Bringing Knowledge to Life!

Background

Since its beginning, Michigan Extension has focused on bringing knowledge-based educational programs to the people of the state to improve their lives and communities. Today, county-based staff members, in concert with on-campus faculty members, serve every county with programming focused on agriculture and natural resources; children, youth and families; and community and economic development.

Today’s problems are very complex. Solutions require the expertise of numerous disciplines and the collaboration of many partners. Operating synergistically with the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station and other Michigan State University units, MSU Extension extends the University’s knowledge resources to all Michigan citizens and assists them in meeting their learning needs through a variety of educational strategies, technologies and collaborative arrangements.

History

Michigan Extension work began before the organization was officially organized. The Michigan State College's (now MSU) first livestock field agent was hired in 1907. In 1912, the Michigan Legislature authorized county boards of supervisors to appropriate funds and levy taxes to further teaching and demonstrations in Extension work. Eleven agricultural agents were named that year. In 1914, Congress passed the Smith-Lever Act, which created the Cooperative Extension System and directed the nation’s land grant universities to oversee its work.

With the passage of the Smith-Lever Act, the first statewide home economics and 4-H youth Extension workers were appointed; county home economics agents were appointed beginning in 1915. In the early years of Extension, "demonstration agents" showed or demonstrated new farming or homemaking techniques. Today, Extension agents use a wide variety of information systems to deliver educational information.

Mission

Michigan State University Extension (MSUE) helps people improve their lives through an educational process that applies knowledge to critical issues, needs and opportunities.

Principles

EXCELLENCE in educational programming and in our faculty and staff members.
PEOPLE and helping them meet their most pressing needs.
CHANGE to insure relevance and continued excellence.
OPENNESS and INTEGRITYin all our relationships.
DIVERSITY because differences enrich.
ACCESSIBILITY to MSU from every corner of the state and beyond.
PARTNERSHIPS in our community-based delivery model.

Vision

• Michigan has strong and healthy families and optimistic youth from all cultural, ethnic and economic backgrounds.
• Michigan has a profitable, globally competitive and safe food system in harmony with its natural resources base.
• Michigan has a citizenry of all ages who understand their role as stewards of the land.
• Michigan has viable and caring communities capable of generating meaningful jobs and satisfactory income levels for all its citizens.

MSU Extension’s funding is from the following sources:

• 13 percent from federal funds.
• 42 percent from state funds (includes support for Project GREEEN and the Animal Agriculture Initiative).
• .6 percent from general funds (state funding to the university).
• Seven percent from county funding through memorandums of understanding. Counties also provide an additional 21 percent for staff, office space, travel and other county-level operating expenses including in-kind expenses.
• 16 percent from outside grants.

Location

MSU Extension offices and staff are in all 83 counties. Extension faculty on the Michigan State University campus conduct research and translate research results into educational programs. They act as resource people for Extension staff members in the counties. More than 29 academic departments and eight colleges work directly with Extension.

Staff

The MSU Extension Director reports to the Dean of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. There are also two  Associate Directors, six Regional Directors and 83 County Directors.

MSU Extension pays all or portions of salaries of approximately 286 campus-based specialists, representing 122.8 FTEs. Professional off-campus staff members account for an additional 302.75 FTEs. There are 115 FTEs assigned to support positions (program associates) and 40 graduate assistants.

Areas of Emphasis

Extension provides information and offers on-going educational programs in three areas:

Agriculture and Natural Resources
Children, Youth and Family Programs
Community and Economic Development

• Agriculture and Natural Resources

Michigan State University Extension provides research-based educational programs to Michigan's agricultural industry, from farmers to commodity groups, agribusiness, food processors and retailers. Programs are delivered through client-directed Area of Expertise teams and via county based agriculture and natural resource agents.

MSU Extension agriculture programs are foucsed on these major emphases:
 

• Wise land use
• Integrated pest management
• Animal management
• Waste management
• Agricultural profitability and marketing
• Plant agriculture systems

• Children, Youth and Family Programs

Vision:  All children will enter school healthy and ready to learn.  Parents will nurture their children in positives ways.  Families will be safe and thrive.  Communities will be safe and provide for all citizens.

Mission:  To strengthen families through research-based education and to build community capacity to support families through education, collaboration, and systems reform.

Children, Youth, and Family programs work in two focus areas:
 

• Family and Consumer Sciences - integrating university and community resources to provide education to help families succeed and using sound food and nutrition principles to improve health.
• Youth Development/4-H - providing fun, educational opportunities and resources to  develop youth and the volunteers and professionals who work with them.

• Community and Economic Development

Michigan State University Extension Community Development programs enhance the quality of life in Michigan through research-based educational programs that help people address concerns about their communities' social, economic and environmental conditions.  Some programs are broad based, such as efforts to help community leaders understand the complex social and economic interactions that create pressure for sprawl development.  Others are very specific, like the programs to help people form non-profit organizations.

Programs may offer technical assistance to businesses, groups or individuals and provide educational programs for youth, community leaders, associations, private landowners or other interested residents. To see more complete descriptions of community development programs, visit MSU Extension's Community Development and Natural Resources home page.
 
 

Sharpening Our Program Focus

Michigan residents' needs and interests are the driving force behind MSU Extension programs. In 2001, volunteer county Extension council members, along with staff members in every Michigan county, went out into their communities to explore the challenges and issues facing people from all walks of life. Every county identified focus areas for local programming. They shared these county issues with stakeholders and staff members at regional meetings, and with MSU Extension leadership.

Each county process was intended to identify local programming foci. All counties undertook customized processes and selected topics specific their needs. The issues were coalesced at the regional and state levels and the following five emerged as state level focus areas:

• Building strong communities
• Strengthening agricultural profitability
• Encouraging responsible land and natural resource use
• Building healthy families
• Helping youth succeed

The Team Approach

Learn about the Area of Expertise team approach to meeting educational needs by clicking here.