MU Extension faces budget cuts

Nevada Daily Mail

The Vernon County MU Extension office is already feeling the effects of system wide budget cuts and a March 2016 hiring freeze.

According to a document from the MU Extension titled "Understanding the MU Extension budget for FY2017," all MU campus units, "will see a 5 percent reduction in general operating revenue."

This directly affects the number of employees MU Extension can afford as, "90 percent of MU Extension's general operating revenue is used to cover employee-related costs."

Dennis Gagnon, the Director of Communications and Marketing for the University of Missouri Extension, said, "Without funding to support them, the positions are no longer available. However, in the future, changes in the funding situation could result in similar positions being created and filled."

An example of the restraints being placed on the MU Extension recently occurred as Youth Specialist Landon Sullivan was reassigned from a posting in central Missouri to Vernon and Bates counties. Normally, there would be one youth educator in each of these counties.

"For each fiscal year, MU Extension strives to balance funding and program coverage needs for each county in the state. Depending on funding and specific program coverage needs, a specialist may provide coverage for one or more counties in a region," Gagnon said.

Due to the budget cuts, MU Extension will lose 21 full-time employees. Vernon County is part of the West Central Region, which will lose a human/environmental specialist and a community development specialist. Neither position is based in Vernon County.

Of the 21 positions that have been eliminated, 10 are located on the MU campus in Columbia. This will reduce the MU Extension's total number of personnel by 3 percent from 775 full-time employees to 754.

This staffing reduction is coupled with a hiring freeze that has been in place across the MU system since March. "MU Extension does have some discretion to open and fill positions that are considered essential or mission-critical," Gagnon said.

Gagnon cited several examples of essential positions. "Sufficient, trained and reliable adult oversight from a knowledgeable youth professional is required to insure the safety of young people participating in 4-H programs. For grant funded research projects that represent a binding commitment between the university and the funding organization, MU Extension must retain faculty with the skill set required to complete the research and honor the contract. Certain areas of expertise may be essential for community economic development and timely program delivery, such as having a regional livestock specialist available in an area that is heavily dependent on agricultural production."

Gagnon said, "Based on current financial projections, we anticipate the MU hiring freeze could continue through the end of the fiscal year. However, a change in the financial picture for the university could alter the situation."

A preliminary overview of the 2016-17 MU Extension budget projects 33 percent of the operating budget will come from state appropriations; 28 percent from grants and contracts; 14 percent from federal funds; 10 percent from sales, service, and fee revenue; with the remaining 15 percent coming from various local funds, administrative costs, gifts, and other minor revenue streams.

Although the state of Missouri has increased the allocated money for MU, decreased enrollment has resulted in a net decrease.

The current hiring freeze and enrollment rates are not the sole cause of the decrease to the Extension budget. In 2011, for-credit continuing education funds were reallocated to the MU provost's office from the Extension. This resulted in a $17 million dollar decrease in generated revenue.

Prior to this change, generated revenue had been exceeding appropriated funds every year since 2008. To date, generated revenue has not again exceeded appropriated funds and is expected to decrease further due to declining enrollment. The closest it came was in 2014 when generated revenue rose to $41 million dollars and appropriated funds had been cut to $42 million dollars.

Gagnon said, "The decision to integrate MU Extension distance education continuing education programs with MU campus programs was made years ago. We retain an asterisk within our budget reports concerning this change to help people understand why our budget changed dramatically at that specific point in time.

The CE programs that were moved at that time were for credit courses connected with degree seeking requirements. MU Extension retained CE programs that were not for credit courses and were not connected with degree seeking requirements."

Additionally, "funds from government sources have not kept up with inflation," the document read.

Change could be in store though, as the MU Extension welcomes new leadership this fall. Dr. Marshall Stewart will begin his tenure as vice chancellor of extension and engagement, and as the MU Extension Director.

Gagnon said, "Extension is a people-centered business where relationships are important. Dr. Stewart recognizes this. Consequently, he will begin his work by engaging in a series of listening and learning activities that lead to building partnerships and trust -- internally and externally. He has indicated that MU Extension's success will be found in helping people by leading, serving and growing."

Vernon County currently has 422 youth enrolled in 4-H clubs and ranks eighth in the state for highest enrollment.

Wayne Prewitt, director of the West Central Region, MU Extension, said, "the number of volunteers are just as important as the number of 4-H kids -- without them, we would not have 4-H clubs."

"We're lucky Vernon County has such a strong 4-H tradition," Prewitt said.

More information on the Vernon County MU Extension office can be found at their website at: http://extension.missouri.edu/vernon.