News and Notes: October 28, 2022

Information sessions for graduate and professional students interested in applying to be a 2023-24 Schweitzer Fellow will take place on Nov. 1, 8, 21 and 30 via Zoom. The Schweitzer Fellows Program supports and trains health-focused students in creating and carrying out service projects to address unmet community needs. Fellows partner with an existing community agency in the Columbus or Athens area and have both an academic and a community-based mentor. Learn more at engage.osu.edu/2023-24-asf-application-information.

-shared by Crystal Ott, Ohio 4-H Foundation manager

In September, the Butler County 4-H program hosted its inaugural AgFest event, a workforce development day designed to teach youth about the wide variety of agricultural-based careers. Agricultural professionals from across the county took time to give presentations on their careers and speak about the skills needed to be successful.

Students in grades five through seven from Madison Local and New Miami schools spent the day at Jackson Family Farm rotating between 10 different stations. They learned about careers in floriculture, livestock production, landscaping and design, food science, conservation and urban forestry, veterinary medicine, engineering, and more. Margo Long, the state Workforce Development and Pathways program manager, provided youth with an opportunity to complete the “Pick Your Path” survey. This tool is designed to assess students’ strengths and weaknesses in certain subjects and help them discover potential careers and pathways for future development.

AgFest was an all-Extension effort by Butler County’s 4-H, agriculture and natural resources, and family and consumer sciences staff, and it was made possible through grants provided by the Ohio 4-H Foundation. Grants like these are made possible by our many generous donors. To learn more, visit ohio4h.org/foundation/grants.

If you’re interested in joining us one of the upcoming webinars or an in-person tax school, contact Barry Ward, director of the schools, at ward.8@osu.edu. There is no cost for Extension educators to attend. The brochure is attached for reference. You are also welcome to share the attached media info with CPAs and other tax preparers in your communities. Complete tax school information can be found on the Farm Office site at farmoffice.osu.edu/tax.

• Farmer and Farmland Owner Income Tax School Webinar – Nov. 17 (6:30-8:30 p.m.). This webinar is arranged for non-tax professionals and is better suited for your farmer and farmland owner clientele.
• Ag Tax Issues Webinar – Dec. 13 (8:45 a.m.-3:20 p.m.). This is an intermediate-level course for tax preparers whose clients include farmers and rural landowners. Farmers who prepare and file their own taxes will also benefit from this more in-depth webinar.

Courtesy of the Woodland Stewards Program, a representative from The Nature Conservancy will discuss what landowners need to know about forest carbon markets in Ohio. This webinar will be held on Nov. 18 from 10 a.m. to noon. Register at go.osu.edu/tnccarbon.

Mark Cannella, with the University of Vermont, will present this half day workshop with a focus on strategic planning, marketing and managing finances toward profitability. Participants are encouraged to bring any business records and information of their own to apply during the workshop. Four SAF category 1 continuing education credits are offered for the workshop. Space is limited, so register early at woodlandstewards.osu.edu/events/maple-business-planning-deep-dive.

Do you know a support staff member who excels at their job? Consider nominating them for one of the many CES awards! Nominations will be accepted until 11:59pm on Nov. 1. All nominees must be a current member of Chi Epsilon Sigma. Awards will be presented during the awards ceremony at annual conference. If you have questions about the awards or membership status, contact Paige Matney at matney.30@osu.edu.

• • • Dorothy Rex Inspirational Award – Established in honor of the founding member of Chi Epsilon Sigma, Dorothy Rex, who was Ohio's first president of Chi Epsilon Sigma. This award is given each year, in her honor, to an individual who has been inspirational in their Extension position. Nomination form with additional requirements found here: DRIA22
    • Extension Support Staff Excellence Award – This $1,000 award is given jointly by Chi Epsilon Sigma and Extension Administration to one support staff employee who makes “excellence” look easy. Must be a member of Chi Epsilon Sigma for at least five years. Nomination form with additional requirements found here: ESSEA22
    • NEW THIS YEAR! CES Distinguished Service Awards – The goal of these awards is annual recognition of staff members in each career category who excel in all aspects of job performance. Award categories: early career (0-9 years of service), mid-career (10-19 years of service), and advanced career (20+ years of service). Nomination form with additional requirements found here: DSA22

In May, the Ohio State Board of Trustees approved a comprehensive Outside Activities and Conflicts policy effective as of Sept. 1. This replaces four policies (faculty conflict of commitment, faculty paid external consulting, faculty financial conflict of interest, and conflict of interest and work outside the university) to address university ethical expectations, research conflicts of interest regulations, and other federal and state laws governing financial and fiduciary conflicts of interest. The new policy supports the university’s efforts to encourage faculty and staff participation in outside activities, which advance mutually beneficial partnerships, contribute to social and economic development, and increase knowledge.

Under the new policy, most outside activities will continue to be approved by the colleges and units as they are now. Approval of outside activities meeting certain criteria, however, will be elevated to a Conflicts Approval Committee (CAC). The CAC, an extension of the existing committee that reviewed significant potential conflicts under the Faculty Financial Conflict of Interest policy, has a core of experienced members who represent faculty and staff from numerous colleges and units.

• The new policy can be found at https://policies.osu.edu/sites/default/files/documents/2024/09/outside-activities-policy.pdf
• The new reporting form can be found at orapps.osu.edu/coi/instructions.
• Questions can be directed to tobias.80@osu.edu.

A number of OSU Extension 4-H youth development colleagues were recently recognized at the 2022 annual conference of the National Association of Extension 4-H Youth Development Professionals (NAE4-HYDP). NAE4-HYDP is the professional's organization for those dedicated to promoting, strengthening, enhancing, and advocating for the 4-H youth development profession.

