Northeastern Regional Association
of
State Agricultural Experiment Station Directors Meeting

Westin Hotel, Oklahoma City, OK
September 27, 2004 (Monday)

Bill Trumble, Chair

In attendance:
William Trumble (NH), Chair
J. Scott Angle (MD)
Keith Cooper (NJ)
Thomas Fretz (NERA)
Bruce McPheron (PA)
Max Pfeffer (NYC)
Stephen Reiling (ME)
Bob Seem (NYG)
Jeffrey Seemann (RI)
Michael Vayda (VT)
William Vinson (WV)
Rubie Mize (NERA), Recorder

• Accepted the following recommendations by the Northeast Multistate Activities Committee.
  The MAC Report is posted at URL:
  http://www.agnr.umd.edu/users/NERA/workshop/MACReportSept2004.html

  1. Approved the recommendation that the mid-term review be implemented as a standard practice for all multistate projects.

  2. Approved the recommendation that the technical committees, at their next annual meeting, should decide what nomenclature to use, in compliance with the new nomenclature to be adopted effective October 1, 2004. The advisors will then return to MAC with their recommendations.

  3. For the record: Approved by electronic vote on Sept. 10, 2004 the extension for one year of NE-132, “Environmental and Economic Impacts of Nutrient Management on Dairy Forage Systems”. The new termination date is September 30, 2005.

• The Executive Committee was delegated the responsibility to manage the annual review of the NERA-OED.

• Approved and adopted the revised NERA Rules of Operation.

• Approved the following nomination:
  • Michael Vayda, Advisor for NE1015-Biological Improvement, Habitat Restoration, and Horticultural Development of Chestnut by Management of Populations, Pathogens, and Pests
  • Richard Rhodes III, NERA Representative to the ESCOP Science and Technology Committee

• Agreed to hold the spring meeting at BARC/NAL, Beltsville, MD.

• Inform USDA-CSREES on actions taken by the NERA Directors.

• Collate and summarize the OED job jar reports and accomplishments from Sept. 2003 and submit those to Chair Trumble.

• Chair Trumble will prepare, by mid-December, a strawman outlining the process for the annual review of the OED.

• J. S. Angle will survey the NE station on their staff's salary increase for 2005 and come up with a regional average. This data should be ready by mid-Feb. 2005.

• MAC to review the appendices to be used for the multistate projects' mid-term reviews. A report will then be given to the association, also at the March meeting. MAC will also recommend review guidelines for NE projects with durations over five years.

• Include in the March meeting agenda time for discussion on how the stations manage their faculty: those with and without AES funding. T. Fretz and B. McPheron to work on framing the topic to allow the directors to prepare for this discussion.

• T. Fretz will send out memo to advisor requiring the mid-term review of NE multistate projects. A spreadsheet will be prepared to track projects and to inform Advisors when a review is due and what form to use.

• OED to follow through with the implementation of the revised nomenclatures. T. Fretz will send memo to advisors whose projects will be affected by these changes.

• Follow-up with the nomination committee the replacement for Rachel Johnson as Officer-at-Large. An electronic vote will be solicited to confirm the nomination.

• Prepare for the NERA spring meeting to be held at BARC/NAL.

1. Welcome and Introductions - Chair
   Chair Trumble called the meeting to order. If time permits reports from individual stations will be done later.

2. Approval of the July 12-13, 2004 Minutes - Chair A motion was made to approve the minutes from the last meeting held on July 12-13, 2004, in Mystic, CT. The motion was seconded and passed. The minutes are posted in the NERA homepage at this URL---
   http://www.agnr.umd.edu/users/nera/workshop/NERAMinutesJuly2004.html
   

3. Interim Actions by the Chair and Executive Committee Report - Chair
   NERA Chair's Interim Actions
   Executive Committee Conference Call Notes, August 30, 2004
   

   Chair Trumble reported on his interim actions. He chaired the first conference call of the "Cheese" Committee. The second was chaired by Karyn Malinowski, Extension Director at Rutgers. The committee had come up with suggestions for topics for the 2005 summer meeting. These recommendations will be shared with the planning committee. CARET's recommendations for greater interaction between research and extension were taken into account.

4. Job Jar and Executive Director's Report – T. Fretz
   The Job Jar Report (July 2004, in PDF format)
   

   T. Fretz highlighted some of his recent activities:

   • More time is needed to analyze if the multistate projects in our portfolio are on track with their objectives. A report will be given at the March 2005 meeting.

   • More detailed information on the new deans and directors workshop will be included in the NERA newsletter, October issue.

   • Work with our DOE partner continues as opportunities and resources are being identified. T. Fretz expressed his concern that some institutions may not have sufficient capacity to compete for DOE grants. DOE activities are taking up a lot of the EDs' time. T. Fretz queried the directors if this is time well spent to represent the region as well as the entire AES system. Because of NERA's proximity to the capital, T. Fretz is constantly called upon to represent the system at DOE and NASULGC. The proposed OED evaluation (details were discussed later) will address this issue.

