Dean's Office Update (December 14)

The semester is rapidly coming to a close as is 2020. For a year that implied the ability to see clearly when it began, it ends with hindsight still blurry. Thank you for all of your work this year to address unprecedented (at least in our lifetimes) events.

Sun-Maid is currently running an ad campaign they’ve titled “Imagine that”. One of the videos is here and contains the line “Remember imagination where anything could happen?” It seems that ‘anything could happen’ is a popular phrase at Christmas time. I hope at this holiday season that good things happen for you and those you love. Usually though, it requires some intentionality to get things we want to happen. 

With that in mind, I ask that you take a bit of time before January 19 to imagine what you want to happen in your professional life. I invite you to reread Michael Thomas’s newsletter from last week and imagine several different journey maps and the questions he raised. What has your map looked like? What should it look like? What has your department map looked like? What should it look like? What does the Jordan College student journey look like now? What should it look like? What needs to change to make these maps more accurately reflect the post Covid landscape?

Many of you attended the Pathways for Student Success conversation last Friday with our community college colleagues. With your imagined journey maps in mind, imagine what the pathways on your map look like and how we can intentionally improve those. Three different aspects of the student success pathway are important. 

1. We need to make certain students get on the pathway (a task becoming increasingly difficult).

2. We need to make certain the pathway leads to the desired destination (destinations are likely to look much different in a post-COVID world).

3. Finally, the pathways themselves need to be carefully designed and maintained (we’ve had to extensively redesign these pathways since March-what remains to be done?)

Please imagine what we need to do as a college to address these and ensure our journey maps are applicable to the new landscape. We will come together January 19 to “imagine that” together. In the meantime, have a joyful holiday season and best wishes for a fantastic new year. Thank you for all you do.

 

Dr. Dennis Nef
Dean

 

Dean's Office Update (December 8) - Dr. Michael Thomas

Mapping Our Future

Journey mapping (also known as customer mapping) is the process used in business and marketing to create a customer journey map, a visual story of the customers’ interaction with a particular brand.

This exercise helps businesses step into a customer’s shoes and see the business from their customer’s perspective. By learning about the buyer’s journey, marketing experts find out such things as: “customers consider their experience with the customer as important as its products” or, “the customer expects to be able to interact with the company in real time”.

What would we learn if we applied this concept to the Jordan College as we plan for better connections with our students? How good are we at putting ourselves in our students’ shoes? Do we understand our students well enough to have the degree of empathy needed to really understand our students’ needs?

As we (hopefully) move out of this COVID era, what changes do we need to make to take what we have learned over the past two semesters and create a more streamlined process for our students? If we can gather the information needed for “student” journey mapping, are we agile enough to respond to what the students are expecting and what industry needs? Some additional questions to consider:

• As students enroll in our college either from high school or from community colleges, what are their expectations for connecting with faculty?

• How do they expect to connect with us for advising?

• What do they expect now for the campus experience, for extracurricular experiences and interaction with their peers?

• How do we connect them with industry for internships and hands-on experiences?

These are all good questions to contemplate as we consider Dean Nef’s request to reimagine our future. We could keep our heads in the sand and assume that we can continue in the same style and trajectory we were on before March 2020 (which could be disastrous because things have changed) or we can use what we have learned to create a new and better JCAST.

Let’s take this opportunity to think about what we have learned over the past 9 months. Let us try to do a better job of viewing education and learning styles and educational expectations from the view of our current generation of students, who even in the past few months have a new and perhaps a different outlook. What are they expecting now? What communication are they expecting from us? We can either define our future in a post-COVID world or have it defined by others. What is it we want to look like moving forward?

Dean Nef has asked us to prepare for a discussion about the JCAST’s future. We ask that each of you consider what you need to do to prepare for our future in a quickly changing academic world and new opportunities from the upcoming generation of students. Please share your ideas and your success stories with us. Please share your challenges and your concerns. We plan to continue to discuss this as we prepare for Spring 2021 classes. Your input is valued and appreciated.

Have a wonderful rest of your week. 

 

Dr. Michael Thomas
Animal Sciences and Agricultural Education Faculty

 

Dean's Office Update (November 28) - Dr. Randy Perry

Virtual Events

All of us are looking forward to the day when we can go back to hosting events in a “normal” or at least what used to be normal format. In the meantime, we are all gaining experience in hosting virtual events. Some of these events have been highly successful and well attended and with some, the attendance has fallen short of the organizers’ goals and expectations.

Ms. Imelda Dudley, the JCAST Coordinator of Internships and Professional Experiences and her student assistants and the entire Department of Plant Science are to be commended on a highly successful career fair. They had a large number of companies involved and had approximately 165 students engaged in this activity. This is the highest number of participants that I am aware of that have attended any virtual event. Congrats to all involved!!!

