Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

Brief summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting: The first order of business was to establish the agenda covering a wide range of topics suggested by the participants. The group was welcomed by Associate Dean Ponce de Leon, from the College of Agriculture Food and Natural Resource Science. The Administrative Advisors report was then delivered by Gary Lemme. Dr. Lemme who reported: " Department heads and chairs now only meet annually in the NC region. " Multi-state projects will continue to strengthen in importance in Federal budgeting. " Action on the Farm bill is pending. " Federal funding recipients will need to demonstrate impacts. Next, the participants began a discussion of suggested topics including: " 9-month vs. 12 month appointments for new faculty. Trend is toward 9-month appointments, but was variable among institutions. " Research farm management and funding. Discussed were the various ways research farms were funded either through the College or through the Department and whether or not usage fees were imposed. " Urban encroachment of University research farms. Strategies were discussed to help address sustained pressure on urban research farms. " Engaging non-traditional agricultural students. Various approaches to attracting non-traditional students into horticulture were discussed. Student run farms, classes of broad interest, and innovative recruitment were highlighted. " The Horticulture CRSP was discussed. The understanding was that the project was being amended. " Maintaining cohesion in a multi-disciplinary, hybrid department. " Was the designation agriculture beneficial or harmful to what we do in a university environment? Consensus was there was value in being associated with agriculture. The remainder of the afternoon the group toured the Minnesota Arboretum, met with their administrators, and discussed the innovative programs being offered by the staff. The group reconvened the following morning to continue topic discussions which included: " Raising funds to support capital improvements such as greenhouses. Strategies were discussed. " Typical start-up packages for new faculty and how these were funded. Department contributions ranged from 0-50% of the package. Minnesota faculty member Dr. Bud Markhart provided a demonstration of using Clicker Technology to enhance classroom teaching. Highlights included it interactive capabilities and the potential for immediate feedback. Key Discussions: The remaining time was used to discuss and relate new faculty hires or positions that were about to be posted at the different participating institutions. Assigned Responsibilities/Deadlines/Target Dates: Dr. Mark Langrimini will host next annual meeting at the University of Nebraska. Dr. Bill Randle was elected Secretary and will host the 2010 meetings. Signature: Authorization: