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<font face="Arial, Helvetica">TMN submittal:
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<b>Tuesday Morning Notes <br>
June 26, 2012<br><br>
<br>
FROM THE DIRECTOR:<br><br>
</b>Productivity is a common goal for all of our professional
endeavors. However, productivity can be defined in a lot of
different ways, depending on the nature of the work and the individual
perspectives that define “productivity”. In a university setting
the issue of productivity is critical in relation to program evaluations
and in the promotions and evaluations of individuals as well.
Therefore, it is important that we define productivity for Extension
programs.<br><br>
In earlier pieces and with numerous conversations and presentations
recently, I have listed several features or attributes that I see as
being important and consistent with productive Extension programs.
The “multi-faceted” nature of Extension programs will result in an array
of products that are also variable in form and function. For
example, Extension programs will often produce outputs such as bulletins,
workshops, newsletters, educational websites, videos, software, research
reports, conference proceedings, refereed journal articles, etc.
All of these outputs are important tools to Extension professionals in
the delivery of their programs but not every program will need or
generate each of these types of products. However, Extension
programs usually cannot afford to be narrow in the scope of productivity
and still be effective.<br>
The outputs that a program does generate helps identify the type of
productivity that is coming from a program. The next important part of a
productive program is the actual outcomes and “impacts” the program is
having through the use of these output tools. Accordingly, it is
important to distinguish between “activity” and “productivity”.<br><br>
What we need are good and viable Extension programs that are commonly
multi-faceted and always effective. In the review of the
Extension programs that we are conducting across CALS we are trying to
identify the programs that are not only productive in outputs but most
importantly those programs that produce the most effective outcomes and
impacts. We are currently focusing on the issues associated with
our budget challenges and reductions across this college. I believe that
in the next year or so we will be in a position to build and enhance
programs in strategically important areas. The strongest,
productive programs are the most likely candidates for future building
and enhancement.<br><br>
<b>TECH TIP OF THE WEEK CHECKING FOR DNSCHANGER INFECTION:<br><br>
</b>Less than 3 weeks before the deadline for taking clean DNSChanger
servers permanently offline, hundreds of thousands of computers still are
using the servers for DNS queries and face the risk of being cut off from
the Internet on July 9. The situation is the result of a click-jack
scheme to redirect Web traffic that was shut down by the FBI in November
2011. To allow time for the clean-up of infected computers, the FBI
obtained court orders allowing the temporary operation of clean DNS
servers using the ring's IP addresses by Internet Systems
Consortium. The second of those orders expires July 9, and when the
servers are shut down, DNS queries sent to them will go nowhere.
According to the DNSChanger Working Group, more than 300,000 unique IP
addresses still were communicating with the stopgap servers as of June
11. The number of affected users could be much higher
(Source:
</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" color="#0000FF"><u>DHS Daily Open
Source Infrastructure Report, U.S. Department of Homeland
Security</u></font><font face="Arial, Helvetica">). To check your
computers for the DNSChanger infection or for more information, use the
</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" color="#0000FF"><u>DNS Changer
Check-Up website</u></font><font face="Arial, Helvetica"> or check out
the </font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" color="#0000FF"><u>DNSChanger
Malware information document</u></font><font face="Arial, Helvetica">
(which details how to manually check for the DNSChanger infection).
<br><br>
<b>UPCOMING EVENTS:<br><br>
</b>On August 9-10, the
</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" color="#0000FF"><u>Arizona Rural
Development Council</u></font><font face="Arial, Helvetica"> will host
the only statewide conference developed expressly for rural
nonprofits. The 2012 Rural Policy Forum will provide communities
access to newly identified resources, opportunities for collaboration,
and capacity-building services to more effectively meet the needs of
rural Arizona. The Forum will also allow grant seekers, grant
makers, representatives of public agencies and elected officials explore
new partnerships that lead to mutual understanding, successful grant
proposals, and more financial resources for rural Arizona. This event
allows grant makers to expand their visibility across the State,
familiarize themselves with rural communities and target their
philanthropic giving to organizations and programs that make the greatest
community impact. To register, go to the
</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" color="#0000FF"><u>2012 Rural Policy
Forum website</u></font><font face="Arial, Helvetica"> ($99 early bird
registration deadline is June 30).<br><br>
<br>
Jeffrey C. Silvertooth<br>
Associate Dean<br>
Director for Economic Development & Extension<br>
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences<br>
PO Box 210036<br>
Tucson, AZ 85721-0036<br>
520.621.7205<br>
520.621.1314 (fax)<br><br>
<i>To submit tips, suggestions, ideas for changes and anything that could
help us be more effective, use the
“</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" color="#0000FF"><u>Director’s
Suggestion Box</u></font><font face="Arial, Helvetica">” all
submissions are anonymous. <br>
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