Updates from the Dean

As I reflect on the things I am thankful for, one of those is our CFAES community. I have experienced the commitment and dedication of our faculty, staff and students. I want to reaffirm my commitment to our CFAES community, our mission areas, and all of the facets of our college. I will continue to support our faculty, staff and students as we celebrate our strengths and focus on our opportunities.

Although I was not a Buckeye on Nov. 28, since my time here, I have witnessed firsthand the pride and spirit of this community. Over the past year, the Ohio State community has joined together to grow, heal, advance and show the world our extraordinary Buckeye spirit. Together, we are Buckeye Strong. Please check out OnCampus Today for a special event that will recognize our strength and perseverance: Buckeye Strong: A Moment of Reflection.

Finally, there is concern about the implications that H.R. 1, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, could have for members of our university community as well as some of our stakeholders. I have been working with President Drake and the President’s Cabinet as we navigate this complex legislation and look for the best way possible to support the university community and our CFAES community. President Drake sent a letter to members of the Ohio Congressional Delegation about the legislation and its impact on our students. We are committed to keeping decision makers informed about the impact of this legislation.

Sincerely,

Cathann A. Kress
Vice President, Agricultural Administration and Dean

Update on IT Transformation Project

The Oct. 16 CFAES Weekly News Digest provided an update on the CFAES IT Services Review. As outlined in that update, on Nov. 1, the college launched the CFAES IT Transformation Project. The goal with this project is to ensure a robust IT strategy and approach to management, seek efficiencies, and do more in focused areas. As we start implementing this 18- to 24-month project, here are a few things that will happen in the next 90 days.

The college has established a core project team to lead the planning and implementation of the project. Graham Cochran, Matt DeVore and Eric Bode from CFAES, and Diane Dagefoerde, Bob Corbin and Jason Haskins from OCIO serve on that team.

In addition to the core project team, an IT Transformation Task Force will help guide the work and provide input on key decisions. Click the link below to see the members of the task force. There also will be opportunities for faculty and staff members to provide feedback.

CFAES IT Transformation Project Core Team & Task Force

Also in the next 90 days, the college will develop a workforce transition plan that will stem from the creation of a new service portfolio for CFAES IT Services and the finalization of the service level agreement with OCIO. Decisions about the services CFAES will provide and the services OCIO will provide will determine the transition of some staff from CFAES to OCIO.

Since the goal of the project is to ensure a robust IT strategy, decisions will be made based on how to provide quality and efficient IT services to our faculty, staff, students and customers. This includes support for desktops, classrooms and research. In some of those areas, things will look different; however, we are focused on maintaining a level of service that will meet your needs moving forward.

Until the changes are implemented, there is no change in how you request IT support. It is business as usual when you need help!

The college will continue to provide email updates as well as create a website landing page for information, including project updates and frequently asked questions. If you do have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Matt DeVore, Graham Cochran or Diane Dagefoerde.

Forestry Forum’s Annual Christmas Tree Sale

The Forestry Forum, a student organization at The Ohio State University, is having its annual Christmas Tree sale behind the Nationwide & Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center. The dates and times are:

  • Thursday, Nov. 30, 12:00 p.m. until dark
  • Friday, Dec. 1, 9:00 a.m. until dark
  • Saturday, Dec. 2, 9:00 a.m. until dark
  • Sunday, Dec. 3, 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Tree species include Frasier Fir, Blue Spruce, White Pine, and Scotch Pine. There will also be wreaths available for sale. Tree heights range from 6’ to 9’ and are priced from $35 up to $85. Wreaths cost $25.

Click here for more information about the sale.

Scarlet, Gray and Green Fair – Exhibitor Registration Open

The Wooster campus is hosting the 8th Scarlet, Gray and Green Fair on Thursday, April 26, 2018. The festival celebrates, educates and demonstrates that “Green is for Life!” Free to the public, the fair features exhibits, demonstrations, recycling and food vendors.

Previous fairs have featured over 50 exhibitors and 1,500 attendees. Registration for exhibitors for the 2018 fair is now open. Exhibitors:

  • Promote their environmentally friendly company or organization;
  • Demonstrate how their company or organization made the commitment to go green;
  • Market and sell their environmental products;
  • Create an environmental and education exhibit to inspire their employees and the public.

Click here to register to secure a booth. Space is limited and locations are assigned on a first come, first serve basis. The deadline for registration is March 9, 2018. For additional exhibitor information, contact Gwen Zimmerly at zimmerly.30@osu.edu or Desiree Lutsch at lutsch.11@osu.edu.