Faculty and staff from the Department of Plant Science and faculty from the Ag Education component of our department along with students from the FFA Field Day Committee recently hosted the FFA State Finals Cotton Judging Contest. It was a virtual event. This event also had a large number of contestants engaged in this activity. According to the organizers, they had a number of FFA programs that do not normally attend the event that participated this year because they did not have to travel the far distance to our campus. In this case, having a virtual event was an advantage that allowed a whole group of high school students to become engaged in an excellent learning opportunity that do not normally get the opportunity to do so.

Ms. Michelle Perez, our Recruitment Counselor and Dr. Steve Rocca and Dr. Sherri Freeman and the Ag Ambassadors have hosted a number of outreach activities for prospective high school and community college students. Although these events were well publicized, the number of prospective students that attended these virtual events were less than what these folks had hoped for. According to Dr. Rocca, they are transitioning to attending on a virtual basis scheduled classes and therefore they will have a captive audience.

All of these events are examples of how the dedicated faculty, staff and students from the Jordan College are going “above and beyond” to be creative and to adapt their programs and activities to these challenging times.

Admission Numbers and Changes

We have 2 weeks left for students to apply for the Fall 2021 semester. Our Fall 2020 total with the Department of Child and Family Science numbers taken out was 1,751 students. It appears that admission numbers for this fall are trending to be fairly close to those numbers. Last year we had a higher than normal percentage of community college transfers as compared to incoming freshmen. Time will tell if that holds true this year.

A significant change is being implemented this year that will affect the admission requirements for incoming freshmen. In the past, these students were admitted based on a cumulative score or eligibility index that was a combination of the student’s SAT/ACT test scores and their high school GPA. The CSU has eliminated the eligibility index this year. Freshmen will be admitted this year based on their 10th and 11th grade A-G GPA only. As this plays out, departments will have to evaluate if we need to readjust our admission targets for future semesters. As with most things on this campus, when we finally get things lined out and refined the system changes the rules and we have to readjust how we do business and learn a new system or program. Why have so many people lost sight of the old saying “don’t fix it - if it isn’t broken”.

Advising and Career Development Center Activities

The Jordan College Academic Counselors consisting of Ms. Tahler Caldera, Ms. Nyxy Morgan and Mr. Terence Wan continue to do an outstanding job advising and assisting students in all of the departments in our college. Since the campus was shut down last spring due to COVID, these advisors had to totally change the way they did their business of advising our students. They had to change from “face to face” activities and visits to events and activities that are either in a virtual format or over the phone.

All of the visits that the counselors have with individual students are logged and documented in Bulldog Connect. Prior to this year, the number of individual contacts that the center has been engaged in has been averaging approximately 2,000 visits per academic year. It appears that the number of visits during last spring semester combined with this fall semester will get very close to these numbers. In my opinion, the advisors are to be commended on this achievement and it represents the level of dedication and effort that they put into helping our students on a “day to day” basis. What makes this achievement even more impressive is that the counselors are now not able to do the “walk in” visits that could be done without an appointment in the past. These “walk in” sessions did represent a significant portion of their totals in the past.

We are all appreciative of what these outstanding young professionals along with Ms. Imelda Dudley and their student assistants do to improve student success in the Jordan College. They truly do – “Make a Difference” in the lives of our students.

“Face to Face” Laboratories

We are all looking forward to this spring semester when the number of laboratories we are going to be able to offer in a more normal “face to face” fashion is going to be significantly increased as compared to this current semester. We will be adhering to social distancing requirements and all involved will be wearing masks and using hand sanitizers and hand washing stations. The thing that helps us greatly in our college is that a high percentage of our labs are outside.

Hopefully, the current upward trend in COVID cases does not jeopardize our ability to offer these additional laboratory sections. For the students that are not planning on coming back to campus, we will have materials that these students will be able to access in a virtual format. All we can do at this point is to keep our fingers crossed and keep looking forward to the day when the vaccinations hopefully knock this virus down and cause it to be nothing more than a virus from the past. I hope that everybody has an enjoyable short break and a happy Thanksgiving.

Quote of the month – “When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change” Dr. Wayne Dyer

 

Dr. Randy Perry
Animal Sciences and Agricultural Education Faculty

 

 

Dean's Office Update (November 10) - Dr. Athansios Alexandrou

Behind the Scenes JCAST Stars

ARI Staff Highlight - Karey DeBardeleben 

Our research opportunities are what make Jordan College of Ag great! Research on the university level is the purest form of hands-on training and experience that we can offer our students. I am honored to work with a research program on our campus that has its founding focus on that goal. Experience and training for the next generation of researchers that will change and improve how we “do” agriculture in the future. 

When I started in this position in December 2016, I came in the middle of the ARI 2017-18 Call for Proposals and relied on Bill Erysian and Linda Lopez-Atkins to show me the ropes. And my position as ARI Campus Point Person was going to be a bit of a baptism by fire, as I had to hit the ground running and learn and absorb everything that I could about these annual agricultural grant opportunities. 

