West Virginia Agricultural & Forestry Experiment Station

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West Virginia Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station Advisory Board
The West Virginia Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station was authorized by the 49^th Congress of the United States in 1887. In 1889, the West Virginia Legislature adopted the Congress’s authorization and instructed West Virginia University to operate the Station. It is the oldest research unit at West Virginia University and in the state of West Virginia.

From its inception, the Experiment Station has been a partnership between the State and Federal governments. Federal support comes through appropriations from the USDA for the Hatch Act, the Cooperative Forestry Research Act ("McIntire-Stennis Act") and the Animal Health Act. The State of West Virginia appropriates funds that must at least match the level of Federal appropriations. Research grants, cooperative agreements, research contracts, and gifts are important, and growing, sources of support for the Station’s programs.

For much of its history, the Experiment Station has focused its resources on research directly related to production of goods and services by the State’s agricultural and forestry enterprises. In the 1990s, the five focus areas of the Station’s research portfolio still include studies on issues and needs related to production agriculture and forestry. But, in addition, society has come to expect the Station to do studies of forests and forest management, natural resource uses, human nutrition, food safety, rural sociology and development, and many more topics related to modern development in forest, agricultural, and human sciences.

To meet their purposes, State Agricultural Experiment Stations are organized in various manners in the Land Grant Universities. On the one hand are free-standing Experiment Stations, which are distinct, organizationally, from other academic units (e.g., Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station). There are a number of administrative arrangements somewhat like that at WVU in which one person is both Director of the Experiment Station and Dean of academic programs. There are arrangements in which the Director of the Experiment Station is situated within a College, but is not the same person as the Dean of the College (e.g., LA, GA). And finally there are arrangements in which both the Director of the Experiment Station and Director of the Extension Service are supervised by the Dean of the College (e.g., FL, MD).

Formula appropriations (Hatch, McIntire-Stennis) remain the mainstay of the West Virginia Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station’s funding. Over two-thirds of research support comes from the federal appropriations and required matching state appropriations. Externally funded grants and contracts have increased in recent years.

The visibility and recognition of the West Virginia Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station and its programs are not in keeping with its centrality to agriculture, forestry and consumer sciences in West Virginia. The Station’s research portfolio has become increasingly diverse as a response to the increasingly diverse needs of individuals, businesses, communities, nongovernmental organizations, industries, public agencies, and public decision-makers. One of the strategic issues identified in the College and Experiment Station’s Strategic Plan: 1998-2002 is:

The image of the College and its undergraduate and graduate programs, research, and service activities, must continue to be enhanced.

It is in recognition of this need to improve the outreach, recognition and, consequently, the effectiveness of the West Virginia Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, that an Advisory Board for its programs is proposed.

Purpose:
The West Virginia Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station Advisory Board’s primary mission will be to enhance the impact of the Station’s research programs by providing advice and support to the Director of the West Virginia Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station. It will do this by:

periodically reviewing proposed and ongoing research in the Experiment Station,
identifying contributions that the Station’s research can make in addressing high priority needs for West Virginia,
encouraging innovation in programs of the Experiment Station,
identifying non-university partners with whom mutual interests can result in improved performance and delivery of research outcomes,
identifying areas in which research programs can be integrated effectively with extension programs to enhance technology transfer and outreach,
promoting awareness of the Experiment Station and its programs, and
assisting the Experiment Station in obtaining additional funding.

Features:
The West Virginia Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station Advisory Board shall consist of nine members, appointed by the President, West Virginia University. Its composition will be multidisciplinary with members chosen from among the various stakeholders in the research program of the Station, including the WVU Extension Service. Members will serve three year terms (except for adjustment needed at the outset to stagger terms), with of the terms expiring each year. Members may serve no more than two consecutive terms.

The Board will be chaired by the Director, West Virginia Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station. Ex Officio members will include the Associate Director and the Assistant Director, West Virginia Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station. It will meet at least once each year. Additional communications will occur regularly throughout the year. Members missing more than two consecutive meetings without justifiable cause will be replaced. The Experiment Station will pay travel, meals, and lodging expenses for members to attend the Board’s meetings.

Indicators of a Successful Board:
The Board will be successful in meeting its purpose and mission if the following indicators are evaluated positively after a period of operation:

Is composed of an active, multidisciplinary, membership.
Is multidisciplinary in its perspectives on research needs.
Serves to assist the Director in identifying needs and in evaluating outcomes and impacts of research.
Members view the Board as a means to an end (enhancing research), not an end in itself.
Will be able to point to specific programs and impacts of the Experiment Station that have occurred directly as a result of Board activity.
Will have earned the support and recognition of scientists, extension educators, and stakeholders who regard the Experiment Station and its Advisory Board as vehicles for timely, issue-oriented research of significance to West Virginia.