[Srm] Fw: RANGE 454 SERIES WORKSHOP - SRM CORPUS CHRISTI - HIGH PRIORITY

[Larry Howery]

RANGE 454 SERIES WORKSHOP
SOCIETY FOR RANGE MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE – CORPUS CHRISTIWORKSHOP DATE/TIME: Tuesday, Feb. 2, 1-5 PMLOCATION:  American Bank Center Watergarden BFORMAT:  Brief presentations, panel discussion, round table working groups 
Dear Range 454 Series Workshop participants, Thank you for your interest in the upcoming workshop at the Corpus Christi SRM Conference.  We are completing planning for our workshop to ensure that we accomplish significant objectives. We invite your thoughts and discussion of the information below.  This effort originated with an earlier initiative to “identify disconnects and challenges for recruiting minorities in natural resource career paths in the federal workforce.”  As we (Diana & Mort) progressed through several workshops with agency personnel and university faculty, one of the “key” disconnects identified that was preventing students from entering into federal “mission critical” (i.e., the Range 454 Series) positions was inconsistencies between OPM requirements and university curricula (courses, course descriptions).  Range students are applying for these positions, but being rejected due to slight discrepancies between their transcripts and the requirements described by the federal government.  Disconnects in communication have occurred between agencies and universities, resulting in a bureaucratic glitch that is keeping qualified range conservationists from being hired for these jobs. Our objectives with this upcoming workshop in Corpus Christi are listed below, and we ask you to CAREFULLY REVIEW THE WORKSHOP OBJECTIVES so we can move through the process in an effective and time-efficient manner:   
   - Survey the needs of “on the ground” agency personnel to see if OPM requirements and university curricula are keeping up with changing demands for range conservationists in federal positions;
   - Discuss how range management programs are changing in universities for range majors, and whether they are meeting market demands for those positions;
   - Develop a strategy to align course descriptions/content with agency requirements with minimal budgetary and administrative costs;
   - Develop a strategy to present this information to senior level administrators for federal land management agencies and the Office of Personnel Management. 

FOR AGENCY PRESENTERS, please be sure to cover the following:   
   - What agencies need “on the ground” from our graduating students (courses, skills, professionalism);
   - Human Resource challenges for getting those students into the system, and any strategies that are being used by the agencies today.

Please note that this is NOT an informational workshop on recruitment.  The topics should target the specific information above. FOR ACADEMIC PARTICIPANTS, please be sure to bring the following information:   
   - Your current range management enrollment numbers, including minorities;
   - Any data that cover job placement rates of graduating range science majors;
   - Course lists for entire range science/management curriculum;
   - Course descriptions for range science/management curriculum;
   - Any important changes in your curriculum that may impact qualifications of range science majors.

Agency presenters will be receiving a request for a conference call with us to ensure that we are all in unison with our objectives for this very important workshop.  For all participants, please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or comments. Please share this information with relevant parties.

 Sincerely, Mort Kothmann & Diana Doan-CriderDept. of Ecosystem Science & Management, Texas A&M UniversityMort Kothmann Phone:  979-845-5575 (office), 979-229-7410 (cell)Diana Doan-Crider Phone: 830-589-3309 (office), 830-431-2770 (cell)



  
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