   • Different venues for the spring 2005 meeting will be presented later in this meeting for the directors to choose from.

   • T. Fretz helped put together the ESS meeting agenda and workshop sessions.

   • NERA provided and will continue to provide staff support to the "Cheese" committee. We will also assist the planning committee to facilitate its meetings, if requested by the members.

   • The Counterfactual Study has now been packaged to a short and concise format that will be useful for distribution to the deans/directors, CARET reps. and staffers on the Hill.

   • T. Fretz' work on the NERA newsletter was commended for being inclusive of all sections including CARET and extension. The newsletter now has a wider distribution and has become a forum for exchanging and sharing information with the other sections.

   With regards to the efficient use of the ED's time, an evaluation of the OED will help determine if all the activities the Executive Director is involved in are beneficial to the region and the entire system. Should the responsibility to conduct the annual review be delegated to the Executive Committee? The first step is to devise a mechanism on how the review will be conducted. Chair Trumble, who will become Past Chair took on the task of putting together a strawman by December so that the evaluation can be conducted from mid-January to February. A report will then be delivered at the March meeting. Also needed will be a survey of the average salary increases across the region. J. Angle and Chair Trummble will work on this and a follow-up will be made with J. Angle on Feb. 1st 2005.

   T. Fretz will compile his accomplishments from September 2003 and the job jar reports. These will then be summarized for inclusion in the strawman to be prepared by Chair Trumble.

   A motion was made for the Executive Committee to orchestrate and manage the annual review of the NERA-OED. It was seconded and approved.

5. Multistate Activities Committee Report – R. Seem (Action Item)
   http://www.agnr.umd.edu/users/nera/workshop/MACReportSept2004.html
   

   • Proposed Mid-Term Evaluation for NE Project and Committee Activities – T. Fretz (Discussion and Action)
     Mid-Term Evaluation Memo
     

     NERA will keep track of the projects that are due for review and will notify the advisors. The results of the mid-term review will be used to evaluate those that will be submitting proposals. A request was made to spend some time at the March meeting to go through the appendices that will be used for the mid-term review. MAC will review the forms and give recommendations to the association.

     How are good projects going to be impacted by mid-term reviews? The review will provide direction that the technical committee should take in the future, whether to terminate because it had completed its objectives or to submit a new proposal to reflect the changing direction and new challenges that the project is facing. If a project is productive, but is losing its relevance, it will be allowed to continue for the next two year while addressing the issue of relevance. The mid-term review will bring to light problems, if there are any, and recommend corrective measures.

     The Northeast has one project that has a period of more than 5 years, NE-1010, "Breeding and Genetics of Forage Crops to Improve Productivity, Quality, and Industrial Uses" (October 2002 to September 30, 2017). This will also be subject to mid-term review but will follow a three-year cycle. MAC will establish the guidelines. It is imperative to send a clear message to the advisors that the association is serious in getting this mid-term revies done. The first round of reviews will indicate if there are problems or if the reviews are worthwhile.

     A motion was made to accept MAC's recommendation to require a mid-term review for all the NE multistate projects. This was seconded and approved.

     The directors are interested to survey the stations and come up with the number of projects per total faculty, and compare the figure with those of the other regions. T. Fretz will attempt to pull together some data, based on a CSREES survey of AES faculty, to come up with a per capita figure.

     A question was raised if all the stations require their faculty to have multistate project. Generally, if the faculty has an AES appointment then he/she is required to have a project. If not AES funded, then it is reported under the general fund. The practice varies among the stations. There is rampant flexibility on how this is handled. In PA, leverage funding is being tracked. T. Fretz will work with B. McPheron on how this topic should be framed for discussion at the March meeting.

     Other issues raised under this topic are:

     • How do individual stations manage their books?
     • How do you account for extension involvement?
     • How is intellectual property handled?
     • If the faculty has an AES appointment but no project, do you roll him/her into admin. budget?

   • Multistate Activities Nomenclature Changes – Proposed Implementation Schedule - T. Fretz (Discussion and Action)
     Process for Changing Nomenclature Memo
     

     A motion was made to accept MAC's recommendatiuons on the process on how to implement the newly approved nomenclatures. It was seconded and passed.

6. Revised NERA Rules of Operation – Chair (Action Item)
   http://www.agnr.umd.edu/users/NERA/RulesofOperationSept2004.htm
   

   The proposed revisions to the Rules of Operation were already discussed and changes were made after the summer meeting in Mystic, CT. The directors were given, as required by the Rules, more than 30 days to review the changes. A motion was made to accept the revised Rules of Operation. It was seconded and passed.

7. Actions to be taken at the ESS Meeting – Chair (Discussion of Issues)
   ESS Meeting Agenda and Agenda Briefs
   

   • NRSP Review and Off the Top Funding request – Recommendations from the NRSP Oversight Committee

     For NRSP-4, some directors were in favor of a phased reduction. A friendly amendment will be brought forward suggesting a 10% reduction per year.