Working closely with Bill and having the support of both Dean Nef and Dean Witte before him, keeps me focused on maintaining the integrity and focus of this program not only on our campus, but on all of our member and associate campuses; as well as improving our on campus education of both current and future PI’s through annual ARI submission workshops, as well as keeping our center directors and their administrative assistants up to speed on their important roll with these grants from the proposal through project completion.

I also work with a great team in the Division of Research and Graduate studies, and Fresno State Foundation. Without their help, support and cooperation, I don’t believe that this program would be the success that it is on our campus today. Currently, our campus has over 30 active ARI grants, including System, Campus and Seed, for a total of close to $1.2M in funding.

This year has been a challenge, and we did experience a reduction in funding for our 2020- 21 project year. And anticipate an additional reduction for the 2021-22 project year. I am so proud of our PI’s, as they have accepted this very well, and I am really happy to see that they are continuing the spirit of ARI and keeping their students as involved as they safely can during our COVID-19 restrictions! And with the leadership of CSU ARI’s Executive Director, Dr. David Still, I have every confidence that once we get past this crisis, we will be back to full program funding at some point in the future.

JARC Professional Research Staff Highlights

Finding Continuity in a Perpetually Evolving Environment

Among the challenges of agricultural research at Fresno State are the continually changing projects and personnel. Each year and funding cycle present a new set of projects, and the labor for those projects is often performed by individuals hired with minimal experience and on a temporary basis. The temporary nature of the labor allows the researchers to maintain flexibility in their staffing but presents a challenge when trying to maintain continuity within their processes. The presence of professional research staff within a lab group are important for maintaining continuity through the turnover of projects and personnel so we took the opportunity to learn a little more about the people filling these important roles in JARC.

Madison Hedge

An alumni of Fresno State’s Plant Science Department, Madison found an opportunity to start working with Gurreet Brar as an undergrad and was able to continue working after graduation.

When asked how Madison brings continuity to the lab, Dr. Brar had this to say, “Madison has been very helpful in all hands on work that we do in our field trials and lab work. She is a great help when it comes to independently handling jobs. She has been at times supervising the crews and undergrad students when needed. She is also very good at handling data and lab analyses. Madison is a hard worker and a dependable person.”

JARC: What drew you to work in the field of agricultural research?

Madison: I LOVE plants and enjoy data. The combination of laboratory and field work is perfect for me.
JARC: What has been the biggest challenge you’ve faced since entering this field? Madison: Photosynthetic measurements with the LICOR 6800 are usually taken between 10am and 2pm (or two hours from solar noon which means this moves throughout the year). Being in a freshly irrigated field in 109 degrees is no joke.

JARC: When you look to the future, how do you see yourself evolving as a worker?

Madison: I would like to enhance my abilities with data analysis to be able to process and clean data more efficiently.

JARC: What’s something you enjoy doing when you aren’t at work?

Madison: I enjoy music of all genres. When there isn't a pandemic my family and I frequently attend concerts or shows.

 

Danielle Evans

Dani grew up in the valley and graduated from Fresno State with a degree in Plant Science.

She got her start in ag research working in Houston Wilson’s lab at UCANR, and in 2018 that evolved into a collaboration with Dr. Jacob Wenger’s lab where she learned how to use molecular tools to answer questions about leaf footed bug.

When asked how Dani helps bring continuity to the lab, Dr. Wenger had this to say, “My research relies on genetic  analyses that may take weeks or months to master, so undergrads often spend more time in training than performing independent research. Since Dani joined the team, we have been able to expand our work beyond the basic techniques, and really focus on novel research.

To complete her current work on leaf footed bugs, Dani had to develop all of the protocols from scratch including: gut dissection, degraded DNA extraction, universal PCR, and semi-quantitative analyses. I can't imagine getting that amount of work done with only part-time undergraduate research assistants.”

JARC: What drew you to work in the field of agricultural research?

Dani: Throughout my education, I excelled in the sciences and I knew it was an avenue I wanted to explore. However, I did not think that it would take me to agricultural research. It has shown me that being a part of solving problems in agriculture is an important aspect to science that often is overlooked, but equally important to other sciences.

JARC: What aspects of your work do you find different or more challenging than you anticipated?

Dani: Learning to be patient with failed tests, projects not working out the way I planned, time management, and self-discipline have been major challenges for me through this job. That being said, overcoming these hurdles has been lucrative and very rewarding.

JARC: What has been the biggest challenge you’ve faced since entering this field?

Dani: Most of all, learning to keep moving forward no matter what has been thrown at me has been my greatest challenge. However, it has been the most rewarding, especially seeing results slowly showing themselves as well as growing as a scientist. Without failures and obstacles, we cannot grow. Although going through challenges feels like it is the end, it is inspiring to come out of all of it on top and become better and better every step of the way.

JARC: When looking to the future, how do you see yourself evolving as a worker?

Dani: I hope to keep growing a diligent, hardworking scientist, always curious and striving to keep learning more with each coming day; getting to share my knowledge with others.

JARC: What’s something you enjoy doing when you aren’t at work?

