Extension Animal Science Assistant Professor of Practice

Oregon State University Division of Extension and Engagement and the Extension Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources Program invite applications for an Extension Animal & Rangeland Science Assistant Professor of Practice position. This is a 12-month, full-time, fixed-term position based in Pendleton, Oregon. Reappointment is at the discretion of the supervision team, which includes the Eastern Regional Director and the Extension Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources Program Leader. This position will serve Umatilla County.

For more information about Umatilla County, please visit the following webpages: https://www.co.umatilla.or.us and https://extension.oregonstate.edu/umatilla.

This is a full-time, 12-month, fixed-term, Assistant Professor of Practice position that will serve the area of Umatilla County in the Columbia Plateau Region. The academic home for this position will be the Department of Animal and Rangeland Sciences in the College of Agricultural Sciences at Oregon State University. The Extension Animal Science Assistant Professor of Practice reports to the Regional Director assigned to the Eastern region. Active contributions to scholarship are required (refer to the scholarship section, below, for details).

 

As a land grant institution committed to teaching, research and outreach and engagement, OSU promotes economic, social, cultural and environmental progress for the people of Oregon, the nation and the world. This position contributes to the mission of the College of Agricultural Sciences, with principal responsibility for needs assessment, Extension program and educational material development, delivery, and evaluation, and for conducting applied research to support Extension activities.

 

The purpose of this position is to provide leadership in the development, implementation, synthesis, and evaluation of Extension and applied research in animal, forages and rangeland production systems for stakeholders in the assigned county.

 

Oregon State University is committed to practicing and delivery of tools for state-of-the-science interaction and engagement of partners and stakeholders. This faculty member is required to use modern learning and outreach tools including online and hybrid classes, multimedia and digital communications, employ and practice engaged scholarship, promote integration of programs across disciplines that are demand-driven and use open-source tools that continually align with innovation and shifts in educational program delivery. These activities will be included in the annual plan of work, impact statements, and summary of accomplishments/achievements.

 

College of Agricultural Sciences faculty are committed to enhancing student/learner success by engaging them in quality academic, research, internships, global studies, and other experiential learning opportunities. Positions with primary responsibility for Extension and Engagement are likewise committed to student/learner success through programming appropriate for diverse audiences.

 

Active and effective communication with colleagues and key stakeholders is critical to the success of this position. This position will require traveling.

 

About the division:

The Division of Extension and Engagement (Division) is core to Oregon State University’s mission. The Division helps create real solutions and positive impact across Oregon and beyond. The Division is aligned under the leadership of the Vice Provost for Extension and Engagement. To learn more about our Division and its core units and initiatives, please visit our Division website: https://engagement.oregonstate.edu/.

 

The Division has built the capacity and expectation for employees to use digital communications and technologies in the modern-day workplace. This reflects our demonstrable commitment to using digital communications tools and changing technologies as a primary way to raise Oregonian’s awareness of and engagement with our organization, programs and resources.

 

Commitment to inclusive excellence:

Oregon State University is committed to a culture of belonging and collaboration. We envision collaborative and respectful environments that are safe, inclusive, and welcoming. All employees are responsible for achieving this commitment. This commitment includes, but is not limited to, complying with Civil Rights and Language/Visual Access regulations. In addition, this individual will design, develop, maintain and/or carry out Extension programs to ensure that educational programs and outreach activities serve diverse populations, including those that have been historically marginalized/excluded from participation.

 

OSU Division of Extension and Engagement’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

https://extension.oregonstate.edu/about/diversity-equity-inclusion

 

OSU Mission Statement

https://leadership.oregonstate.edu/trustees/about-board/oregon-state-university-mission-statement

Position Duties

This faculty member is expected to reflect the commitment of the university to inclusive excellence in all interactions and duties performed and contributes to a safe, welcoming and respectful learning and workplace environment. This individual ensures that educational programs and outreach activities serve diverse populations, including those that have been historically marginalized/excluded from participation.

