The Alabama Cooperative Extension System (ACES) is a primary outreach and engagement organization that provides educational outreach to the citizens of

Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...

on behalf of the state's two

land grant A land grant is a gift of real estate—land or its use privileges—made by a government or other authority as an incentive, means of enabling works, or as a reward for services to an individual, especially in return for military service. Grants ...

universities: Alabama A&M University (state's 1890 land-grant institution) and

Auburn University Auburn University (AU or Auburn) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Auburn, Alabama, United States. With more than 26,800 undergraduate students, over 6,100 post-graduate students, and a tota ...

(1872 land-grant institution)."2004 Highlights," Alabama Cooperative Extension System.
/ref> ACES employs more than 800 faculty, professional educators, and staff members operating in offices in each of Alabama's 67 counties and in nine urban centers covering the major regions of the state."2003 Annual Report," Alabama Cooperative Extension System
/ref>
/ref> In conjunction with the Alabama

Agricultural Experiment Station An agricultural experiment station (AES) or agricultural research station (ARS) is a scientific research center that investigates difficulties and potential improvements to food production and agribusiness. Experiment station scientists work with ...

, the system also staffs six extension and research centers located in the state's principal geographic regions. Since 2004, "Alabama Extension" has functioned primarily as a regionally based system in which the bulk of educational programming is delivered by agents operating across a multi-county area and specializing in specific fields. County extension coordinators and county agents work with regional agents and other extension personnel to deliver services within their areas.

Administrative structure

In 1995, the Alabama Cooperative Extension System became the nation's first unified Extension program, combining the resources of the 1862 and 1890 land-grant institutions. The catalyst was a landmark federal court ruling, known as Knight vs. Alabama, handed down by Judge Harold Murphy."Judge ends desegregation case," Decatur Daily, Dec. 14, 2006.
/ref> Under its terms, the Extension programs and other land-grant university functions of Alabama A&M, Auburn, and Tuskegee universities were combined and served as cooperative partners within this unified system. This combined effort is headed by a director appointed by the presidents of Alabama A&M and Auburn universities. The Extension director serves as the organization's

chief executive officer A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a chief executive or managing director, is the top-ranking corporate officer charged with the management of an organization, usually a company or a nonprofit organization. CEOs find roles in variou ...

and maintains offices at both campuses. Judge Murphy called for an expanded and updated Cooperative Extension mission that continued to address traditional programming needs and was better equipped to respond to the needs of a population that had become more urbanized and racially and ethnically diverse. In addition to providing for an associate director for Rural and Traditional Programs, who would be housed at Auburn University, Judge Murphy also mandated that an associate director of Urban and New Nontraditional Programs be employed and housed at Alabama A&M University. Judge Murphy also mandated that an associate director of Urban and New Nontraditional Programs be employed and housed at Alabama A&M University. This new associate director, Murphy stated, would be "expected to open new areas of Extension work and expand the outreach of the Alabama Cooperative Extension System to more fully serve all the people of Alabama.""The Unification of the Alabama Land-Grant System: Unification of the Alabama Cooperative Extension System and the Creation of an Associate Director of Urban Affairs and New Nontraditional Programs", Hon. Harold L. Murphy, US District Court, Northern District of Georgia.

Directors of the Alabama Cooperative Extension System

* J. F. Duggar, 1914-1920 * Luther N. Duncan, 1920-1937 * P. O. Davis, 1937-1959 * E. T. York, 1959-1961 * Fred R. Robertson, 1961-1971 * Ralph R. Jones, 1971-1974 * W. H. Taylor (Acting), 1974-1975 * J. Michael Sprott, 1975-1983 * Ray Cavender (Acting), 1983-1984 * Ann E. Thompson, 1984-1994 * W. Gaines Smith (Interim), 1994-1997 * Stephen B. Jones, 1997-2001 * W. Gaines Smith, 2001-2011 * Gary Lemme, 2011–2021 * Mike Phillips, 2021–present

2004 reorganization

In 2004, the Alabama Cooperative Extension System completed a restructuring effort. For decades, the bulk of Alabama Cooperative Extension programs were carried out by county agents – generalists who kept abreast of many different subjects and delivered a wide variety of programs. By the onset of the 21st century,

urbanization Urbanization (or urbanisation in British English) is the population shift from Rural area, rural to urban areas, the corresponding decrease in the proportion of people living in rural areas, and the ways in which societies adapt to this change. ...

was a key trend that resulted in fewer farms and altered public expectations. The advent of the

World Wide Web The World Wide Web (WWW or simply the Web) is an information system that enables Content (media), content sharing over the Internet through user-friendly ways meant to appeal to users beyond Information technology, IT specialists and hobbyis ...

changed information delivery methods from printed materials to online. These changes prompted the switch from using the generalist agents who had administered Extension programming throughout the previous century to regional agents specializing in one of 14 program priority areas. Regional Extension agents work with other agents across regional and disciplinary lines, with area and state subject-matter specialists, and with sister agencies, such as the Alabama Farmers Federation, the Alabama Forestry Commission and the

Natural Resources Conservation Service Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), formerly known as the Soil Conservation Service (SCS), is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) that provides technical assistance to farmers and other private landowners and ...

, to deliver programs over a regional and statewide basis. Despite the growing emphasis on regional agents, Alabama Extension continues to operate offices in all 67 counties. These are headed by coordinators, who work with regional agents and other Extension staff to deliver programs within their counties.

Funding

Alabama Extension receives financial support from the government and has begun looking for ways to supplement with private support, typically in the form of grants and fees.

History

The Alabama Cooperative Extension System was created following the passage of the Smith-Lever Act of 1914, which provided federal funds to land-grant universities to support Extension work. The roots of the organization extend as far back as the late 18th century, following the American Revolution, when affluent farmers first began organizing groups to sponsor educational meetings to disseminate useful farming information. In some cases, these lectures even were delivered by university professors – a practice that foreshadowed Cooperative Extension work more than a century later.Rasmussen, Wayne D., ''Taking the University to the People: Seventy-five Years of Cooperative Extension'', Ames, Iowa: Iowa State University Press, 1989, p. 18. These efforts became more formalized over time. By the 1850s, for example, many schools and colleges began holding farmer institutes – public meetings where lecturers discussed new farming insights.''Rasmussen,'' p. 28.

Notes

External links

Alabama Cooperative Extension SystemAlabama A&M UniversityAuburn UniversityTuskegee UniversityAlabama Cooperative Extension System Historical PhotographsU.S. Department of AgricultureCooperative State, Research, Education and Extension Service
{{authority control Public education in Alabama History of Alabama Auburn University Tuskegee University Government agencies established in 1914 State agencies of Alabama 1914 establishments in Alabama Alabama A&M University Agricultural research institutes in the United States