Dani: If I am not at the JARC in the molecular lab, you can find me online playing video games with my friends or painting. Having a job in agriculture influences my love of nature such as going camping, hikes, and the subject matter of my paintings. So there is a lot to enjoy outside of the workplace.

 

Jorge Garcia

Raised in the Central Valley, Jorge started working in ag research as an undergrad, first at UC and then with Dr. Maggie Ellis at Fresno State.

After graduation Jorge was hired on to work as a lab tech with Dr. Ellis. When asked how Jorge contributes to her research group, Dr. Ellis had this to say, "Since joining the pathology lab at Fresno State, Jorge has been a great asset to our team. Even as an undergraduate employee many of the other students would ask Jorge for advice or help and looked up to him as a leader in our group.

Currently as the lab technician he has helped to maintain and increase research efforts in our work with Fusarium wilt of cotton, making him truly invaluable to our research efforts."

JARC: What drew you to work in the field of agricultural research?

Jorge: Growing up in the Central Valley I was exposed to agriculture at a young age. I had the chance to experience it firsthand, working as a harvester during my summer breaks as a teen. It was here where I grew a fascination in the field of Ag.

JARC: What aspects of your work do you find different or more challenging than you anticipated?

Jorge: Working more on the molecular side of agriculture was at first challenging. I was used to being outside and being more hands on. However, I was intrigued by the challenge and wanted to learn as much as I could.

JARC: When looking to the future, how do you see yourself evolving as a worker?

Jorge: I would hope to see myself as a capable and reliable worker. In where future students can come to me with questions and know that I can help them seek the right answer.

JARC: What’s something you enjoy doing when you aren’t at work?

Jorge: When I am not at work I enjoy spending time with my family and friends.

 

Faranak Hadevi

With a bachelor’s degree in horticulture and a Master’s in Pomology, Faranak and her family emigrated from Iran to the Central Valley to learn more about pistachios.

When asked how Faranak helps bring continuity to his lab, Dr. Brar had this to say, "Faranak brought in a much-needed skill set in my lab- working with phytochemical analysis of plant tissue samples.

In addition to the lab work, Faranak also helps my grad students in various aspects of their research and helps manage overall inventory and in general lab management. She is a real asset to Team Pi" (Being housed in Lab Room 314, Dr. Brar has named his lab team "Team Pi").

JARC: Is this your first professional job in ag research?

Faranak: I have experienced different jobs in areas of horticulture. After my master graduation, I started a job as a nursery manager in a prominent company which was in close connection with the universities and research centers, therefore, I got good experiences in overseeing plant research projects in laboratory, field and greenhouse. I also have got an experience in pecans tissue culture by working in a tissue culture lab at New Mexico State University in 2015. Meanwhile, I have always been involved in fruit trees research and have cooperated in some publications with various scientists.

JARC: How did you end up working at Fresno State?

Faranak: The best answer to this question might be simply pistachio which has brought me here. My husband and I moved to the USA to expand our knowledge on pistachio trees, to become familiar and cooperate with the pistachio research and pistachio farming here in Central Valley where many pistachio trees exist here. My husband started his career with UC Davis and also has had some projects with Fresno State. By attending different research meetings and field days, I figured out Dr. Brar here at Fresno State is a very knowledgeable scientist and I decided to work with him on pistachios along with some other crops. First, I volunteered to help him with the ongoing projects, and thereafter I was honored to start officially at Fresno State.

JARC: When looking to the future, how do you see yourself evolving as a worker?

Faranak: I do love working on research projects and at the same time I love horticultural science. So being a horticultural researcher is my ideal job. As a researcher you are always learning new things, and being a researcher is like having a world in front of you to explore.

JARC: What’s something you enjoy doing when you aren’t at work?

Faranak: For me it’s always spending time with my family, it can be going outdoors, eating out, watching movies, or simply playing cardboard games with my kids at home.

 

Dr. Athanasios Alexandrou
Industrial Technology Faculty

 

 

Dean's Office Update (November 2) - Dr. Annette Levi

Perspective

Many of us have been challenged with the transition to a virtual environment. Perhaps you have  had passive students during your Zoom lectures. Maybe you feel like you are prepping for your  classes as if it were your first-year teaching. Most of us seem to be in the same boat. It may be  even more problematic for our students.

Let’s take a look at how COVID 19 is impacting our constituency. A recent survey* of more  than 60,000 currently enrolled California college students, the largest survey of its kind, looked  at the impact COVID 19 has had on their lives.

