OTHER COMMENTS
At the conclusion of the survey, respondents were asked to “ Please share any other comments or recommendations related to professional development training for Extension. ” Feedback provided by the respondents is summarized here with responses provided verbatim, except minor corrections to improve grammar.
Challenges associated with capacity
Capacity is a large issue and the distribution of workloads. Additionally, succession planning and supporting vacancies during transition is important.
I think there is a general shortage of people in positions throughout Extension.
Challenges associated with access and/or funding and other means of support
It is getting harder to find professional development and to pay for it.
It is very difficult to find training opportunities in any of the subjects listed previously. I have had to just figure everything out on my own. Always.
Our opportunities for professional development are rather limited--no out of state, and limited dollar amounts, particularly for part-time employees. We are encouraged to participate in online trainings, but most of us NEED interaction with people to develop professional networks. In terms of requesting the PD and being reimbursed for expenses, the processes are cumbersome to the point where colleagues will say 'Oh forget it. I'll just do something online.' It would be a valuable team-building experience to attend a conference together and use the experience to shape local work, but we are not allowed to do so. Main barriers to continuing professional development in any organization include financial limitations, distance, and lack of resources. Those of us in rural areas are hit hardest by all three barriers. We will likely not have access to professional development in our local areas except online and many times even then connectivity is an issue coupled with the aforementioned lack of face-to-face networking inherent in online professional development. It will cost us more in terms of travel time and resources to attend those in-person events, yet our professional development allocation is the same as everyone else's. We also have limited or no support staff to help us with the travel and reimbursement details, so all of that falls on our shoulders as well. We need fully staffed offices (Ag, 4-H, FCS) in each county, and competitive wages to retain employees. We are considered Educators that work 12 months out of the year and we get paid less then classroom teachers who work a 10-month contract. There needs to be more national (global) support of Extension Programs - as funding is reduces at local and state levels, there is little capacity to keep Extension Centers and programs healthy. We had 4 failed director searches, in the last 4 years and as a result have disjointed leadership, programmatic and revenue sources. There is little federal support for keeping professional development, Extension Goals, and programs 'healthy' and able to provide meaningful outcomes for the communities they serve. More priority and effort have been placed on Civil rights compliance and training, but those metrics are often the *outcome* of well -supported programs/ Extension Programs. It feels like more reporting is required, but not more support to create impactful programs, support staff for program assessment, or reporting compliance.
Challenges associated with remaining relevant amidst change
The definition of a Land-grants university is changed. Grants are viewed as 'must' for success.
To me the core of training and support needed is keeping current cutting-edge knowledge in our fields. If we don't get that part right, the rest makes no difference.
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