| Extension Acronyms and Common Terms |
Extension Acronyms and Common Terms ADA – Americans with Disabilities Act – The federal law that requires Extension and other federally funded entities to make accommodation for people with disabilities. AES – Agricultural Experiment Station (in some sates, Agricultural Extension Service, the state partner). ANR – Agriculture and Natural Resources (program areas). CARET – Council for Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching – A national grassroots organization of lay persons from the constituencies served by the land-grant colleges of agriculture. Each state and territory has up to three CARET members designated by and working closely with their respective land-grant college to offer guidance and support for programs in agricultural research, extension and teaching. CES – Cooperative Extension System – The national publicly funded nonformal educational system that links the educational and research resources and activities of the U.S. Department of Agriculture; land-grant universities in every state, territory and the District of Columbia; and about 3,150 county administrative units. The mission of this federal, state and local partnership is to enable people to improve their lives and communities through learning partnerships that put knowledge to work. CSREES – Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service – The USDA unit that is the federal partner of the Cooperative Extension System. EARS – Extension Accomplishments Reporting System, a Web-based database that shows how programs delivered by the NDSU Extension Service are impacting people in North Dakota. ECOP – Extension Committee on Organization and Policy) – The representative governing body of the Extension System; its membership composed largely of the Extension Directors of each state. EDEN – Extension Disaster Education Network – An interdisciplinary national Extension group that shares information on disaster preparation and recovery. EEO – Equal Employment Opportunity. ELT - Extension Leadership Team - A team who is responsible for establishment and implementation of policies and procedures relating to extension programs, personnel, budget and public relations. The team is comprised of the Extension Director, assistant directors, district directors, the Ag Communication Director, the Assistant to the Director, and the directors of the Centers for 4-H Youth Development and Community Vitality. EFNEP – Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program – A federally funded program that teaches low-income families with young children and low-income youth how to improve their dietary practices and become more effective managers of available resources. ESCOP – Experiment Station Committee on Organization and Policy – The representative governing body of the Experiment Station Section, composed largely of the Directors of the Experiment Station in each state. ESP – Epsilon Sigma Phi – The Extension Service's honorary fraternity. EXT - The abbreviation for Extension, usually the NDSU Extension Service. Federal Base – A critical element of the state/federal partnership, these funds are matched by state funds to maintain a strong, responsive infrastructure at the state level for agricultural research, extension, and teaching. FNP – Family Nutrition Program – A federally funded program that serves food stamp recipients or eligible non-participants about eating right and resource management. GPRA – Government Performance and Results Act – The 1993 federal law that requires federally funded agencies to develop and implement an accountability system based on performance measurement, including setting goals and objectives and measuring progress toward achieving them. IBID – Institute for Business and Industry Development. JCEP – Joint Council of Extension Professionals – A partnership of the four professional organizations (Epsilon Sigma Phi, National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences, National Association of Extension 4-H Agents, National Association of Extension Agriculture Agents). The Joint Council on Food and Agricultural Sciences – Was established by Congress in 1977 to encourage and coordinate research, extension, and higher educational activities in the food and agricultural sciences throughout the U.S. Its members, who are from both the public sectors, represent producers, industry, and state and federal agencies and institutions. The council's role is to plan and coordinate research, extension, and high education within both the public and private sectors and relate the federal budgeting process to the overall functioning of the system. All major units of the NASULGC Division of Agriculture are represented through voting membership on the Council; home economics, forestry, and veterinary medicine are represented as well. The council is co-chaired by a representative of the land-grant system and the Assistant Secretary of Agriculture for Science and Education. Land-Grant System - a term used to describe the set of U. S. state and territorial institutions of higher learning which receive federal support for integrated programs of agricultural teaching, research, and extension for agriculture, food, and environmental systems. Five historic Acts of Congress undergird this national system and the resultant state/federal partnership for conducting these activities:
LEAD21 - An annual program to develop leaders in land-grant institutions and their strategic partners who link research, academics, and extension in order to lead more effectively in an increasingly complex environment, either in their current position or as they aspire to other positions. MPU – Multicounty Program Unit – Call them "units" to avoid using this acronym. NAE4-HA - National Association of Extension 4-H Agents NEAFCS - National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences NASULGC – National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges – A higher education association whose membership comprises 149 major U.S. public research universities, including all U.S. land-grant institutions. The Association has four divisions: Agriculture, Marine, Urban Affairs, and International Affairs. In addition, there are seven Councils representing major areas of university life and service – Academic Affairs; Business Affairs; University Relations and Development; Extension, Continuing Education, and Public Service; Student Affairs; Research Policy and Graduate Education; and Presidents and Spouses – and seven Commissions dealing with specific areas of academic or professional education – Arts, Arts and Sciences, Education for the Engineering Professions, Forestry, Home Economics, Veterinary Medicine, and Education for the Teaching Professions. NACAA - National Association of County Agricultural Agents NCR – North Central Region – 12 states: North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin. NELD North Central – National Extension Leadership Development – An Extension Leadership development program of the North Central Region states. NDAE4-HYW – North Dakota Association of Extension 4-H Youth Workers NDAEA – North Dakota Association of Extension Agents (primarily agriculture) NDEAFCS – North Dakota Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences NDUS – North Dakota University System PLC – Program Leadership Committee – An ECOP committee that responds to critical issues, facilitates interdisciplinary Extension programs and coordinates task forces that develop new initiatives. PODC – Personnel and Organizational Development Committee – An ECOP committee that promotes employee competence, recommends improved methods of delivering Extension programs and encourages multi-state professional improvement. POW – Plan of Work Program Council - A group comprised of program planning team chairs, program leaders, department heads/chairs, district directors, the Extension Director, Ag Communication Director and other communication staff who focus on extension program planning, program delivery, and faculty and staff in-service training. REC – Research Extension Center – North Dakota's RECs are Carrington, Dickinson, Hettinger, Langdon, North Central (Minot), Central Grasslands (Streeter), Williston and the Agronomy Seed Farm at Casselton. SBARE – State Board of Agricultural Research and Education The Smith-Lever Act of 1914 – Authorized federal support at the state and territorial levels for extension services, established a Cooperative Extension Service associated with each U.S. land-grant college. Smith-Lever funds are administered by the Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service (CSREES) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The Cooperative Extension System serves both rural and urban populations throughout the nation, transferring research based information to local citizens, families, businesses and communities. SPC – Strategic Planning Council – An ECOP committee that leads futuring, visioning and planning for Extension. USDA – U.S. Department of Agriculture Volunteers – Unpaid lay and professional persons who offer their services in support of the CES organization and its educational programs. 1890s and Tuskegee University – The historically black land-grant institutions in 16 southern states. 1994 Institutions – Reservation-based land-grant institutions |