Purpose
The purpose of the Tennessee Extension Advisory Council is to serve the Tennessee Extension System in the following roles:
- Advise and counsel Extension administration regarding program direction and strategies.
- Review, react to, and develop specific proposals regarding Extension programs and organization.
- Promote Extension with current and potential clientele.
- Assist in educating key decision makers and support groups about Extension.
- Assist, when appropriate, in locating resources (human, financial, curriculum, and other resources) for Extension.
Council members are expected to:
- Attend and participate in at least two advisory committee meetings per year.
- Participate in special leadership training opportunities provided for Council members by Extension.
- Learn more about Extension programming and its impacts on the people of Tennessee.
- Offer ideas and opinions that will improve Extension in Tennessee.
- Help inform Tennesseans about the value of Extension programs and encourage participation in these programs.
- Be involved in statewide, regional, and county Extension activities.
Membership on the Council
The membership of the Council shall be made up of the following:
- Four individuals representing each of the three Extension regions.
- A minimum of six and a maximum of nine individuals appointed as at-large members. These individuals shall include key individuals or representatives of key organizations in the state, as well as representatives appointed to obtain a diversity on the Council that reflects a cross-section of Extension’s audiences and priority programs
- Extension staff members are ex-officio members of the Council. Permanent ex-officio members include: Dean (UT Extension), Administrator (TSU Cooperative Extension Program), the Associate/Assistant Deans (UT Extension), the Associate Administrator (TSU Cooperative Extension Program), the Assistant Dean (Tennessee 4-H Youth Development) and the Director, Evaluation & Staff Development. Three non-permanent Extension staff ex-officio members, will be appointed, including: a representative of the Extension regional directors, an Extension agent representative, and an Extension specialist representative.
Terms
Regional representatives, at-large, regional director, Extension agent, and Extension Specialist representatives each serve three-year terms. Members may be re-nominated for another term on the Council after a minimum one-year break in service.
Selection of Members
Regional members –each region will compile, with input from counties, a list of ten nominees for submission to the Dean of The University of Tennessee Extension (UT Extension) and the Administrator of the Tennessee State University Cooperative Extension Program (TSUCEP). The process for compiling the regional lists will be developed by the Dean and the Administrator in consultation with the regional directors.
The Dean, UT Extension, and Administrator, TSUCEP, or their appointed group, will select the four representatives from each region. Representative(s) will be chosen from each regions’ list of nominees to replace the member(s) rotating off the Council. Additional members may also be selected from a region’s list of nominees each year to fill out the terms of members who have left or have been terminated from the Council before the end of their three-year term.
At-large members –At-large members will be appointed by the Dean and the Administrator.
Regional Director, Extension Agent, and Extension Specialist Members -The representatives of the regional directors, Extension agents, and Extension specialists will be selected through a process established by the Dean and the Administrator.
Termination of Members
Membership in the Council may be terminated upon the written resignation of the member. Membership shall be automatically terminated when a member misses three (3) consecutive meetings without due cause.
Vacancies on the Council caused by a resignation or termination of a member will be filled as described in the section in these guidelines entitled, Selection of Members.
Council Officers
Officers for the Council include a Chair and Vice Chair, and they shall serve one year terms.
The presiding Vice Chair shall assume the role of Chair at the conclusion of the fall meeting. The Vice Chair shall be elected annually by the attending membership at the regularly scheduled fall meeting. The terms of Chair and Vice Chair shall start at the conclusion of the fall meeting. Council members being nominated for Vice Chair must be serving year one of a three year term at the time of the nomination.
Duties of Officers
The Chair presides at the meetings of the Council. The Chair shall see that the guidelines of the Council are followed. The Chair has the prerogative of appointing committees, as needed, to address business of the Council and is an ex-officio member of all committees.
The Vice Chair performs all the duties of the Chair in the absence of the Chair.
The Chair and the Vice Chair, along with the Dean and the Administrator, will establish the agenda for each meeting of the Council.
Meetings
The Council holds two regularly scheduled meetings each year, one in the spring or summer and one in the fall or winter. The first meeting of each calendar year is the annual organizational meeting for the Council. Officers are elected at the fall meeting and assume duties at the beginning of the next calendar year. Additional meetings of the Council may be held during the year as deemed necessary. Each meeting location is determined by the Dean and Administrator, in consultation with the Council Chair.
The members present at meetings of the Council constitute a quorum.
A simple majority vote of those attending is required to pass a motion, except where specified elsewhere in these guidelines.
Minutes of Council meetings will be kept by an Extension staff member designated by the Dean and Administrator. Copies of the minutes will be distributed to Council members in a timely fashion following each meeting.
Robert’s Rule of Order: Newly Revised will be used to address questions of parliamentary procedure for Council meetings.
Sub-Committees
The council shall have three standing sub-committees: Agriculture and Natural Resources, Family and Consumer Sciences and 4-H Youth Development. The membership of each sub-committee shall be comprised of regular and ex-officio members that represent the sub-committee program area. Officers for each sub-committee shall include a Chair and Vice Chair, and they shall serve one year terms.
The presiding sub-committee Vice Chairs shall assume the role of sub-committee Chair for each sub-committee at the conclusion of the fall meeting. The sub-committee Vice Chairs shall be elected annually by the attending members of each sub-committee at the regularly scheduled fall meeting. The terms of sub-committee Chairs and Vice Chairs shall start at the conclusion of the fall meeting. Council members being nominated as sub-committee Vice Chairs must be serving year one of a three year term on the council at the time of their nomination.
Duties of Sub-Committee Officers
Each sub-committee Chair presides at the sub-committee meetings of the Council. The Chair shall see that the guidelines of the Council are followed. The Chair has the prerogative of appointing committees, as needed, to address business of the Council and is an ex-officio member of all committees.
Each sub-committee Chair should plan and execute at least one sub-committee conference call to facilitate the business of the sub-committee between the fall and spring council meetings. Each sub-committee Vice Chair should record the minutes of each sub-committee conference call.
Each sub-committee Vice Chair performs all the duties of the Chair in the absence of the Chair.
Funding
Council members will be reimbursed by Extension for travel expenses (transportation, meals, lodging) associated with official Council business.
Training
Council members will be provided opportunities to participate in training, provided by Extension, related to Extension’s mission and function and personal leadership development. Each regular Council meeting will also provide opportunities for members to learn about ongoing and proposed Extension educational programs. Participation in these educational opportunities will help members be better informed about Extension and better able to perform the roles and expectations of Council members.
Amendments to the Operating Guidelines
These operating guidelines may be amended or modified by the members of the Council at the regularly scheduled spring/summer or fall/winter meeting. A two-thirds majority vote of the members present is necessary to pass amendments or modifications.
Adopted on the 15th of August, 2018.