Extension Terms

Definitions of various terms frequently used are offered here:

CLIENTS - Those whom University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension serves through education--adult learners, 4-H youth, adult volunteer leaders--all who plan and participate in Extension's educational programs.

EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITY - Part of an Extension program, planned and conducted to meet stated program objectives; a nonformal (non-credit) event such as a meeting, field day, workshop, consultation, media program, presentation, discussion, and so on; also may be applied to other program delivery methods, such as newsletters and correspondence courses. Activities are anticipated to be components of programs.

EXTENSION ASSISTANTS - Paid educational and organizational aides who work on specific assignments and are supervised by Extension Educators, also referred to as Managerial/Professional.

EXTENSION EDUCATION PROGRAM (OR SIMPLY PROGRAM) - An off-campus, non-formal (non-credit) educational effort guided by specific objectives and including activities and events that are planned, conducted, and evaluated for their impact on participants' learning needs; usually sustained over a period of time.

EXTENSION EDUCATORS - Professional employees of the State Extension Service of the land-grant institution and University of Nebraska faculty members.

FEDERAL BASE FUNDS - A critical element of the state/federal partnership, these funds are matched by state funds to maintain a strong, responsive infrastructure at the state level for agricultural research, extension, and teaching.

THE JOINT COUNCIL ON FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES - Was established by Congress in 1977 to encourage and coordinate research, extension, and higher educational activities in the food and agricultural sciences throughout the United States. Its members, who are from both the public sectors, represent producers, industry, and state and federal agencies and institutions. The Council's role is to plan and coordinate research, extension, and high education within both the public and private sectors and relate the federal budgeting process to the overall functioning of the system. All major units of the NASULGC Division of Agriculture are represented through voting membership on the Council; home economics, forestry, and veterinary medicine are represented as well. The council is co-chaired by a representative of the land-grant system and the Assistant Secretary of Agriculture for Science and Education.

LAND-GRANT COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY - An institution of higher education sustained and supported by the Morrill Acts of 1862 and 1890, and expanded by the Hatch Act of 1887, the Smith-Lever Act of 1914, and subsequent legislation.

LAND-GRANT SYSTEM - A term used to describe a set of U.S. state and territorial institutions of higher learning that receive federal support for integrated programs of agriculture and home economics teaching, research, and extension. Four important Acts of Congress undergird this national system and the resultant state/federal partnership for conducting these activities:

• The Justin Morrill Land-Grant Act of 1862 - Provides federal support in the form of a grant of federal lands to any state or territory that agreed to establish a public institution for the teaching of agriculture and the mechanical arts. These are referred to as the "1862 land-grant institutions." These institutions were granted substantial parcels of land, the income from which helped frame the development and operation of these universities.
• The Justin Morrill Land-Grant Act of 1890 - Provides for federal support for the establishment of institutions, primarily for agricultural education of blacks, in the ten segregated southern states. These are referred to as the "1890 land-grant institutions."
• The Hatch Act of 1887 - Authorizes federal support for agricultural research at the state and territorial levels and the establishment of an Agricultural Experiment Station associated with each U.S. land-grant college. Hatch funds are administered by the Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service (CSREES) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
• The Smith-Lever Act of 1914 - Authorized federal support at the state and territorial levels for extension services, established a Cooperative Extension Service associated with each U.S. land-grant college. Smith-Lever funds are administered by the Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service (CSREES) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The Cooperative Extension System serves both rural and urban populations throughout the nation, transferring research based information to local citizens, families, businesses and communities.

NASULGC (National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges) - A higher education association whose membership comprises 149 major U.S. public research universities, including all U.S. land-grant institutions. The Association has four divisions: Agriculture, Marine, Urban Affairs, and International Affairs. In addition, there are seven Councils representing major areas of university life and service--Academic Affairs; Business Affairs; University Relations and Development; Extension, Continuing Education, and Public Service; Student Affairs; Research Policy and Graduate Education; and Presidents and Spouses--and seven Commissions dealing with specific areas of academic or professional education--Arts, Arts and Sciences, Education for the Engineering Professions, Forestry, Home Economics, Veterinary Medicine, and Education for the Teaching Professions.

