Engagement

Initiative 1: Create innovative, multidisciplinary education and communication programming relevant to Indiana and beyond.

  1. Increase the number of learning events in key areas by 10 percent. Work on engagement in STEM education, current issues in agriculture and natural resources, and in big data/digital agriculture.
  2. Increase collaborations with Indiana 4-H and PK-12 engagement by 10 percent.

Initiative 2: Raise awareness of ASEC engagement/Extension programming impacts.

  1. Work to improve and implement guidelines outlined in Purdue’s “Guide to Documenting, Evaluating and Recognizing Engaged Scholarship” to document outcomes of ASEC engagement programs. Have guidelines in place within the first year of the strategic plan.
  2. Share success stories from ASEC Extension and engagement programming with alumni and donors and through social media.

Metrics for This Initiative

  • Increase promotion of engagement successes by 5 percent.
  • Develop strategies for tracking media products (social, print, video, photo, websites). Including ASEC graduate, and undergraduate, student products by AY 2022-23.

Initiative 3: Improve the quality and quantity of ASEC engagement programs.

  1. Clarify and quantify definitions of Extension, engagement, and outreach in the department. Determine and share definitions within the first year of the strategic plan.
  2. Develop a collective engagement (Extension, PK-12 engagement, MESA, outreach, etc.) and assessment plan. Identify some areas to focus on outcomes, assessing impact, and scholarship. Develop and share the plan within the first two years of the strategic plan.
  3. Provide workshops on program evaluation. Offer a minimum of five workshops.
  4. Prepare a diverse and inclusive Extension workforce. Promote diversity and inclusion in all ASEC education and communication engagement curricula.

Initiative 4: Provide leadership in the college for public engagement and program evaluation.

  1. Supplement existing expertise with new faculty positions in public engagement and program evaluation.
  2. Provide collegewide workshops in public engagement and program evaluation.
  3. Expand use of contemporary communication technology that reaches new audiences.
  4. Increase online programming by 5 percent.
  5. Create opportunities for faculty and staff to advance their knowledge of subject matter and delivery skills. Provide department-wide workshops on innovative engagement programming. Fund educational opportunities for innovative learning in engagement.
  6. Encourage faculty and staff to engage in global engagement activities and leverage existing international relationships. Increase global engagement by 5 percent.

Initiative 5: Introduce Extension as a career option and identify new audiences and opportunities for people to try Extension as a career (e.g., internships).

  1. Increase enrollment in the ASEC online engagement curriculum by 10 percent.
  2. Promote ASEC engagement education to alumni and donors and through social media.

Initiative 6: Engage with and cultivate donors for increasing private funding and program support.

  1. Create opportunities for faculty and staff to interact with donors and funders. Increase donations for engagement programming by 10 percent.