 

70% – Extension Programming

1. Extension Teaching

• Utilize Oregon State University’s six principles of teaching excellence that include audience consideration, planning, enhanced engagement, teaching, assessment, and reflection to provide a high level of non-credit teaching for extension audiences.
• Conduct on-going needs-assessment activities to determine the educational needs specific to this position’s audiences.
• Following a prioritized needs assessment, develop, facilitate, and implement a comprehensive livestock production and natural resource management educational programs and materials as well as support for pasture management and forages related to livestock production in Umatilla County to meet the needs of agricultural producers.
• Facilitate the education of the public using research-based information related to livestock systems (cow-calf, feedlot, dairy, sheep), irrigated pasture production, rangelands, and natural resources as they pertain to production agriculture and farm and ranch management using newsletters, programs and meetings, site visits, field tours, private consultations, and other forms of media that may include multiple methods of electronic communication, including websites, publications, video conferencing, hybrid teaching, all PACE formats, and other digital/online methods for internal and external collaboration and/or information dissemination as appropriate.
• Use effective extension teaching methods to develop, design, and deliver extension education programs focused on value-added production (beef, dairy, and sheep) through all segments of their respective industries so as to meet clientele needs, with materials, methods, and outcomes shared with peers in the state, region, and/or nation.
• Design extension programs that can be offered centrally or online to maximize client participation across the designated county.
• Design or adapt a clear evaluation protocol to evaluate and to report extension program impacts locally, statewide, regionally and/or nationally.
• Use technology as a tool to increase the reach and impact of program delivery for constituents including participating in Ask-Extension and using the division’s customer relationship management system.
• Develop and maintain efficient methods for addressing high volumes of topically repetitive clientele inquiries regarding livestock production and natural resource management, forages and pasture management. These methods should include scholarly outputs like Extension publications, videos, and other digital communications and engagement tools and strategies.
• Follow OSU and division brand guidelines, digital publishing standards and digital contact management data integrity practices for programmatic communications, marketing and engagement.
• Extension teaching may also involve providing one-on-one consultation and educational programs to target audiences which includes both adults and youth audiences.
• Engage and contribute to equity, inclusion, and diversity as part of teaching, educational delivery, advising, applied research, Extension, service, and/or scholarly outcomes. Outputs and impacts of efforts to promote equity, inclusion, and diversity should be included in promotion dossiers.
• This position is expected to solicit peer teaching evaluations and citizen evaluation of teaching.
• Conduct and coordinate local pesticide recertification efforts for stakeholders as well as answer any pesticide related questions from the public.
• Maintain Oregon Department of Agriculture Pesticide Consultant License throughout employment to stay up to date with the science of pesticides and answer pesticide related questions.
• Travel is required to access and engage stakeholders throughout the assigned region.

1. Partnerships/Collaboration/Networking

• Develop networks of formal and informal interest groups in subject matter areas where appropriate. Utilize partnerships with diverse interest groups to provide advisory support and to enhance program quality and delivery. This will likely include appropriate commodity and/or producer organizations such as the Oregon Cattleman’s Association and Oregon Beef Council.
• Determine Extension program needs and priorities through use of local advisory groups, commodity commissions and other stakeholder groups, and meetings with livestock industry leaders. Evaluate effectiveness and impact of Extension education programs and refine to meet changing needs.
• Collaborate with research and Extension faculty at the Eastern Oregon Agricultural Research Centers located near Burns and Union, Oregon on research in range and livestock production systems and value-added production of beef cattle and sheep.
• Serve in an advisory role and provide researched based information to appropriate local working groups and soil and water conservation districts as needed.
• Engage with community-based and regional organizations to support innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic development within local, regional, or state boundaries as appropriate.
• Work cooperatively with Extension statewide faculty, department heads, and other faculty and staff to provide instruction, teach, or deliver all educational programs and materials, and to maintain contact with producer groups.

