ask questions, and contribute constructive feedback that will help meet our objectives.
• This training is crucial and should be taken seriously to ensure that youth and University faculty, staff and volunteers are not put at risk.
• All those required to attend may choose from the six scheduled trainings and must email the administrative staff member who is listed as the contact below to inform them of their attendance. Attendance will be taken at every session.
• If other sessions are scheduled on the Clemson campus or at another location, they will be added to the list below. Coastal District employees will need to plan to travel to one of the sessions listed above.

Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to people of all ages, regardless of race, color, gender, religion, national origin, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital or family status and is an equal opportunity employer.

The Clemson Agricultural Safety Program and Agricultural Sciences Research and Fabrication Lab worked together to design and construct a Grain Entrapment Simulator for statewide trainings. With only a few of these units in the country, this is a vital resource for South Carolina.

The simulator allows for an individual to be safely entrapped in grain. From there, rescuers can simulate and train for the rescue process and are exposed to the potential hazards that they might encounter during an actual rescue mission. This allows for more control over the many factors that are present when working to rescue someone from grain and provides exposure to the events that can occur in a grain bin.

• 

Since its release at the beginning of the year, it has already been utilized at trainings in Lexington, Orangeburg, Duncan, Myrtle Beach (June 14-17), and Florence (June 21-23), and was also used by a group of firefighters to train and experience rescuing a victim who had been entrapped in grain. The group of firefighters first discussed the many pieces of equipment that are used when rescuing someone. They were able to see how all the equipment worked outside of the bin so they would be more familiar with it inside the bin. Following the brief introduction, one of the firefighters volunteered to enter the bin. Another group worked as a team to rescue the entrapped firefighter.

The goal is to provide this simulator for at least ten trainings a year, throughout the state.

• 

• 

Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to people of all ages, regardless of race, color, gender, religion, national origin, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital or family status and is an equal opportunity employer.

For FY 2023-24, Clemson PSA is requesting state investments in Clemson programs and facilities that help address problematic wildlife, keep South Carolina farmers nationally and internationally competitive, and support critical research and outreach functions that benefit South Carolinians.

On May 16, Governor McMaster called legislators back into session to finish their work. The budget conference committee met last week but has not yet reached a compromise on the House and Senate versions of the budget.

Because we do not have an approved budget at this time, it has not yet been determined how state employee salary increases will be allotted. Clemson University will release guidance on salary increases after the governor signs off on the state budget, and I will work with the Assistant Directors and District Extension Directors on how increases will be implemented across Extension.

Clemson PSA Recurring Requests

• Employee Retention & Recruitment – CU requested: $2.3M (Funding is locked in)
• Statewide Program Support – CU requested: $1M (Funding is locked in)
• Problematic Wildlife – CU requested: $954,400 (Senate recommended $0) (House recommended $954,400 nonrecurring)

Clemson PSA Nonrecurring Requests

• Poultry Science Research Facility – CU requested: $4.5M (Senate recommended $4.5M) (House recommended $3M)
• Critical PSA Research Infrastructure and Dam Improvements – CU requested: $8.2M (Senate recommended $4M) (House recommended $2.1M)
• PSA Animal Farms Infrastructure: CU requested: $15.4M (Senate recommended $15.4M) (House recommended $1)

Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to people of all ages, regardless of race, color, gender, religion, national origin, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital or family status and is an equal opportunity employer.