NASULGC DIVISION OF AGRICULTURE - A major component of NASULGC; its membership comprises all 1862 and 1890 land-grant colleges of agriculture plus Tuskegee University, Texas Tech University, and Southern Illinois University. The Division has the following units:

CAHA (Council of Administrative Heads of Agriculture) - Members are the chief administrators of the member colleges of agriculture.

ESS (Experiment Station Section) - Members are the administrators of the experiment stations of all states and territories.

ECOP (Extension Committee on Organization and Policy) - The representative governing body of the Extension System; its membership composed largely of the Extension Directors of each state.

ESCOP (Experiment Station Committee on Organization and Policy) - The representative governing body of the Experiment Station Section, composed largely of the Directors of the Experiment Station in each state.

CES (Cooperative Extension Section) - Members are the designated administrators of the Cooperative Extension Services of all the states and territories.

RIS (Resident Instruction Section) - Members are the designated administrators of resident instruction programs at the colleges of agriculture of all the states and territories.

IAS (International Agriculture Section) - Members are the designated administrators of international agriculture programs at the colleges of agriculture of all the states and territories.

ICOP ( International Committee on Organization and Policy) - The representative governing body of the International Agriculture Section.

CARET (Council for Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching) = A national grassroots organization of lay persons from the constituencies served by the land-grant colleges of agriculture. Each state and territory has up to three CARET members designated by and working closely with their respective land-grant college to offer guidance and support for programs in agricultural research, extension and teaching.

ARD (The Association of Research Directors) - The Agricultural Sciences Research arm of the 1890 land-grant institutions and Tuskegee University. This body coordinates research program planning and budgeting with ESCOP and USDA and cooperates with national bodies in developing and monitoring legislation affecting these institutions.

Association of 1890 Extension Administrators - Membership includes the designated administrators for extension at the 1890 land-grant institutions and Tuskegee University. The representative governing body is an executive committee composed of the elected officers at the Association plus the 1890 representatives serving on ECOP and the ECOP budget committee.

COMMISSION ON HOME ECONOMICS - A free standing unit of NASULGC which represents the administrators of colleges of home economics at NASULGC member institutions, and provides a link with the Association of Administrators of Home Economics (AAHE, a national professional association).

COMMISSION ON FORESTRY - A free standing unit of NASULGC that represents the administrators of the colleges of forestry at NASULGC member institutions and provides a link with the National Association of Professional Forestry Schools and Colleges (NAPFSC).

COMMISSION ON VETERINARY MEDICINE - A free standing unit of NASULGC that represents the administrators of the colleges of veterinary medicine at NASULGC member institutions and provides a link with the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC).

PARAPROFESSIONALS - Paid educational and organizational aides who work on specific assignments and are supervised by Extension Educators. In Nebraska we do not use this term regularly, but rather Extension Assistant or Managerial/Professional.

STATE/FEDERAL PARTNERSHIP - A term referring to the close collaboration of the land-grant system with the relevant units of the Science and Education Administration of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Administers key programs supported by federal funds at land-grant institutions.

UAB (National Agricultural Research and Extension Users Advisory Board) - Is a statutory committee established by Congress in the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act (Farm Bill) of 1977, as revised by the Agriculture and Food Act of 1981 and the Food Security Act of 1985. The Board represents only the private sector and its 25 members reflect the multiple interests of the users of the national agricultural science and education system. The Board has the general responsibility for preparing independent advisory opinions on the food and agricultural sciences. It reports annually to the President and Congress.

VOLUNTEERS - Unpaid lay and professional persons who offer their services in support of the CES organization and its educational programs, often taking on the rule of educator under the supervision of professional Extension Educators.

1890s AND TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY - The historically black land-grant institutions in 16 southern states.