1. Accountability

• Develop annual plans of work that address educational needs as well as evaluate the quality and impact of Extension educational and applied research programs materials and digital communications.
• Measure and report regularly on program impact in the Faculty Success online platform.
• Implement fee-based programming and cost-recovery practices to support and enhance program delivery.
• Serve as a team member of the livestock/range/forages Extension working groups, as well as other workgroups related to the duties of this position.
• Keep records and provide necessary reports to Extension Administration, the department and/or college, including plans of work, narrative reports, impact statements, statistical reports, and reports of accomplishments.
• Report outputs and outcomes to Extension regional directors and elected officials (where applicable) in the areas served.
• Provide community and statewide opinion leaders and decision makers relevant, science-based topical information when requested.
• Utilize appropriate and effective methods of communication to promote Extension programs and market Extension across Oregon and nationally.
• Attend training opportunities to build basic knowledge and consistent skills to use digital communications, marketing, and engagement technologies relevant to position duties.
• Travel is required to provide these Extension educational programming and services throughout assigned region.

15% – Applied Research

• Conduct appropriate applied research activities that supports Extension programming to develop or confirm management practices in areas of specific need and clientele interest.
• Evaluate and document applied research and Extension impacts of programs and communicate the results to target audiences.
• Communicate applied research progress and outcomes to relevant audiences using peer reviewed publications, professional meetings, commodity group presentations, extension events and other digital communication and engagement tools and systems.
• Design or adapt a clear evaluation protocol to evaluate and report applied research program impacts.
• Individually and as part of teams, secure outside grants, and contracts and/or service fees to support and enhance position-appropriate educational and applied research programs and service activities. The faculty member will be expected to meet all reporting requirements of the funding sources, department, college, and university.
• Keep abreast of, and interpret scientific, technological and industry developments and trends at state, regional, national, and international levels.

10% – Scholarship

Assigned duties for this position are expected to result in scholarly outcomes. Refer to section V of the OSU Faculty Handbook on Promotion and Tenure: https://facultyaffairs.oregonstate.edu/faculty-handbook/promotion-and-tenure-guidelines#Practice

 

Discover new knowledge and develop creative solutions and applications for problems related to aspects to livestock systems (cow-calf, feedlot, dairy, sheep), irrigated pasture production, and rangelands.

 

Research discoveries should be communicated to the scientific community, Extension audiences, and practitioners using innovative and contemporary tools in both oral and written venues, including web-based formats. Communication may include refereed journal articles, Extension publications, presentations to state, regional, and national commodity and professional groups, media, and other outlets as appropriate.

 

Scholarly and creative work is intellectual work whose significance is validated by peers and that is communicated. Emphasis in scholarship should be placed on outcomes that recognize activities as a professional practitioner in community settings as defined by the incumbent’s position description.

 

To achieve promotion, scholarship for this position must include peer reviewed materials that are durable and findable in the web environment. These are typically of the two types shown below but as our communication worlds change, other types of scholarship may fit these durability and findable criteria:

• Publications in peer‐reviewed journals which might encompass description and evaluation of novel community‐based professional practice or research application, program development and innovation, outcomes of innovative programs and/or services, definitive professional practice reviews, or case reports among others.
• Authorship of extension publications, local or regional “practice” publications, book chapters, other educational materials, and digital media if it is either peer reviewed before dissemination or if there is evidence of its adoption and use by peers.

To achieve promotion, there must be an on‐going record that both of these types of scholarship are being done though each does not need to be present in every year of record. Documentation must also be provided that shows these scholarly outputs have had impact. These durable, web‐findable materials may be augmented by other forms of peer validation such as the following:

• Invited presentations, poster and podium presentations, and published abstracts and/or proceedings at state, regional and national levels, provided that evidence of peer validation is provided.
• Documented impact due to local or regional adoption of improved practices, methods, or programs.
• Secured competitive grants and contracts appropriate for the scope and focus of the faculty member’s position.
• Named inventor of a protected intellectual property in the faculty member’s field.
• Recognition as a professional practitioner in community settings as demonstrated by
  • honorary degrees
  • awards recognizing community, professional and/or scientific achievements
  • fellowships in national professional and/or scientific organizations
  • requests to serve as a technical advisor to government agencies, industry, or professional groups

Best practice to ensure scholarship is durable and web-findable:

• Participating in the periodic review of published website content for accuracy, readability and relevancy
• Utilizing library and open source resources for cataloging, citing and archiving
• Tagging, curating, descriptive titles and other methods to ensure scholarship displays where and how web visitors may look for it
• Sharing with peers, partners and media to encourage links to it from other websites and media sources