     A question was then raised how new NRSPs can be created now that most NRSPs will undergo phased budget reduction of off-the-top funding. This is the next task for the NRSP Committee.

   • NIMSS Proposed Budget – For action and approval

     On the NIMSS proposed budget, the directors were concerned why NERA is continuously subsidizing NIMSS. The plan is to move NIMSS into NRSP-1 and the goal is to eliminate any form of subsidy from NERA. G. Cunningham commented that CSREES is aware of this plan. NIMSS can then be contracted back to UMD-NERA. However, the directors should also be aware that the NRSP-1 budget will increase when it absorbs NIMSS. The current proposal of $32,500, if approved, will be paid for from ESCOP's residual fund at NASULGC.

   • Revised Guidelines for Multistate Research Activities – Discussion in anticipation of a vote at ESS

     Some of the significant changes in the guidelines will include having NIMSS as the central repository of all information pertaining to multistate projects except financial data. This data will continue to be collected by CRIS. G. Cunningham noted that there are plans for extension and academic programs to be included in CRIS.

   Chair Trumble reminded the directors that votes will be taken individually and that each station that is present is entitled to one vote. R. Mize distributed the ballots to the directors. The ballots are to be submitted after the topics have been discussed at the ESS meeting in the afternoon.

8. Review of meeting venues for Spring 2005 Meeting – T. Fretz (Discussion)
   http://www.agnr.umd.edu/users/nera/workshop/MeetingVenuesMarch2005.pdf
   

   • BARC/NAL, Beltsville, MD

   • USDA-CSREES Waterfront Centre, Washington, DC

   • NASULGC Building, Washington, DC

   The proposed venues were reviewed. Majority favored holding the meeting at the USDA, Beltsville facility. A motion was made to hold the NERA spring meeting at BARC/NAL. The motion was seconded and passed.

9. Nominations Committee Report – Chair and C. Hackney
   Chair Trumble reported that Officer-at-Large Rachel Johnson (VT) requested to be relieved from this position. The committee has three names but they need to confirm their willingness and availability fist. An electronic vote will be solicited once a confirmation is obtained from one of these directors.

   A motion was made to accept the nomination of Michael Vayda to be the advisor for the multistate project, NE1015, to replace Dr. John Anderson (CTNH). The motion was seconded and passed.

   A motion was made to appoint Richard Rhodes III as the regional representative to the ESCOP Science and Technology Committee. The motion was seconded and passed.

10. Resolutions Committee Report – R. Seem
    Resolution of Appreciation to John F. Anderson

    WHEREAS, Dr. John F. Anderson has distinguished himself as Director of the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station since 1987, having joined the experiment station in 1964, and

    WHEREAS, Dr. Anderson has contributed in many ways to the Northeastern Regional Association of State Agricultural Experiment Station Directors (NERA), serving as Administrative Advisor for several Multistate Regional Projects, including NE1015, “Biological Improvement, Habitat Restoration, and Horticultural Development of Chestnut by Management of Populations, Pathogens, and Pests”, and

    WHEREAS, Dr. Anderson served in the U. S. Army Reserve, provided leadership to many committees and organizations in the State of Connecticut, has led critical research on Lyme disease and West Nile virus that impacted the lives of many citizens, and thereby brought great credit to his profession and the Agricultural Experiment Station system, and

    NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Northeastern Regional Association of State Agricultural Experiment Station Directors meeting in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, on September 27, 2004, expresses its sincerest appreciation to Dr. John Anderson for his many contributions, and wishes him much success and happiness in his future professional as well as personal activities.

    September 27, 2004

    signed

    William Trumble, Chair
    Northeastern Regional Association of State
    Agricultural Experiment Station Directors

    The motion to approve the above resolution was seconded and passed.

11. Other Issues - T. Fretz
    T. Fretz gave a brief report about NERA's fiscal status. A new administrative account has been created for the residual fund of $150,000. This will serve as a reserved account and will be used for managing meetings, such as the one next spring, so that registration fees will be minimal. There was a $40,000 carryover from last year's. NERA is financially in good shape. A budget will be presented at the NERA meeting in the spring. T. Fretz does not foresee an increase in the assessment.

    T. Fretz announced that Rubie Mize got selected for the CSREES Hall of Fame and will be inducted at a ceremony on October 21 at the 10th year anniversary celebration for CSREES. She was being recognized for her work in NIMSS.

12. Summary Comments and Closing - Chair
    Chair Trumble thanked everyone for their active participation and support during his term as Chair. He was pleased with the thoughtful discussion of issues and hoped to see the process continue under the leadership of Jeff Seemann, incoming chair.

    "How can the region increase its leadership in the national process?" The northeast is influential but how do we position ourselves as players in the national level? The directors will be looking at Jeff Seemann to lead them to that direction.

    J. Seemann thanked Chair Trumble for doing a great job. It was an interesting year as we have seen and heard the directors challenge historical actions. He is confident that we are now in a better position regionally and nationally to make an impact.

    Chair Trumble adjourned the meeting at 11:25am.

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