Rachel L. Unger Research and Graduate Education Pennsylvania Agricultural Experiment Station ORGANIZATIONAL IMPACT OF DOWNSIZING

Downsizing resulted from… Ag Futures Core Council Recommendations Budget Situation – Strategic and Non-Strategic Approaches

Ag Futures Goals Evaluate programs and priorities Identify areas of strategic opportunity and growth Balance strategic vision with budget realities Emerge as a stronger, more agile college

Ag Futures Long-Term Impacts Food/fiber production, food security, and safety Sustainability Human, animal, plant and environmental health Cooperative Extension of the 21 st century

Penn State Core Council Recommendations Consolidate academic units Reduce/remove under-enrolled courses Participate in university-wide reorganization of life sciences graduate programs Seek new revenue generation opportunities Evaluate and adjust livestock and land holdings Re-examine cooperative extension operations

Academic Restructuring Six independent teams – unique, creative proposals Identify potential program synergies Propose new academic structure Consider current capacity of all 12 units Not constrained by current structure

New Academic Unit Structure Food Science Agricultural and Biological Engineering Animal Science Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences Agricultural Economics, Sociology, and Education Plant Pathology and Environmental Microbiology Entomology Plant Science Ecosystem and Science and Management

Academic Units Departmental mergers – Changing cultures Curricular changes Staffing patterns Centralizing IT, Web, and Financial Services Programs and people in new units Leadership of nine ‘new’ departments

Extension Changes Focus on strategic areas of excellence Team approach to research and educational programs County-based presence addressing local needs Diverse, statewide partnerships Stakeholder access to research-based information Program delivery – diverse technology and formats

Major Elements of Change Administrative change leading to districts Programmatic focus and priorities – Increase organizational focus on programs Reporting line changes

Extension Districts

Program Focus and Priorities Food and Fiber Production and Processing Environmental Management Economic and Community Development

Program Teams Poultry Dairy Livestock Equine Field and Forage Crops Renewable Natural Resources Horticulture Family Consumer Science Food Safety and Quality 4-H Youth Development Ag Entrepreneurship and Economic, Community Development

Reporting Lines Extension Director Associate Director (1) District Directors (19) Extension Program Leaders (7) All Educators (~230 in 11 Program Teams) AdministrativeProgrammatic

19% Budget Reduction from State Addressed via program and personnel cuts within a short timeframe – Voluntary retirement program – 82 individuals – Lay-offs equivalent to positions Reviewed all programs, farms and facilities, extension, and academic and support units for cost-saving options – Facilities consolidating or closing

End Results and Impacts…. Focus our program deliverables Eliminate program areas strategically Align program priorities with budget realities Excel in research and education on topics of greatest impact to PA citizens Operate as a cohesive organization Be efficient in our operations