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Revised, Gregory McKee, 2006
The Quentin Burdick Center for Cooperatives (QBCC)
is at a defining moment. It has gone through its birth and initial growth stages and now
has to decide what it should be doing during the next stage of its life. In order to
stimulate discussion about the future, the following ideas are organized around four major
themes: (1) education including academic and executive, (2) research including
academic/public and specific/confidential, (3) outreach/communication, and (4)
coordination/cooperation.
EDUCATION
Academic --One of the
original primary goals of QBCC was "to create a pool of university graduates who
thoroughly understand cooperative philosophy, principles and management strategies"
continues to be primary. Teaching the NDSU cooperatives course, creating modules to be
used in other agribusiness and business courses, and assisting other colleges and
universities to introduce courses or modules on cooperatives remains as important as when
it was stated in the December 10, 1992 monograph.
RESEARCH
Academic/Public --This area
of research fits the traditional role of university research. Topics are general,
information is published in publicly available reports and articles and funding usually is
obtained from government agencies or foundations. Many of these research efforts have and
will focus on the issues facing the traditional cooperatives. QBCC already has conducted
and completed several research projects in this arena and will continue to do so as need
arises and funds are available.
Specific/Confidential--Many of the NGCs operate the arena of
branded products, strategic decisions based upon knowledge of competitor's plans, and
marketing based on product positioning, price strategy, promotion and place. In order for
the QBCC to serve real needs of these cooperatives, it must have the ability to conduct
research specific to a single cooperative and to hold the analysis and results
confidential for some length of time. Similar situations and needs may arise with the
traditional cooperatives, particularly in the area of structural changes. Again, QBCC
personnel may not "do the research," but be instrumental in assisting the
cooperative to identify the appropriate university and private experts to conduct the
research.
These proposals, education and research, are intended to provide the flexibility
for the QBCC to be responsive to the real needs of both traditional and new
processing cooperatives in the region, and to also meet needs of a specific
cooperative.
OUTREACH/COMMUNICATION
Outreach activities were not explicitly
mentioned as a primary goal of the center in early communications, however
many of the activities of the QBCC are in this area. Participation in
conferences, extension agent training, Marketplace, etc., qualify as
outreach activities. Outreach is consistent with the role of a land grant
university and a logical extension of research and education goals of
the center.
COORDINATION/COOPERATION
Each of the goals and activities of the QBCC needs
to be coordinated with other organizations and agencies in the region. It needs to be able
to take leadership in some situations and play a supportive role in other circumstances.
This role extends to both research activities and educational services. Continued
attendance and participation in state association and annual cooperative meetings, and
regional and national conferences is a part of this role.
Last updated:
June 6, 2006
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