By RICK A. RICHARDS
Indiana Correspondent

EAST LANSING, Mich. — Any organization that wants to do more than merely survive needs to be able to objectively look at itself and calculate whether it’s accomplishing its mission. Corporations routinely do it, and the successful ones emerge fitter and more able to meet the needs of its customers and shareholders.

Michigan State University extension is no different. After an 18-month process that reviewed its programs, its mission and the capabilities of its staff, MSU on July 1 implemented a major reorganization designed to make extension more responsive and more relevant to today’s demands.

It’s a reorganization that extension service offices throughout the Midwest either have or will soon be undertaking (see related article).

“We have had a challenging eight years,” said Tom Coon, director of MSU extension. “But this past year has been different. Images of going over a cliff come to mind.”

So, along with a federal mandate that all extension services in the country are to conduct periodic reviews, Coon said the recent review in Michigan was vital because of the state’s precarious budget situation. The economy has been tough on states across the country, but in Michigan it’s been particularly difficult. The state depends on the automotive industry, which has shuttered plants, eliminated longstanding brand names and furloughed thousands of employees.

Because of that, Michigan state government has been scrambling to cut costs across the board due to the dire straits of automakers.

“We never did really come out of the last recession, and then 2008 hit. We don’t feel it’s going to get better any time soon. This forced us to take a close look at ourselves,” said Coon. “This is as much about reduction as it is about growth.”

While the reorganization could end up saving extension money, Coon said that was not what it set out to do. “As we discussed what we were going to do, we wanted to make sure that MSU extension remains relevant in the 21st century,” he said.

When the self-examination was done, Coon said extension emerged not that much different for the people who use it every day. There is still an office in each of the 82 counties and those offices are still charged with delivering services to clients.

“What’s different is how we’re organizing to get the work done,” said Coon. “We want our educators to be more specialized. Meeting the needs of those in our state through the expertise of MSU and doing so as efficiently as possible is what MSU extension is all about.”

Coon said extension began examining how it operated in 2008. As a result of that examination, the following principles will govern its operation: focused and specialized programs; reduced administrative overhead; increased responsiveness; enhanced accountability; a continued presence across the state; and adoption of emerging technology.

To accomplish those goals, Coon said extension created four areas of focus, with each to be directed by an Extension Program Institute. They are “Greening Michigan: Leveraging Natural and Human Assets for Prosperity;” “Enhancing Michigan’s First Green Industry: Agriculture and Agribusiness;” “Preparing Michigan’s Children and Youth for the Future;” and “Improving the Health and Nutrition of Michigan.”

“These are areas where we know we can make a difference,” said Coon. “They align with our expertise and with the needs and opportunities that are appropriate for a land-grant university.”

Coon also announced the directors of the four institutes. They are Rick Foster, Greening Michigan; Wendy Powers, Agriculture and Agribusiness; Julie Chapin, Preparing Children and Youth for the Future; and Dawn Contreras, Improving Health and Nutrition.

Now, instead of every county having, say, a sugar beet expert, there will be a sugar beet expert for a region made up of several counties. There will be 13 multi-county districts in Michigan. “This reorganization will give our staff a chance to specialize, and the more specialized they become, the bigger geographic area they can service,” he said.

Coon explained for the most part, he doesn’t think the extension staff in the state disagrees with the principle, but there are concerns about its implementation. As with any change of this magnitude, he acknowledges that people are worried, and believes that’s natural and completely understandable: “We’ve not done anything like this before. There is a lot of uncertainty.”

On the academic side, in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, there will be consolidations in administrative support and reductions will take place, primarily through attrition. But, Coon acknowledged, “We’re probably going to have to let some people go.”

Massive budget cuts by Gov. Jennifer Granholm have forced extension to rethink how it is funded. Coon said it will be more aggressive in pursuing grants to do the programs and research that Michigan has come to expect.

“Information and advice that was free in the past, we’ll probably have to charge for in the future,” said Coon. “I hope the quality will be better. I hope this brings more valuable content to the program.”

One thing he said clients can expect is that instead of bringing programs to several locations around Michigan in a sort of traveling road show, those programs will likely be available online.

“We’re also going to be more attentive to what our clients need. After all, it’s about customer service,” said Coon.

One cut that is already noticeable is the elimination of the Michigan State Fair. The property where it was held in Detroit has been closed. Coon said the annual state fair in the Upper Peninsula will continue, but that fair is organized and financed by private organizations – not the state.