SMETHPORT — “At this time we will not be losing any staff,”
according to Don Tanner, the local director of the Penn State
Cooperative Extension.
But an announcement by Penn State College of Agricultural
Sciences dean Bruce McPheron still contains potential bad news for
the Potter-McKean-Cameron-Elk County unit Tanner heads.
McPheron’s announcement said that the college will lay off 10
people and eliminate 30 other positions by not filling
vacancies.
The 10 immediate layoffs will affect jobs at the main University
Park campus. The attrition losses will affect staff levels in State
College and around the state.
McPheron said the downsizing is part of an effort to keep costs
in line while lower state appropriations pinch spending for
agricultural research and cooperative extension. There is no
tuition income to offset the costs of those programs.
As many as 160 positions could be eliminated in the next few
years if spending remains flat, according to McPheron.
Tanner says the area extension service unit has 10 “standing”
employees and six grant-funded positions now. The grant-funded
positions would be considered temporary anyway, because the
grant-supported programs end at some point.
The extension leader pointed out the staff costs make up 93
percent of the money spent on extension programs.
Tanner said that extension services deliver the instructional
and research programs to populations throughout the state. Also,
information developed through the program adds greatly to the
knowledge base of the college.
Funding for extension programs is a blend of federal, state and
local money.
Tanner said the extension programs in the four counties are
dedicated, highly skilled and motivated, spending many hours beyond
regular duty time to carry out the programs they serve.
“I am fortunate that the staff under my leadership have such
enormous commitment,” Tanner said.
Tanner said he foresees staff losses over time as individuals
retire or take positions elsewhere. He does not know how the
remaining staff could be spread more thinly or could carry out
programs at their present level.
As for how area residents could weigh in on their concerns over
the staff cuts in extension, Tanner said the person to call would
be Gale Miller, whose University Park number is 814-865-0312.
Like Cornell University at Ithaca, N.Y., and others, Penn State
is a land grant college. Extension services are provided by all
land grant colleges, as required by their charters.
