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Facilitating Sustainable Agriculture

A Participatory National Conference
on Post- Secondary Education

January 24-25, 2006
Asilomar Conference Grounds, Pacific Grove, California

Subscription Information for Working Groups and Sub-committees

To subscribe to any of the topical working group (# 1–7) or sub-committee list serves (# 8 a.–i.) below, please send an e-mail to: [GroupName]-subscribe@googlegroups.com. For example, if you wanted to join topical working group #1: “Developing and Maintaining Institutional Support,” you would need to send an email to: “FSAEInstitutionalSupport-subscribe@googlegroups.com.” Leave the subject line and the body of the email blank. You will receive a reply email message confirming your request to be registered to the group and providing you with instructions on how to join. Click on the URL provided in the email. This will take you to a Google Groups webpage. The webpage will inform you that “You have successfully joined the group FSAEInstitutionalSupport.” You will now be prompted to: a) “Visit the groups homepage” or; b) “Email this group.” To participate in the listserv, click the URL under “Visit the group’s homepage.” From here you will be prompted to join the group. Click on “Join this group.” Select how you want to receive messages from the group and click “Join this group.” You are now a member of FSAENatOrgInstitutionalSupport and can participate in this listserv. Repeat this process for all other working group and subcommittee listservs you wish to join.

  • Listservs for topical working groups (e.g. - FSAEInstitutionalSupport@googlegroups.com) and national organization sub-committees (e.g. - FSAENatOrgMembership@googlegroups.com): List serves are used to communicate within working group and committees. A message sent to this address goes to all registered members of this working group listserv (see below).
  • G-mail addresses for communicating between topical working groups (e.g. - FSAEInstitutionalSupport@gmail.com) and national organization sub-committees (e.g. - FSAENatOrgMembership@gmail.com): G-mail addresses are used to communicate between different working groups or committees (see list below). Instructions: 1. log onto gmail.google.com/. 2. Enter the user name for a working group or committee that you are registered with (e.g. – FSAENatOrgMembership). 3. Enter the password: “learner.” From this g-mail account you can exchange emails with other working groups and subcommittees by using the email addresses associated with each group below.

Note on committee organization and responsibilities: It is the responsibility of each committee or working group to be self-organizing. We ask that each working group and sub-committee provide a monthly summary/minutes of activity and decisions the group has made to the “In-reach Committee” (FSAENatOrgInreachCommittee@gmail.com) by the 25th of each month. The In-reach Committee will be responsible for making the committee activity summaries available to the general membership.

Note on proposals for new committees or working groups: If there are topics or issues that are important to you or your organization that are not being addressed in the working groups and committees listed below, please submit your proposals for the formation of new committees to the In-reach Committee: FSAENatOrgInreachCommittee@gmail.com

Note on communication technologies: We are setting up the list serves as a simple way for  individuals to participate in conversations. Groups can use whatever additional methods of communication they wish. This year’s conference planning process involved many conversations that crossed state and national boundaries. Our ability to communicate inexpensively was greatly facilitated not only by email, but also by Skype, a voice-over-internet system that turns your computer into a free telephone. Two- and three-way calls work very well with Skype. Larger conference calls may be possible, but sound quality may be compromised. For more information and to download free Skype software, please visit Skype.

Topical Working Groups (formed from specific breakout sessions at conference):

  1. Developing and Maintaining Institutional Support:

    Listserv: FSAEInstitutionalSupport@googlegroups.com
    Email: FSAEInstitutionalSupport@gmail.com
    Homepage: http://groups.google.com/group/FSAEInstitutionalSupport

    Initial Objectives: a forum on developing and sustaining institutional and faculty support for sustainable agriculture education programs.

  2. Student Group:

    Listserv: FSAEStudentGroup@googlegroups.com
    Email: FSAEStudentGroup@gmail.com
    Homepage: http://groups.google.com/group/FSAEStudentGroup

    Initial Objectives: a forum for issues and interests specific to undergraduate and graduate students interested in sustainable agriculture and issues relating to sustainable agriculture education.

  3. Curriculum Development:

    Listserv: FSAECurriculumDevelopment@googlegroups.com
    Email: FSAECurriculumDevelopment@gmail.com
    Homepage: http://groups.google.com/group/FSAECurriculumDevelopment

    Initial Objectives: a forum on curricula and curriculum development for sustainable agriculture education programs.

  4. Student Recruitment and Retention:

    Listserv: FSAEStudentRecruitment@googlegroups.com
    Email: FSAEStudentRecruitment@gmail.com
    Homepage: http://groups.google.com/group/FSAEStudentRecruitment

    Initial Objectives: a forum on recruitment and student retention strategies for sustainable agriculture education programs.

  5. Connecting to the Community:

    Listserv: FSAEConnectingtoCommunity@googlegroups.com
    Email: FSAEConnectingtoCommunity@gmail.com
    Homepage: http://groups.google.com/group/FSAEConnectingtoCommunity

    Initial Objectives: a forum on effectively connecting sustainable agriculture programs and students to surrounding communities.