Here are some of its findings:

• 46% experienced a change in their living situation
• 24% dropped one or more courses in spring 2020
• 71% lost some or all their income
• 90% expressed concern over the shift to exclusively online courses
• 2.4% indicated they will not attend fall term
• 22% do not want to take online courses
• 71% are concerned about financial hardship in their family
• Over 50% are concerned about taking care of family members
• Over 65% are concerned about taking a full load (compared to 20% before COVID)
• Over 70% are concerned about their personal well-being (compared to less than 15%  before COVID)

Another survey** focused on instructors; it surveyed 826 faculty members and administrators at  641 American colleges and universities. Some of the results represent what many of us are feeling:

• Prior to the pandemic almost roughly one-third of colleges and universities nationally had not offered any or few online courses before this spring
• 56% of instructors said they had used "new teaching methods" in transitioning their  courses to remote delivery
• 83% of instructors cited using their institution's learning management system (Canvas) 
• 80% are utilizing synchronous video technology
• 65% have recorded their own lectures
• 51% said they used videos from third-party sources
• Almost two-thirds said they changed "the kinds of assignments or exams" offered
• 48% lowered their expectations for the amount of work students would be able to do
• 47% made it easier for students to take their courses pass/fail
• And 46% "dropped some assignments or exams"

These findings can help us understand the issues that faculty and students worry about most.  Many of us can agree to at least some of these findings as true for ourselves. Of most concern is the financial hardship (71%) our students are facing during these trying times. As Fresno State  faculty and staff, we each have a role to ensure that struggling students receive appropriate  support. Continued vigilance is an important aspect of being proactive, responsive, and prepared. Working together, we can help students meet their full potential to succeed.

Important Dates

We’ve welcomed fall semester with not much fanfare. And spring semester will be online.  Students will be registering by the time you read this. Here are some deadlines to keep in mind  as fall semester hits high gear.
 

November 2nd-6th
• Registration Begins 

November 11th Veterans Day
• Campus Closed

November 13th - LAST DAY TO
• Drop classes for serious and compelling reason; only drop/withdrawal for circumstances  beyond the student’s control, will be considered after this date.

November 26th-27th – Thanksgiving Recess
• Campus Closed

December 9th LAST DAY OF INSTRUCTION - LAST DAY TO
● DROP (individual course) or complete WITHDRAW for circumstances beyond the student’s  control
● Change to/from CR/NC grading

December 10th-11th - Final exam preparation and faculty consultation days

December 14th-17th - Semester final examinations

December 18th - Winter recess begins

December 21st - Fall 2020 semester ends, Degree conferral date / LAST DAY TO:
●Submit incomplete make-up work or request extension of time for incomplete grades from Fall  2019
●Submit to the Division of Graduate Studies office the departmental clearance paperwork on behalf of December 2020 MASTER’S DEGREE candidates (including a copy of the  completed final report on incomplete or in-progress work, if needed for graduation)

December 25th-January 3rd - Winter Break
• Campus Closed

 

Links

* CALIFORNIA STUDENT AID COMMISSION COVID-19 Student Survey  https://www.csac.ca.gov/sites/main/files/file

**How Teaching Changed in the (Forced) Shift to Remote Learning
https://www.insidehighered.com/digital-learning/article/2020/04/22/how-professors-changed their-teaching-springs-shift-remote

 

Dr. Annette Levi
Agricultural Business Faculty

 

Dean's Update (October 21)

Upcoming Events

As you have probably heard, the University continues to look for ways to meet the reduction in funding from the state. The most recent effort includes some layoffs. I am sorry to announce that two people important to our college have been impacted-Geraldine (Gerry) Sanchez in Agricultural Operations and Daniel Nguyen who is our Technology Services liaison. Both have been great. They will be able to work through January 18, 2021 but we will miss them.

Upcoming Events

The Food, Family, and Farm Month has kicked off with events scheduled from now through November 20. This is the second annual iteration that was started last year by our Center and Ag One directors. Cynthia Wood has put together a well done listing of events. I encourage all to take a few minutes to peruse the rich schedule (link).

Our Shared Personal Safety on Campus

We were recently reminded of the importance of remaining vigilant in the effort to reduce chances of spreading COVID-19. Please remember to wear masks, socially distance, and wash hands frequently with soap and water or a hand sanitizer. If you are coming on campus, you will need to go through the check point and use the app to facilitate that process. If you are starting up a new research project, you may need to get approval through the research ramp-up process, which can be done online.

New Class Requirement

The University is responding to a state mandate that all students enroll in an ethnic studies course. A new Area F is being created in GE. At the same time, the campus cannot increase the number of units required in GE. Three different proposals are being considered. 1. Delete Area D3. 2. Delete the MI graduation requirement and make either D1 or D2 a university requirement. 3. Combine Area D3 and the MI graduation requirement into a single 3 unit graduation requirement and allow programs to specify one or the other for their students. Comments should be shared with Annette Levi who will consolidate, consult with department chairs and the curriculum committee and then share a College response with the Dean of Undergraduate Studies.

