K-State Research and Extension

Infobox Government agency
agency_name = K-State Research and Extension

logo_caption = Official Logo of K-State Research and Extension (2008)
formed = 1863, 1887, 1914
jurisdiction = Kansas
headquarters = Manhattan, Kansas
budget = $142.6 million (FY 2008) [ [http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=62 KSRE Budget Data 2008] ]
chief1_name = Fred A. Cholick
chief1_position = Director of K-State Research and Extension
chief2_name = Daryl Buchholz
chief2_position = Associate Director of Extension and Applied Research
chief3_name = Ernest Minton
chief3_position = Interim Associate Director of Research and Technology Transfer
website = http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/
footnotes =

K-State Research and Extension (KSRE) is the simplified name for the "Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service", a program under the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) agency and developed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). A partnership between the land-grant university of Kansas State University (KSU) and federal, state and county governments, KSRE conducts research in numerous areas and later passes on the findings to Kansas residents via extension agents, conferences, workshops, field days, publications, newsletters and the internet. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, KSRE has county Extension offices, experiment fields, area Extension offices and regional research centers statewide in all 105 Kansas counties. Its headquarters is on KSU’s main campus in Manhattan, Kansas.

Mission Statement

KSRE believes strongly in improving Kansans’ standard of living and quality of life by providing "Knowledge for Life" and therefore abides by the following mission:

"We are dedicated to a safe, sustainable, competitive food and fiber system and to strong, healthy communities, families and youth through integrated research, analysis and education." [ [http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=25 KSRE Mission] ]

Vision and Commitment

K-State Research and Extension is committed to expanding human capacity by delivering eduational programs and technical information that result in improved leadership skills in the areas of communication, group dynamics, conflict resolution, issue analysis, and strategic planning that can enhance the economic viability and quality of life in communities. [ [http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=25 KSRE Vision] ]

Core Values

K-State Research and Extension is guided by:
*Integrity - to develop and deliver credible information,
*Communication - to provide common understanding,
*Scholarship - to foster lifelong learning,
*Leadership - to serve as an agent of change, and
*Inclusion - to encourage active participation by all. [ [http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=85 KSRE Core Values] ]

History

*1862 - The Morrill Act provided grants of federal lands to states and territories agreeing to establish a public institution for teaching of agriculture and the mechanical arts.
*1863 - Bluemont College in Manhattan, Kansas was renamed the Kansas State Agricultural College.
*1887 - The Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station was created at Kansas State Agricultural College under the Hatch Act.
*1914 - The Smith-Lever Act authorized federal support for extension services at state and territorial level and establishing of a Cooperative Extension Service at each.
*1959 - The official university name was changed to Kansas State University of Agriculture and Applied Sciences.
*1996 - The Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service merged to form K-State Research and Extension. [ [http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=25 KSRE History] ]

Research

K-State Research and Extension is dedicated to a safe, sustainable, competitive food and fiber system and to strong, healthy communities, families, and youth through integrated research, analysis, and education. Not only does KSRE have full or part-time faculty in 23 academic departments across five K-State colleges, it supports four research centers, six satellite units, and three experimental fields throughout Kansas in an effort to provide credible and valuable information in five core categories:
#Natural Resources and Environmental Management
#Healthy Communities: Youth, Adults, and Families
#Safe Food and Human Nutrition
#Competitive Agricultural Systems
#Economic Development through Value- Added Products [ [http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/library/misc2/unn22.pdf Informal Report to the KS Legislature 2008] ]

Extension

Extension means reaching out, thus, along with teaching and research, land-grant institutions such as Kansas State University have a duty to “extend” their knowledge, solving public needs with college or university resources through non-formal, non-credit programs. Therefore, KSRE staffs each local office with professionals who are equipped to serve the needs of Kansas citizens.

K-State Research and Extension focuses its programs in 12 areas critical to everyday life:
# Healthy Eating and Physical Activity
# Healthy Sustainable Communities
# Positive Child, Youth, and Family Development
# Positive Adult Quality of Life
# New and Enhanced Products from Agriculture
# Conservation of Soil, Water, and Energy
# Improved Quality of Land, Air, and Water
# Efficient and Sustainable Cropping and Horticultural Systems
# Efficient and Sustainable Animal Production Systems
# Farm and Food Systems Management
# Safe, Secure, High-quality Food Supply
# Enhanced Nutritional Quality of the Food Supply [ [http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=17 Extension] ]

References