Financial sponsors may qualify for free booth space. For more information about sponsorship opportunities, contact Fred Michel at michel.36@osu.edu.

The fair will again be offered in conjunction with the Renewable Energy Workshop. The workshop required pre-paid registration and will feature presentations and panel discussions by industry and academia experts. Registrants will have the opportunity to visit the fair and engage with leaders in emerging green energy research and industry. For more information about the workshop, contact Fred Michel at michel.36@osu.edu.

EHS Safety Brief – Ergonomics

Attached is a new “Safety Brief” poster from OSU Environmental Health and Safety.

November’s safety brief is titled – Work a Pain in the Neck? Check Your Desk. Ergonomics is the science of fitting the job to the worker. Environmental Health & Safety has implemented an ergonomics program to focus on the prevention and management of musculoskeletal disorders associated with repetitive job duties. In this edition of the Environmental Health & Safety brief, learn tips to make your workstation more ergonomic-friendly.

Ergonomics Safety Brief

Click here for more information on CFAES employee safety.

Ohio State ATI Poinsettia Pre-Sale

It’s that time of year again already! The greenhouse students have grown a beautiful crop of poinsettias. Poinsettias are available in various colors and pot sizes. Please refer to “Color Choice by Crop Size 2017” to make your selection.

Pre-sale poinsettia orders will be filled on a first come, first served basis, so get your orders in ASAP! Orders are due Nov. 21.

Please note that you MUST prepay to guarantee your order. Orders without prepayment will not be honored.

Poinsettia Pre-sale Form 2017

Autumn Graduating Senior Luncheon

Every year, the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences’ Academic Programs Office congratulates its graduating seniors prior to Autumn Commencement at an annual Graduating Senior Luncheon. We look forward to this year’s event as students, faculty, college administrators and guests come together for a luncheon and short program.

This is also a time to wish the graduates well and to welcome them as alumni. The Autumn 2017 Graduating Senior Luncheon is planned for Sunday, December 17 from 11:15 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. in the Agricultural Administration Auditorium.

Please accept this as a formal invitation to all faculty and staff. RSVP to Susie Sheller (sheller.1@osu.edu) by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, December 11, 2017.

Spring Dependent Tuition Assistance Enrollment

Applications for dependent tuition assistance must be submitted each term. The enrollment window for spring semester 2018 opened November 13, 2017, and closes January 12, 2018. Eligible faculty and staff can apply online or with paper applications. The student must have a social security number on file with the Buckeye Link to receive dependent tuition assistance.

What you need to do:

  • Interested faculty and staff should click here for more information.
  • Contact the Office of Human Resources Customer Service Center at HR@osu.edu or (614) 292-1050.

Use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems Policy

The revised Use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) policy is now in effect. The UAS policy moved from interim to final status after going through the university policy process. The policy addresses the increasing use and potential risk of Unmanned Aircraft Systems, commonly known as drones, on and around campus and university properties, and is largely based on Federal Aviation Administration regulations.

Operation of any UAS on any university property or at any university-sponsored event or activity, or using UAS acquired with university resources, is prohibited unless first approved by the UAS Advisory Committee.

Those who seek to operate a UAS on any university property, operate a UAS at any university-sponsored event or activity, or use a UAS acquired with university resources should become familiar with the revised policy.

Click here to view the policy.

CFAES Map

Per Dean Kress’ request, Marketing and Communications designed a geographic map of the college and its primary locations. The map will be printed as artwork in the open area outside of the dean’s suite in the Agricultural Administration building.

The unit wanted to make the map available to all CFAES employees. The attached PDF is designed for 11 x 17 printing.

CFAES Map

Adobe Acrobat XI Upgrade

On October 15, Adobe ended support for Acrobat XI Pro, which is widely used for creating and editing PDF files. Although Acrobat XI remains functional, Adobe will no longer provide updates or address existing bugs or security issues for this product.  Because of this, a new version of Acrobat Pro will be deployed. The new product is called Acrobat Pro DC and is very similar to Acrobat XI, but with an updated look and feel.

CFAES IT Services has developed a process to update Windows computers to this new product with deployment beginning on Tuesday, November 14, 2017. This involves removing Acrobat XI from the computer and then installing the newer program.  In most cases, this can be completed remotely with limited user interaction. However, some users may receive a prompt indicating that programs must be closed in order for the task to run. If you receive this prompt, please close all running programs and allow the process to complete. Failure to close software when prompted may result in the inability to view/edit PDF documents until a support representative can assist you. The expected time to completion is between 3 to 5 minutes, but may take longer depending on computer specifications. Once finished, a notification will appear indicating that the task is complete.

