News and Notes: January 6, 2023

For the third year, OSU Extension is hosting an online version of the Planning for the Future of Your Farm workshop which helps farm families develop their farm succession and estate plans. Help Extension promote this series through your local newsletters, newspapers, and radio programs. A sample news release is attached, as well as a promotional flyer. If you would like to personally attend for professional development, contact David Marrison at marrison.2@osu.edu, and the registration fee will be waived.

The four-part webinar series will be held Jan. 23, Jan. 30, Feb. 6, and Feb. 13 from 6:30-8 p.m. This workshop is designed to help farm families learn strategies and tools to successfully create a succession and estate plan that helps them transfer a farm’s ownership, management, and assets to the next generation. The instructors for this series will be Robert Moore and David Marrison. Moore is an attorney with the Ohio State Agricultural and Resource Law Program; and he was previously in private practice for 18 years where he provided legal counsel to farmers and landowners. Marrison is an Extension field specialist, farm management, who has worked for OSU Extension for 25 year and is nationally known for his teaching in farm succession.

Pre-registration is required, so a packet of program materials can be mailed in advance to participating families. OSU Extension appreciates the support of the Ohio Corn & Wheat Growers Association in sponsoring the mailing of these materials. Electronic copies of the course materials will also be available to all participants. More information and online registration can be obtained at go.osu.edu/farmsuccession. The registration fee is $75 per farm family. The registration deadline is Jan. 16.

OSU Extension has updated its guidance regarding OSU Extension employees serving in a volunteer capacity.

Due to the potential for conflict of interest in securing judges, handling finances, tracking volunteer hours, handling enrollment forms or paperwork submission, etc., OSU Extension employees are not eligible to serve as a 4-H volunteer in an OSU Extension program in which they are or could be directly involved. Recently, many questions have been raised inside and outside the organization, and this is a way to provide clarity on expectations. This new guidance was developed by working with area leaders, internal advisory committee, and getting approval from Extension Administrative Cabinet. The guidance ends the grandfathering in of former versions of this guidance and applies as of now moving forward. Click here to review the guidance document online.

The document gives examples of situations that would be appropriate for OSU Extension employees to volunteer and when it would not be. There is a process that a request can be sent to the associate state 4-H leader and state 4-H leader outlining why there is still a need for the particular person to continue in this role.

Kirk shared the guidance document with area leaders and on Koffee with Kirk. On Koffee with Kirk, he shared that he is hoping this will be a collective effort that will be handled locally. The state office will support as needed, but the county educators will be aware of situations that are no longer in accordance. 

Direct supervisors should communicate this guidance with applicants who are current 4-H volunteers and are applying for positions which would not permit them to serve as a 4-H volunteer. In this conversation, it is suggested direct supervisors can share that even though the individual may be an outstanding volunteer, as an employee they will have the opportunity to be outstanding serving ALL clubs instead of just one.

Every year, Ohio State requires all employees and students to complete online training focused on recognizing, preventing and reporting sexual misconduct, and on assisting those who might have experienced sexual misconduct. Merit-eligible employees who do not complete Report=Support! by April 28, 2023, will not be eligible for annual merit increases that take effect in September 2023.

Student employees, graduate associates and other employees who are not classified as merit-eligible may be subject to unit-specific consequences for non-completion. Bargaining unit employees should follow their applicable collective bargaining agreements. Note that student employees and any other employees enrolled in classes are also required to complete a student-focused sexual misconduct prevention course, in addition to Report=Support! If you fall into this category, Report=Support! and the appropriate U Got This! student course have been assigned to your BuckeyeLearn transcript. If at any point you are unable to complete the training (for example, if the content brings up past trauma), you can exit the course and email equityeducation@osu.edu to request an alternative option.

• To access a course, log in to the BuckeyeLearn system at buckeyelearn.osu.edu with your Ohio State credentials.
• Select the “My Transcript” button on the BuckeyeLearn homepage, and click the “Launch” button.

When you have completed a course, it will move to your completed transcripts in BuckeyeLearn, which you can view by changing the “Active” button on the top of your transcript to “Completed.”

Visit Ohio State’s Title IX website (titleix.osu.edu/navigation/prevention/training) to view Frequently Asked Questions or email equityeducation@osu.edu for additional information. For technical assistance, contact the IT Service Desk at 614-688-4357 or through Self Service.

Proposals for the 2023 Epsilon Sigma Phi (ESP) national conference are due by Feb. 15. This includes concurrent session seminars, ignite presentations, research presentations, and poster presentations. Conference stipends are available for current ESP members who participate in the entire conference. Also, the top 10 posters will receive a $100 award (not a stipend). Visit the national conference website at espnational.org/2023-National-Conference for more information.

The OSU Leadership Center can help with your professional development needs in several ways.

• Leadership Moments – A free weekly email about leadership development that arrives every Tuesday morning with tips and pointers about leadership. To receive Leadership Moments, click here.

• Leadership Workshops – our experienced professionals are available to come to your organization or office to facilitate a leadership development workshop. Our interactive workshops bring solutions to your real-time issues. Click here to check out our custom-designed workshops.

• Foundational Leadership Development Certificate – This certificate allows you the opportunity to further your education, personally develop, create relationships with other industry professionals, and grow as a leader within the workplace. The next cohort begins in February. Click here to learn more about the certificate.

• 21st Century Workshops – Leadership development opportunities through online and in-person workshops. Example upcoming workshops include: Flex Your Leadership Style (online) – Jan. 19; The Dark Side of Leadership: How to Avoid Being a Toxic Leader (online) – Feb. 2; and Best Boss Ever (online) – Feb. 7. Learn more here.

We affirm our conviction that racism and inequality have no place in CFAES. Our CFAES Principles of Community serve as a base for managing these actions. We all contribute to our community and our collective experience. You are encouraged to download and post the principles, discuss them during meetings, share them with others, and most importantly, use them as a guide in all that we do to sustain life.