Southern Administrative Heads and CARET Joint Summer Zoom Meeting

July 31, 2020 – 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. EDT

Minutes

Participants

Joint AHS/CARET Business Meeting

1. Welcome – Tim Cross, S-AHS Chair and Oscar Taylor, S-CARET Chair
2. CLP Update – Hunt Shipman, Cornerstone Government Affairs
   1. See CLP update slides
3. BAC Update – Paul Patterson, BAC Advisory Chair
   1. See BAC update slides
   2. Orlando McMeans is current chair, Paul Patterson is Advocacy Chair
   3. Bill movement in Congress has slowed down due to COVID
   4. Four large bills were passed rapidly to provide assistance during shut down
   5. Appropriations bill has passed House with increases over 2020 in most priority lines
   6. Advocacy efforts will need to be modified this year due to COVID related restrictions
   7. There is discussion about how to better handle call-to-action
   8. A “Whip” concept is being considered involving an administrative head in each region that collects info on how other AH’s are responding to the call-to-action
   9. What virtual advocacy actions are effective?
      1. CARET delegates need to maintain relationship with staffers
      2. AHS also, if allowable by institution policy
      3. Cornerstone is considering arranging special meetings, if needed
      4. Maintain contact with staffers, more important now than ever
      5. Connect in state, if possible
   10. Is there any way to engage our delegation on current social issues?
       1. TN Extension is doing some of this
       2. ESS fall workshop theme is inclusive excellence
4. Legislative Update – Hunt Shipman
   1. Latest COVID response bill #4 has two versions now, House is $3T, Senate is higher and includes BAA $380M ask
   2. FY’21 regular appropriations have not moved in Senate due to Democrats offering amendments that Republicans do not want to vote on.
   3. Senate should start revealing details in September, bills have already been written but not made public
   4. Can we have a standard method for how to approach Congress related to COVID funding?
      1. Landgrant.org website some best practices guides for interacting with Congress that are applicable to any legislation
   5. If Continuing Resolution is passed it will likely be a level funding with no changes to statue que and funds will go out on prorated basis to avoid overspending if actual budget is less
   6. If there’s a switch in administration, there might be another CR in January
5. NIFA Update – Parag Chitnis, NIFA Interim Director
   1. See NIFA update slides
   2. Over half full staff, should be at 75%by September
   3. If you’re having problems or something is delayed, please contact us
   4. Trying to synchronize RFA’s so each program will come out at same time each year for better planning
   5. Input on re-imagining NIFA from 40 sources with > 900 comments
      1. Analyzing potential changes and will check with LGU’s before making any major changes
   6. RFA related to mental health would be very helpful
6. Discussion: Innovative approaches to COVID-19 shutdown & restart – All
   1. 1890’s are reopening for classes with more class times and on line options
   2. Research has been ramping back up
   3. All 1890’s will have budget shortfalls, capacity funds are around 80% of total budget
   4. Extension has really stepped up to help public under current situation particularly related to food availability
   5. Research had to keep going or at least be maintained, especially fieldwork. Used two team system with team members not mixing so if one had to stop, the other could keep going
7. APLU Update – Doug Steele
   1. See APLU update slides
   2. Sightlines deferred maintenance study refresh is finished and should be distributed soon
   3. Infrastructure proposal is ready to go when there’s a legislative opportunity for it
   4. BAA office now has specific criteria for responding to sign-on requests
   5. Good time to push important of capacity funding and a work group has been working on strategies
   6. Strategic realignment implementation committee is set and starting to work
   7. Taking a five year approach to strategy for advocacy to increase capacity and AFRI
   8. NIFA External Advisory Committee is being formed
   9. CMC plan is being developed with a consultant

Separate S-AHS Business Meeting

1. Welcome – Tim Cross, S-AHS Chair
2. Reflections on Two Years Leading NIFA – Scott Angle
   1. Staff who moved to KC are generally those who are open to change and 80% will be new employees without history at NIFA, so changes in processes will definitely be coming
   2. This is a very good time politically for 1890’s to increase funding
   3. New investigator competitive program should begin soon
   4. USDA Blueprint and Secretary’s Ag Innovation Agenda will be the guide for future as long as this Secretary is in place
   5. How do we include other Federal partners?
      1. Joint funding is one method
      2. NIFA Liaisons in DC are charge with increasing partnerships with other Federal agencies, let them know if you see an opportunity
   6. What are prospects for a DARPA-like division in USDA?
      1. Undersecretary is pushing for significant funding for this
   7. I’m convinced we need to get AFRI to $700M before we can significantly increase capacity funding
3. Discussion – How do you handle top-down directives from central administration, such as mandatory restructuring? – Nancy Cox
   1. COVID has led to come centralization mandates at UKY, as well as other issues
   2. OK State – always keeps President and VP’s informed, if permission is needed, will always offer a solution
   3. VA Tech – research and Extension directors are able to do things somewhat differently if needed and Provost came up through ranks, so he understands differences between colleges. He relies on faculty senate for faculty perspective
   4. Clemson – have had centralization in the past, but now starting to de-couple from central administration
4. Discussion – How do we effectively embrace the new wave of on-line learning? – Tim Cross
   1. See on-line learning slides
   2. Faculty training is an issue with takes time and expense
   3. Advantage of situation is that many faculty can now do online teaching and see the advantages and possibilities
   4. Broadband access is an issue in many rural areas
5. 2022 Southern Mini Land-grant Conference – Eric Young
   1. See mini Land-grant handout
   2. Approved moving forward with Southern mini Land-grant conference is spring 2022 hosted by TAMU AgriLife and FVAMU
   3. Timeframe will be mid-May to early June, preferably closer to mid-May
   4. Eric Young will chair planning committee made up initially of ED’s and TAMU reps for logistics planning, association members will be added next spring to begin developing program
6. Topics for 2021 S-AHS Winter Meeting, Feb 8, Irvine, TX – All
   1. Unlikely this meeting will be in person, but cancellation penalty is large, so likely will be in Texas in 2022
   2. Possible topics for winter meeting –
      1. BAA governance
      2. More effective advocacy
      3. Communication plan
      4. SRDC report from new director?
7. Selection of S-AHS Chair-elect nominee – Tim Cross
   1. Doze Butler, University of Arkansas – Pine Bluff, agreed to be nominated for S-AHS Secretary
   2. Election will occur at winter meeting, after which officers will be –
      1. Robert Taylor, Chair
      2. Keith Belli, Chair-Elect
      3. Doze Butler, Secretary
8. Selection of national AHS Chair-elect nominee – Tim Cross
   1. Scott Angle, UFL, agreed to be nominated for national AHS Chair-elect
   2. Election will take place at AHS meeting during APLU Annual Conference in November
9. 2021 S-AHS/CARET Summer meeting, Jul 30 – Aug 1, Clemson – Keith Belli
   1. Clemson will host with same plan as would have been for this year’s meeting
   2. Timing will be Friday, July 30 – Sunday, August 1
10. Other Items of Interest – All
    1. SRDC
       1. Director is retiring and position is being advertised
       2. Should we review the Center as leadership changes?
       3. Have SRDC present to S-AHS on future decisions, issues, and needs
       4. Consider asking for a AHS seat on their advisory board