Users of Acrobat XI on macOS should contact the IT Service Desk for assistance.

If you experience any issues during this upgrade or begin having issues accessing PDF documents, contact the IT Service Desk at 614-514-IT4U (4848), Toll Free at 844-614-IT4U (4848) or online at http://go.osu.edu/ITServiceDesk.

CFAES Visual Brand Requirements

As one college in one university, CFAES embraces the university brand as well as has its own brand guidelines that shape how we want to be perceived by our consumers – alumni, colleagues, friends, donors, partners and legislators.

Our brand identity is what we stand for and what we offer. And, all employees and programs of CFAES are required to adhere to the brand guidelines including all departments and schools, all Ohio State University Extension programs, and all programs that are part of the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center.

The brand guidelines were established  in 2013 when the university rebranded and the college launched the new logo, the one we use today. As of late there have been many items and materials produced that have not been properly branded, so Marketing and Communications wanted to remind employees of the college brand and branding approval process.

There are very specific brand rules regarding the use of the logo, approved fonts and colors, co-branding, identifying OSU Extension and OARDC and identifying departments and units.

All items regardless of whether an Ohio State logo is being used or not are required to be pre-approved by the CFAES Branding Approval Team. Before programs submit an e-Request for printed items of any kind, the artwork should be submitted to the Branding Approval Team for review and approval.

The Brand Approval Team meets weekly (every Wednesday) to review all items submitted; however, if an item needs approved sooner than that, the team will review and provide feedback as needed. Purchasers should allow up to two weeks for review and approval; this allows time for the creator of the artwork to make necessary revisions and resubmit for final review and approval. In some cases, additional review and approval is also necessary by Ohio State Trademark and Licensing.

All printed publications, promotional items, etc. should be submitted for review to CFAES_BAT@osu.edu.

Please note: CFAES central unit fiscal officers and business service center accountants and account clerks will not approve payment for any items that have not been approved by the Brand Approval Team.

Marketing and Communications is working on a new visual look for the college. This new brand identity will launch Jan. 1, 2018. Marketing and Communications will provide training on the new requirements, templates for easy transition, and the tools needed to adhere to the new brand identity.

All questions regarding the brand requirements can be directed to CFAES_BAT@osu.edu.

Poinsettia Sale – Nov. 29 & 30

Pi Alpha Xi (PAX), the horticulture and floriculture honor society, will host its Poinsettia Sale in the Howlett Hall Greenhouses November 29 and 30 from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m.

This fund raiser provides support for PAX student members for travel, education, and scholarship.

The attached flyer not only provides pricing details, but also provides a discount if taken to the sale.

2017 Poinsettia Sale

 

Accelerator Awards

The Accelerator Awards is a funding program based upon the idea that an initial amount of capital, strategically focused, can make a large difference in advancing a technology along the commercialization pathway. This is a great way for faculty to fund their inventions.

The Accelerator Awards program provides Ohio State researchers up to $100,000 to advance and further develop promising technologies and bring them closer to market. Researchers can use the award for concept development, prototyping, coding, market studies and customer validation efforts. Ohio State researchers who have disclosed their inventions to technology commercialization in the Corporate Engagement Office are eligible for the award.

Applications for this round of funding are due by 10 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 15 and can be accessed through Innovate or go.osu.edu/accelawards.

Slovene Research Initiative Call for Proposals

The Slovene Research Initiative (SRI) at The Ohio State University invites proposals for the SRI Visiting Scholar Exchange Program. SRI is a collaborative program focused on faculty exchange administered by the Center for Slavic and East European Studies (CSEES) at Ohio State made possible by the generous support of the Slovene Ministry of Education and Science and the Research Center at the Slovene Academy of Sciences and Arts.

SRI seeks to advance the study of and research on Slovenia and the broader region of Central and Southeastern Europe. The Initiative will cover either two or four weeks of housing in Ljubljana, Slovenia, and access to conduct research at the Research Center of the Slovene Academy of Sciences and Arts. It does not support travel or any other expenses. Proposed exchanges should take place in late spring or during the summer. The SRI Committee might opt to select two proposals that request two weeks of housing, or one that requests four. Visiting Scholar Exchange proposals can focus on any discipline, but should clearly demonstrate how the research or work conducted on the exchange will advance the understanding of the region.

Questions and proposals should be sent to Eileen Kunkler (kunkler.10@osu.edu), Center for Slavic and East European Studies. Deadline for submission is January 15, 2018.

Click here for more information.