  6. Student and College Farms:

    Listserv: FSAEStudentCollegeFarms@googlegroups.com
    Email: FSAEStudentCollegeFarms@gmail.com
    Homepage: http://groups.google.com/group/FSAEStudentCollegeFarms

    Initial Objectives: a forum on the development, management and utilization of college farms and student farm projects.

  7. Interdisciplinary Education:

    Listserv: FSAEInterdisciplinaryEducation@googlegroups.com
    Email: FSAEInterdisciplinaryEducation@gmail.com
    Homepage: http://groups.google.com/group/FSAEInterdisciplinaryEducation

    Initial Objectives: a forum on the development and practice of interdisciplinary education (e.g. – the integration of natural and social sciences in courses and curricula).

  8. National Association for the Advancement of Sustainable Agriculture in Higher Education
    Sub-committees within the national association working group:

    a. General Membership Committee:
    Listserv: FSAENatOrgMembership@googlegroups.com
    Email: FSAENatOrgMembership@gmail.com
    Homepage: http://groups.google.com/group/FSAENatOrgMembership

    Initial Objectives: provides a discussion and announcement forum for the general membership of the national association for the advancement of sustainable agriculture in higher education.

    b. Design and Development Committee:
    Listserv: FSAENatOrgDesignDevelopment@googlegroups.com
    Email: FSAENatOrgDesignDevelopment@gmail.com
    Homepage: http://groups.google.com/group/FSAENatOrgDesignDevelopment

    Initial Objectives: to research and evaluate existing associations/organizations that may serve as models for the design and development of a national association for the advancement of sustainable agriculture in higher education.

    c. Stakeholder Outreach Committee:
    Listserv: FSAENatOrgStakeholderOutreach@googlegroups.com
    Email: FSAENatOrgStakeholderOutreach@gmail.com
    Homepage: http://groups.google.com/group/FSAENatOrgStakeholderOutreach

    Initial Objectives: to define and communicate with stakeholders and to conduct membership outreach to define the steering committee for a national association for the advancement of sustainable agriculture in higher education.

    d. Conference and Meetings Committee:                 
    Listserv: FSAENatOrgConferencesMeetings@googlegroups.com
    Email: FSAENatOrgConferencesMeetings@gmail.com
    Homepage: http://groups.google.com/group/FSAENatOrgConferencesMeetings

    Initial Objectives: to organize and coordinate additional conferences and meetings on sustainable agriculture education.

    e. Fundraising Committee:
    Listserv: FSAENatOrgFundraisingCommittee@googlegroups.com
    Email: FSAENatOrgFundraisingCommittee@gmail.com
    Homepage: http://groups.google.com/group/FSAENatOrgFundraisingCommittee

    Initial Objectives: to raise funds for projects serving to the mission, goals and objectives of the national association for the advancement of sustainable agriculture in higher education.

    f. Website Design for National Organization:
    Listserv: FSAENatOrgWebsiteDesign@googlegroups.com
    Email: FSAENatOrgWebsiteDesign@gmail.com
    Homepage: http://groups.google.com/group/FSAENatOrgWebsiteDesign

    Initial Objectives: to develop designs for a website for the national association for the advancement of sustainable agriculture in higher education.

    g. Mission Statement Committee:
    Listserv: FSAENatOrgMissionStatement@googlegroups.com
    Email: FSAENatOrgMissionStatement@gmail.com
    Homepage: http://groups.google.com/group/FSAENatOrgMissionStatement

    Initial Objectives: to formulate a mission statement for the national association and to begin defining the short-, medium-, and long-term goals for the association/organization.

    h. In-reach Committee:
    Listserv: FSAENatOrgInreachCommittee@googlegroups.com
    Email: FSAENatOrgInreachCommittee@gmail.com
    Homepage: http://groups.google.com/group/FSAENatOrgInreachCommittee

    Initial Objectives: to encourage between and within-group communications. The In-reach Committee is responsible for making available the monthly summaries of topical working group and sub-committee activities and providing a venue for proposing the formation of new committees or working groups to address topics/issues not currently being addressed.

    i. Implementation Committee:
    Listserv: FSAENatOrgImplementation@googlegroups.com
    Email: FSAENatOrgImplementation@gmail.com
    Homepage: http://groups.google.com/group/FSAENatOrgImplementation

    Initial Objectives: to serve as an interim steering committee during the initial developmental stage of the national organization. This committee will provide overall coordination of the other sub-committees and the general membership. It will include representatives of some key subcommittees as well the various stakeholder groups, including the following: undergraduate students, graduate students, natural and social science faculty, staff, administrators, farmers/ranchers or other members of the larger community. The Implementation Committee is also responsible for reviewing proposals and determining new committees that serve to accommodate new needs and interests of stakeholders. Committee size will be about 8 to 12 and committee members may designate alternates when appropriate.