 

Dr. Dennis Nef
Dean

 

Dean's Office Update (September 28) - Dr. Randy Perry

Outstanding Year on the Farm Laboratory

 The Farm Laboratory had an outstanding year in terms of its financial performance during the fiscal year of 2019-2020. Both Dean Dennis Nef and Mr. Mark Salwasser, the Farm Director, should be congratulated for their outstanding leadership and this great accomplishment. The Board of Directors of the Agricultural Foundation along with the upper administration of the University deserve credit as well for supporting everybody involved on the Farm Laboratory. In addition, all the faculty that serve as enterprise managers, along with the hard working staff that work on the farm in many capacities, as well as the students who are very dedicated employees and volunteers on the Farm Laboratory also deserve praise.

The Farm Laboratory is extremely important to our programs because it provides the animals, crops, and land for our students to be engaged in “hands-on” learning. It is also the location for much of the research that is being conducted in the Jordan College. Over the years, it has become much more difficult to maintain the fiscal sustainability of this valuable resource as state funding for the Farm Laboratory has been significantly reduced. At one time, many things such as student labor, equipment charges, and personnel costs were all covered by the state. Today, most of these expenses have to be covered by income that is generated on the Farm Laboratory.

As Mark Salwasser stated and I quote “everybody that is involved on the farm has tightened their belts in terms of expenses and done what they could to increase revenues to make this past year outstanding.” Similar to some of our sister campuses within the CSU system, our campus has increased plantings of permanent crops such as almonds and pistachios with the goal of improving fiscal performance of the overall Farm Laboratory. Early indications would indicate that this strategy may be working as the Orchard enterprise was the highest money generator of all the farm enterprises. Again, congratulations to all involved.

Impacts of Impaction 

It appears that some of our stakeholders have been misinformed about the effects of impaction on our student’s progress towards graduation. Some of our people have had conversations with potential students that thought impaction would slow their progress towards completing their degree requirements and thus delay when they would be able to graduate. The data within the Jordan College simply does not support this conclusion. Our time to graduation has not been extended and we continue to make progress in terms of retention rates and graduation rates in the Jordan College.

The most significant effects of impaction is that it has allowed us to raise our standards in terms of test scores and minimum GPA’s of incoming students. We have also been able to apply similar standards to students from both within and outside of our service area. This has long been a problem for us within the Jordan College. Now we are able to attract the best students in California, regardless if they are from southern, central or northern California.

The down side to these increased admission requirements is that we do have good students that may fall just short of these standards. Up to this point, for the most part we have been able to work with our Outreach Coordinator, Ms. Michelle Perez and try to get these students admitted into our programs. Dr. Steve Rocca and Dr. Sherri Freeman, the two faculty that work with and oversee our student Ambassadors are being sure that the correct information is being communicated. This group of students work very closely with both incoming freshmen from the high schools and transfers from the Community Colleges throughout California.

Positives associated with Virtual Instruction

Most of us are not very excited about the current “virtual world” that we are all living within. However, in my opinion, it is critical that we try to look at the positives and not get bogged down with the negatives of this current scenario that we are all facing. We had a virtual Welcome Back activity this week in our department. We had a good number of new incoming students that were on the webinar, although slightly less than what we typically have in person. It lasted about an hour and a half and when it was done, we had 99 individual chats in the chat room. Those were a combination of both questions and responses to those questions. I was very impressed with the level of involvement of the students and the volume of questions. The only big disadvantage of the event was that the virtual hot dogs were not near as tasty as those that Dr. Henson and his crew at the Meats Laboratory typically prepare.

It appears to some of us in our department, that many of our students are more apt to engage in questions and other types of responses in a “virtual world” than what they would have in a “face to face” environment. I guess this is to be expected, as many of our students are more apt to text than they are to openly communicate with somebody. In addition, I believe that many of the “voiced over” power points and other virtual resources that we are being forced to produce and try to locate this semester will be resources that we can use in the future as valuable additions to our classes when we return to “normal” hopefully sooner versus later. Take care and I hope everybody has a productive semester.

Quote of the month – “Good judgement is the result of experience – experience is the result of bad judgement” 

 

Dr. Randy Perry
Animal Sciences and Agricultural Education Faculty

 

Dean's Office Update (September 18) - Dr. Athansios Alexandrou

Happy Ruby Anniversary - 40 years of CIT

The Center for Irrigation Technology (CIT) is built on a foundation of innovation and technology transfer focused on testing, applied research, and entrepreneurship to support developing and deploying technologies that will bring the world the most innovative products and resource management tools. Since it began in 1980, CIT has worked with the public and private sector to advance water, energy, and ag technologies and management practices. All activities reflect the need to integrate agricultural, environmental, and urban concerns. Today CIT is internationally recognized as the leading independent testing laboratory and applied research facility for the irrigation industry.

CIT works closely with the Water, Energy, and Technology (WET) Center and the University Agricultural Laboratory (UAL) to provide impartial, third-party laboratory and field testing along with technical assistance that is instrumental in improving product and system performance.

Faculty and CIT researchers have been successful in securing grant funding for applied research and field projects. These projects provide jobs and valuable hands-on learning for Fresno State undergraduate and graduate students.

