Federal HR Policies Affecting Cooperative Extension Organizations
Appointment of Cooperative Extension Directors/Administrators
The Smith-Lever Act 38 Stat. 372, Title 7 U.S. Code 341 et seq., Chapter 79 is an act to provide cooperative agricultural extension work between the Agricultural Colleges/Universities and the United States Department of Agriculture in order to aid in the diffusion among the people of the United States useful and practical information on subjects related to agriculture, home economics, and rural energy, and to encourage the application of the same. To carry out the provisions of the Act, a Cooperative Extension Director/Administrator is appointed by the Land Grant College/University and the Secretary of Agriculture or designee.
Responsibilities
The Cooperative Extension Service Director/Administrator is responsible for the administration and delivery of the College/University Cooperative Extension Program and the management of the Federal funds allocated to the College/University to carry out the programs. The Director/Administrator is also responsible for the employment of highly qualified Cooperative Extension educators who will make significant program impacts.
Resources
An orientation program for Cooperative Extension Director/Administrator is provided bi-annually. Workshops on specific areas are offered from time to time. National and regional National Association of the University Land Grant Colleges (NASULGC) meetin08/01/2008tor may have the opportunity to serve on regional and national committees to share their expertise with others in fostering the system. CSREES staff is available to provide guidance.
The Recruitment and Selection of Cooperative Extension Directors/Administrators:
The Federal and College/University partners should work collaboratively in the recruitment, selection and appointment of the Cooperative Extension Director/Administrator. The Federal partner, i.e., the CSREES Administrator and the USDA, HRD, CES Team, should be notified as soon as it is known that a Director's/Administrator's position will be vacant.
Recruitment for the position should include a national search and be in compliance with federal, state, and local directed policies and procedures with every effort made to establish a diverse pool of candidates.
The selection process for the Cooperative Extension Director/Administrator must be documented and in accordance with federal, state, and local Civil Rights Laws and Regulations and the Land Grant College/University staffing processes and procedures. However, the selection and appointment of the new Director/Administrator by the Land Grant College/University, requires prior approval of the selection by the Secretary of Agriculture, or designee, before the selectee can be appointed to the position.
Appointment of Cooperative Extension Directors/Administrators:
A new Director/Administrator can not be appointed until the selection and appointment has been approved by the CSREES Administrator and the Secretary of Agriculture or designee. This requirement is stated in 7 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 2.21(b)(1)(v). (See Attachment A for the procedure for the Appointment of CES Directors and Administrators.)
All requests to appoint a new Director/Administrator must include a "Letter Requesting Appointment". (See Attachment B for Sample Letter.) The letter of appointment should include among other employment information, the position's responsibility for fostering the Federal partnership as well carrying out the Federal Laws, regulations and policies pertaining to the Cooperative Extension program. Request for approval to appoint a new Director/Administrator who is eligible to participate in the Federal retirement program and other Federal benefit programs should include information specific to the selectee IF the individual is going from one CES organization to another. (See Section in this guidance on Schedule A (Federally Excepted) Appointment for additional information on the benefits available to employees that were on the companion former Federal Schedule A Appointment.)
CES organizations will receive a formal reply notifying them of the outcome of their request for approval to appoint a new Director/Administrator. If the selectee is a former Federal appointee who is moving from one CES organization to another the USDA HRD CES Team will assist in the coordination, continuation, and documentation of the selectees’ Federal benefits. If the selectee is not a former Federal appointee the agency processes the approved action in accordance with their staffing policies and procedures after they receive notice that the selection has been approved.
If the request is not approved the CSREES Administrator, or designee, and/or the USDA, HRD, CES Team will contact the requesting office to request additional information, and/or to discuss the situation that resulted in the request not being approved.
Appointment of Acting and Interim Cooperative Extension Directors/Administrators:
Actions to appoint a temporary Acting or Interim Director/Administrator, pending the recruitment, selection, and appointment of the new Director/Administrator, does not require prior approval of the CSREES Administrator and the office of the Secretary of Agriculture. However USDA must be advised of any action to temporarily reassign/appoint an individual to the vacant Director/Administrator position. (See Attachment C for the procedure for the Appointment of Acting and Interim CES Directors and Administrators, and see Attachment D for a sample Notification Letter of Acting or Interim Directors/Administrators.)
Notification of actions to promote/reassign/appoint Acting or Interim Director/Administrator should be submitted as soon as possible. The effective date is set by the Cooperative Extension organization and the action should be submitted prior to the proposed effective date since all actions should be approved before they are effective.
Authority of Directors/Administrator to Approve Personnel Actions
The Directors/Administrators, or their designee, have the authority to recommend and approve most CES personnel actions. However, all reappointment actions for former Schedule A appointees must be coordinated with the losing CES organization and the USDA, HRD, CES, Team. (See the section in this guidance for additional information on the coordination of benefits.)
CES Directors/Administrators can delegate the authority to approve/sign personnel benefits forms and records for former CES Federal appointees to another employee. All individuals, responsible for approving and signing Federal forms and records should be aware of the Federal, State, and University/College policies and procedures applicable to the personnel actions.
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