• Session Presenters: Amanda Raines (Your Thoughts Matter); Erin Dailey (Keeping Teens Involved in Camping and Beyond); Frances Foos (Moving Your Camping Professional Development Forward, 4-H Volunteers Going Virtual); Katie Cole (Tips for Teens Video Series); Larissa Hook (Managing Accommodation Requests of Youth with Disabilities); Robin Stone (Journey to the Extreme-Mission to Mars); and Rachel Stoneburner (Making Welcoming 4-H Clubs).
• National Recognition: 25 Years of Service – Kirk Bloir, Jason Hedrick, Angie Holmes.
• Meritorious Service Award – Laura Rohlf.
• Distinguished Service Award – Kelly Coble, Christy Millhouse, Robin Stone, Jenny Strickler.
• Achievement in Service Award – Audrey Dimmerling, Frances Foos, Beth Guggenbiller, Michael Schweinsberg.
• Excellence in Peer Professional Development Award – Sarah Longo, Hannah Epley.
• Promotional Piece-Individual Award – Alisha Faudie

A new study has placed a value on the university’s regional and statewide economic impact that includes operational and capital expenditures as well as student and visitor spending, Ohio State is estimated to have supported $19.6 billion of industry output in Ohio, 116,819 jobs in Ohio, $7.5 billion of labor income, and $663.1 million of tax revenue to state and local governments.

The Economic Impact of The Ohio State University presents a regional and statewide analysis as of 2019. The study was commissioned by the Enterprise for Research, Innovation and Knowledge in collaboration with units and colleges across the university. Nancy Bowen, associate professor and Extension field specialist, community economics, OSU Extension, and Jim Landers, associate professor of practice and Enarson Fellow, John Glenn College of Public Affairs, led a team of faculty and staff to research and develop the report. Visit news.osu.edu/new-report-highlights-ohio-states-over-19-billion-annual-impact-in-ohio for the full news story.

Publishing our work in peer-reviewed outlets (fact sheets, conference proceedings and academic journals) carries a lot of rewards for the author, OSU Extension, and the readership of these works. But many Extension professionals are intimidated when considering submitting their work for peer review. Reasons for this include fear of rejection and just not knowing how to get started. Brian Raison will host a two-part series on “Publishing your Work” on Nov. 15 and 17 (1-1:45 p.m. both days). Tom Blaine will discuss some factors, then Brian will host a 20-minute Q&A to get into the details of how you can be successful. Register for one or both webinars at osu.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cGrCGBObGUgcAoS. A Zoom link will then be sent for each webinar.

• Nov. 15 (part 1) Getting Started: Learn how to put together a peer-reviewed submission. We start from scratch and detail an easy step-by-step process that will work for you. Components range from subject selection to literature review to manuscript preparation. Join us for this fun and important step in furthering your professional development.
• Nov. 17 (part 2) Following Up for Success: Learn how to see your manuscript through to publication step by step including how to respond to reviews and how to avoid common mistakes (e.g., tracking versions of the manuscript, etc.). Some reviewers can be quite harsh. Learn you how to take the “lemons” and make “lemonade,” leveraging the input reviewers provide. We will also discuss how to refute a critique when appropriate.

The OSU Extension annual conference will be held on Dec. 5-7, and the hotel block is now open. We have room blocks at the Downtown Columbus Hilton and a limited number of rooms at the Hyatt Regency. Both hotels connect to the Columbus Convention Center. Double and king room styles are available at both hotels.

• Downtown Hilton Hotel: Cost is $169+tax per night. Reservations at the Hilton must be made by Monday, Nov. 21.
• Hyatt Regency Hotel: Cost cost is $149 + tax per night. Reservations at the Hyatt must be made by Monday, Nov. 21.

Workday authorization job aid: See the attached document for more instructions on submitting your spend authorization! In addition, a pre-travel policy exception has been approved by CFAES leadership to allow employees that live or work more than 20 miles from the conference site to stay overnight if requested (as opposed to the standard 45-mile policy). Please indicate in the business purpose of your travel spend authorization that you request an exception to the 45-mile overnight limit. Again, review the document attached for more details.

Proposal submission update: Huge thank you to those who submitted a proposal for the conference! We received 75 submissions, which is fantastic! The Proposal Review Committee met the week of October 24 to make the final selections. If you submitted, you will be notified of the status of your proposal next week. If you have any questions in the meantime, email Debby Lewis (lewis.205@osu.edu).

Registration will launch soon: Registration will open and available during the second week of November. The registration link will be sent via email and located on the LOD website during the second week of November. For all conference information, visit go.osu.edu/EAC2022.

The registration deadline will be Wednesday, Nov. 30 at 12 p.m. (noon). No late registrations will be accepted. The registration costs will be as follows:

• Three-day registration = $250
• Two-day registration = $225
• One-day registration = $175
• Students = $150

Biometric Screenings On Dec. 6, the OSU Health Plan’s RN health promotion specialists will be in room B132 at the annual conference to complete complimentary biometric screenings* for our department. See below for screening registration details. If you would like to register for the biometric screenings, see the complete details listed in the Oct. 28 all-Extension annual conference update message

To reduce the cost of health care and earn the 2023 premium credit, benefit-eligible faculty and staff and their medically-enrolled spouses will need to complete a verified biometric screening and the Personal Health and Well-being Assessment by Dec. 31. Enrolled faculty and staff can earn a $25 per month premium credit, or up to $40 per month with an enrolled spouse. Learn about the ways to complete a biometric screening.