Best practice is to ensure an inclusive scholarship:

• Including diverse perspectives on the research team, particularly among co-principal investigators
• Emphasizing diversity to address broadening participation in grant proposals
• Writing articles and books that address issues of diversity/social justice
• Presenting conference papers on issues of diversity/social justice
• Increasing the diversity of students who serve as research assistants

5% – Service

• Be actively involved in regional and statewide Extension programs that promote engagement with communities across the state.
• Cooperate with agencies and organizations in Oregon and other relevant locations such as Washington and Idaho.
• Serve on College, Departmental, and/or Extension committees. Maintain active membership and involvement in professional organizations.
• Attend training opportunities to build basic knowledge and consistent skills to use digital communications, marketing and engagement technologies relevant to position duties.

Minimum/Required Qualifications

• Master of Science degree in Animal Sciences, Rangeland Ecology and Management, Agronomy or another discipline that addresses the duties of the position. Degree must be completed by begin date.
• Strong background and experience in either livestock, irrigated forage production and/or rangeland production systems.
• Demonstrated teaching and public speaking skills.
• Evidence of strong oral and written communication skills.
• Demonstrable commitment to collaborative and respectful learning and working environments that are safe, inclusive, and welcoming.
• Must have or be able to obtain an Oregon Department of Agriculture Pesticide Consultant License within six months of employment and maintain it throughout employment.
• General knowledge and ability to use computers, including proficiency with information technology, professional office software, and collaborative work platforms.
• Ability to learn and adapt to using multiple forms of digital communications tools and systems, including websites, email newsletters, social media, and other tools in a changing technological environment.
• Ability to work as a team member with other professionals.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
• Evidence of good time management skills.

This position is designated as a critical or security-sensitive position; therefore, the incumbent must successfully complete a criminal history check and be determined to be position qualified as per University Standard: 05-010 et seq. Incumbents are required to self-report convictions and those in youth programs may have additional criminal history checks every 24 months.

 

This position requires driving a university vehicle or a personal vehicle on behalf of the university; therefore, the incumbent must successfully complete a motor vehicle history check, possess and maintain a current, valid driver’s license in their state of residence, be determined to be position qualified and self-report convictions as per University Policy 05-030.

Preferred (Special) Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience with rangeland-based beef cattle and sheep production in semi-arid environments and forage management.
• Experience with Extension or other informal education delivery methods.
• Commitment to work with underrepresented and under-served audiences.
• Demonstrated experience understanding of the role of program advisory committees.
• Demonstrated knowledge of beef cattle and rangeland/pasture management and/or knowledge of the cattle feeding and meat processing industries.
• Demonstrated knowledge of public lands management and the challenges associated with their use.
• Experience working with water quality issues related to Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO’s).
• Demonstrated experience dealing with management challenges associated with threatened and/or endangered species and invasive species on rangelands.
• Ability to secure external funding to support applied research and educational programs.

Working Conditions/Work Schedule

• Duties entail work under field conditions, including inclement weather.
• Flexibility to work early mornings, evenings, and weekends.
• Travel is required to provide educational programming and services throughout assigned county in the Eastern region as necessary.

Benefits

Oregon State University offers a comprehensive benefits package with benefits eligible positions that is designed to meet the needs of employees and their families including:
• Medical, Dental, Vision and Basic Life. OSU pays 95% of premiums for you and your eligible dependents.
• Free confidential mental health and emotional support services, and counseling resources.
• Retirement savings paid by the university.
• A generous paid leave package, including holidays, vacation and sick leave.
• Tuition reduction benefits for you or your qualifying dependents at OSU or the additional six Oregon Public Universities.
• Robust Work Life programs including Dual Career assistance resources, flexible work arrangements, a Family Resource Center, Affinity Groups and an Employee Assistance Program.

To review posting and apply, go to: https://jobs.oregonstate.edu/postings/150409. Apply to posting #P07805UF. For full consideration, apply by 4/2/2024. Closes 4/9/2024. OSU is an AA/EOE/Vets/Disabled.