Welcome to the New County Faculty Professional Development Program
Welcome to Extension! We are happy that you are part of our professional Extension faculty. The University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Extension is a dynamic system that will enable you to make a significant impact among diverse clientele not just in Florida but throughout the world. We want you to have all of the tools you need to be able to make this impact and find satisfaction in your work.
Research shows that a formal orientation program must provide a clear understanding of roles and responsibilities, a knowledge of the extension program design and culture and positive support from supervisors, mentors and peers during the first year of a new hire to produce more successful and productive faculty. There is also a marked increase in retention of new faculty. For this reason Florida Extension has developed an exceptional orientation program to provide these critical components.
The beginning of this professional and personal growth will start here with the Guidebook for Socializing and Orienting New Extension Faculty. This guide provides a timeline and checklist of information for the new faculty member to follow as s/he begins the new job.
During the first year you will complete two state level trainings through the Program Development and Evaluation Center (PDEC) as well as completing a series of new faculty modules that provide a wealth of information. Many of the modules provide questions to test your knowledge. These modules are hyperlinked to the Guidebook to make this process easier for you.
You will be assigned a mentor by your CED. All 4-H agents also have a regional specialized 4-H agent (RSA) assigned to each district who will provide assistance. Your CED, DED, mentor and RSA will work together to make sure the orientation process meets your personal needs. Your program leader will provide a list of several state specialists for you to contact during your first months of hire. A complete list of contacts for DEDs, RSAs, program leaders and PDEC is located in your guide. Feel free to contact any of these people with questions you may have.
We hope you will find the new faculty orientation process helpful. Any questions or comments related to improving this process should be directed to Dr. Cheri Brodeur at 352-392-0386 or cbrodeur@ufl.edu.
Again welcome to the IFAS/Extension family. I look forward to a long and successful collaboration with you.
Best Regards,
Millie Ferrer-Chancey
Interim Dean & Director of Extension