CIT has conducted hundreds of educational events reaching thousands of people including farmers, government and policymakers, innovators and entrepreneurs, academia, business leaders, end-users, investors, private industry, regulatory agencies, and utilities. With the assistance of a CIT mobile education center, the programs can go straight to the audience.

RTP Process for 2020-21

All faculty personnel actions this year will be handled via Interfolio, the online RTP system that many faculty used last year either to submit probationary plans or to review various personnel matters as we moved things online due to COVID-19. Because we are still in a virtual environment, we have had to move to Interfolio for all RTP reviews, from probationary plans to promotion to full professor. In addition, evaluations, sabbatical requests, requests for range elevation, market based increase requests, and other personnel actions will be handled through Interfolio for ease of transfer of information and reviews while maintaining the security of confidential personnel files.

Implementing any kind of new software can really stress people out. Fortunately, Interfolio is very user friendly. Diane/Faculty affairs conducted Interfolio training for faculty this summer
and has some other scheduled soon for those that missed the sessions. See the link below for details:
https://www.fresnostate.edu/academics/facultyaffairs/documents/calendars/Workshops_2021.pdf

Additional online help for Interfolio use can be found at: http://www.fresnostate.edu/academics/facultyaffairs/procedures/facultyrtp/interfolio.html

Please be sure to reference the Faculty Affairs calendar at the following link for pertinent dates.
https://www.fresnostate.edu/academics/facultyaffairs/documents/calendars/RTP_20-21_Review.pdf

Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (ORSP)

The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (ORSP) is an office within the Division of Research and Graduate Studies, is responsible for all grant and contract proposal activity.

One of the most important tenets of ORSP’s mission is to provide leadership and assistance in securing external funds for such activities. ORSP is responsible for all “pre-award” issues. These include such things as:
• reviewing, approving, and signing proposals and contracts,
• developing budgets, negotiating final contracts, and reviewing documents for regulatory
• compliance on behalf of the University and/or Foundation.

Mrs. Maral Kismetian, is the Grants and Research Administrator for JCAST. Please contact her via email at mkismetian@csufresno.edu or call 278-0911.

Upcoming Funding Opportunities USDA/NIFA Capacity Building Grants for Non-Land Grant Colleges of Agriculture (NLGCA) Program - Deadline: Oct. 28

Don’t forget to submit your Intent to Apply form located at: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScHC5q3Jev6KlCmKnQCq0Y30zZ6YMbH1mvXEISLa6ttxKtpew/viewform

Advising and Career Development Center - Internships

Despite the Covid-19 pandemic the agriculture industry still continues to recruit student interns.

In the spring 2020 semester there was a total of 84 interns compared to 90 in spring 2019. For the summer and fall terms numbers are looking a bit lower, there are 94 interns currently compared to 140 in summer and fall 2019.

The Annual Plant Science Welcome Back and Career Fair event is currently being coordinated and it will be a virtual event. The Animal Science Welcome Back event will also be held virtually. While these uncertain times have definitely impacted internship and career programming, our strong connections with industry
continue to thrive. There have been a few companies that have expressed their interest in participating in virtual events throughout the semester.

Dr. Sherri Freeman and Imelda Dudley put forth a grant proposal that was awarded beginning September, 2020. Through this grant several student resources will be developed including a soft skills certificate pathway program, an agricultural mentoring program, and the creation of 6 new USDA internships. The program was named Agricultural Career Readiness Skills for the 21st Century (ACRS21) Certificate Pathway. Furthermore, this project aims to unite high school, community colleges, and universities in the development of soft skills and career readiness training.

 

Dr. Athanasios Alexandrou
Industrial Technology Faculty

Agricultural Research Institute

 

Dean's Office Update (August 31)  - Dr. Annette Levi

Perspective

“Some people see the glass half full. Others see it half empty. I see a glass that's twice as big as it needs to be.” ― George Carlin

We live in a complex world where it is easier to jump to a conclusion than it is to examine the facts. As an example, what you think you see here is a boulder floating in the air. In fact, it is the photograph of a boulder in water – and the picture is presented upside down. Keep this picture in mind as you go through life. What you see – and fervently believe – may not necessarily be the truth.

Thanks to my brother, Steve Levi, for the photo and perspective!

Important Dates

We’ve welcomed fall semester with not much fanfare. And the chances of spring semester being similar (online) is likely. Course schedules for spring semester are nearly set in stone. Here are some deadlines to keep in mind as fall semester moves along

September 1st - LAST DAY TO:
● Register for Credit by Examination (CBE)
● FACULTY to initiate an administrative drop
● Add a class without permission
● Add a class by Wait List
● Be eligible for a refund of tuition and fees due to drop in unit load

September 7th – LABOR DAY- Campus Closed

September 16th - LAST DAY TO:
● Add a class with permission
● Take examination for Credit by Examination
● Application period ends for BACCALAUREATE Degree to be granted in December 2020

September 17th
● All Drops require a drop/withdrawal form and must be signed by the instructor and department chair.

September 30th LAST DAY FOR:
● Faculty to submit Credit by Examination grades

November 2nd to November 6th
● Registration Begins

November 11th VETERANS DAY- Campus Closed

November 13th - LAST DAY TO
● Drop classes for serious and compelling reason; only drop/withdrawal for circumstances beyond the student’s control, will be considered after this date.

November 26th - 27th – Thanksgiving Recess – Campus Closed

December 9th LAST DAY OF INSTRUCTION - LAST DAY TO:
● DROP (individual course) or complete WITHDRAW for circumstances beyond the student’s control
● Change to/from CR/NC gr

 

Dr. Annette Levi
Agricultural Business Faculty
 

 

Dean's Office Update (August 18)

Upcoming Events

Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, cordially invites you to attend the virtual Faculty Recognition Celebration on Tuesday, August 18, 2020 from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. We will be recognizing new tenure-track faculty hires for 2020-2021 and honoring newly promoted and tenured faculty.

 

Start of the Semester

As the first day of instruction approaches on Wednesday August 19 we have 15 faculty teaching 19 sections of 13 courses in face to face mode. The rest of the courses in the college (excluding supervision courses, we have 88 faculty teaching 273 sections of 153 courses). are being taught in an online format. Given concerns over the number of students who would be applying or returning, the University admitted almost everyone that met CSU minimums-temporarity suspending the higher standards developed under impaction. That resulted in the larget entering class in history. However, in Jordan, we maintained the impaction standards for admission which resulted in a smaller entering group of freshmen and transfers. The results can be seen in the table below

 

 

Our enrollments are about 94% of our target. Interestingly, all of the professional schools are below target as of Monday August 17.

Recognition

New Grants
Congratulations to Laura Ramos and Susan Pheasant (along with Beth Weinman from CSM) on receipt of a 3 year $250,000 Grant Increasing Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Human Sciences Student Success through "Less Leaky" Co-Curricular Experiential Pathways.

Congratulations to our colleagues who received tenure and/or promotion

Newly Promoted and Tenured Associate Professors

Todd Lone, Agricultural Business

Dr. Lone has taught three study abroad courses-two of which he developed and has been advisor to three different student organizations including Alpha Gamma Rho where he was recognized with the Outstanding Advisor Award. He has published 7 peer reviewed journal articles, 6 research reports, three industry reports, four popular press articles and made numerous presentations. Dr. Lone has been awarded 8 grants with a total value approaching a million dollars.

Katy Tarrant, Animal Sciences

Dr. Tarrant received early tenure. She is noted for including undergraduate students in her research program and currently has 8 student employees and 10 student interns. Two of her mentored students have received Outstanding Undergraduate Research Presentations at a national conference. She has five peer reviewed papers 24 peer reviewed abstracts; has made 27 peer reviewed presentations and 13 peer reviewed posters, 19 invited presentations and has received $1 million in research grants and another $1 million in gifts and donations. She was awarded the 2019 Jordan College Outstanding Research and Scholarly Activity award

Newly Promoted Full Professor

Srini Konduru, Agricultural Business

Since becoming associate professor, Dr Konduru has published three articles in refereed professional journals, five research reports, two peer reviewed conference proceedings, and two invited research articles. He has made 16 conference presentations and an additional 9 invited presentations. He has been awarded grants supporting fellowship programs for faculty exchanges with India, Pakistan, Albania, and Ukraine. His disciplinary research seeks to improve policy (Cap and Trade, Pesticide Regulation). Last year he was one of 18 recipients of the USDA Kiki De La Garza fellowship

Pei Xu, Agricultural Business

Dr. Xu developed a service learning course connecting her students to one of 23 local non-profit businesses. Her research on the scholarship of teaching has resulted in one peer reviewed article , two presentations at international conferences, one national conference, a regional presentation, and two poster presentations. Her disciplinary research has resulted in 10 peer reviewed journal articles; 12 oral presentations and 5 poster presentations. She has had 4 grant proposals funded and has served as the president of the Chinese Faculty/Staff Association.

Opportunities for Faculty and Staff

Concerns about assessment of student learning have been raised by the Chancellor's office and faculty should have seen a note from the Associate Vice Chancellor on guidance. Chairs have the note if you have not seen it. Since students will not be on campus, faculty should carefully consider alternate forms of assessments, equity, privacy, and disability accommodation. While we need to be flexible, students still need to be held to learning outcomes.

At our Fall Assembly, Jesse Bower and Ranjit Riar shared how they are engaging students. Their presentations along with the rest of the assembly will be uploaded to the Jordan College Canvas organization. Let's work to build a sense of community this year even though physically apart-WE ARE JORDAN!

In the News

Higher Education now has its own guidelines from the state relative to COVID 19. You can always find the latest at http://fresnostate.edu/president/fall2020/index.html. Pretty much everyone coming to campus will need to answer a series of questions and get their green check marker sticker (use the app or do it online https://fresnostate.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8epQFqbIUjRp5aZ ).

 

Dr. Dennis Nef
Dean