Program and Organizational Development

The Program and Organizational Development (POD) website of University of Maryland Extension (UME) provides information and resources for the department. Included and continuously developing on the site are training, materials, and resources to be successful. Please explore the site to find our past/upcoming training offerings, materials on program planning, program development, evaluation and assessment, teaching effectiveness, publication, mentoring, promotion, and tenure resources.

  • Program Planning, Evaluation, and Assessment

  • Faculty and Staff (Evaluation, Promotion, and Faculty Tenure)

  • Publications Process

  • Extension Academy (onboarding)

  • Teaching Resources

  • Faculty Success and UMERS Reporting Dashboard

Offerings for the Professional Development of Extension Faculty and Staff

UME Professional Development Schedule - Spring 2025

Join us for our Spring Training Series, designed specifically for junior faculty seeking professional development! While these sessions are tailored to support junior faculty, everyone is welcome to participate.

This training series aims to equip you with essential organizational information and practical tools for success in extension programs. Gain valuable insights, enhance your skills, and connect with colleagues as you explore strategies to elevate your work and impact.

Don’t miss this opportunity to invest in your professional growth! Register now and take the next step toward achieving your goals in extension programming. We look forward to seeing you there!

Date Location Topic Speaker Resources for Review Registration
Friday, February 14, 2025

10:00 AM to 11:30 AM
Webinar (Via Zoom) Developing Your Promotion Timeline
This session will discuss developing a promotion timeline. While promotion may seem far away, it is not too soon to plan for scholarly works, writing, and promotion submissions.
Jackie Lewis
Faculty Affairs & ENR Reporting Specialist

Schedule a meeting with Jackie here



 
Pre-Session Reading Materials 

Post Session: UME faculty may contact Dacia Randolph at daciar@umd.edu to request the webinar materials 

Register Here

Friday, February 28, 2025

10:00 AM to 11:30 AM
Webinar (Via Zoom) Preparing for 2025 Reporting | UMERS Data Collection and Data Entry Updates
This session will cover changes to the UMERS data entry forms for 2025 reporting (going live on March 1st). It will guide Extension faculty and staff on accurately collecting and entering direct contacts and demographic data into UMERS. Faculty and staff will also learn about tools for streamlining data collection and cleaning, how to run reports in UMERS, and data privacy considerations. Faculty will share tips for collecting demographic information in several common Extension programming scenarios.
 
Musab Salman  
Data Management Analyst, Evaluation & Reporting

Dhruti Patel  
Senior Agent, Family and Consumer Sciences
Pre-Session Reading Materials 

Post Session: UME faculty may contact Dacia Randolph at daciar@umd.edu to request the webinar materials. 
Register Here
Friday, March 28, 2025

10:00 AM to 11:30 AM
Webinar (Via Zoom) Survey Design & Qualtrics
Part I of this session (Survey Design) will equip Extension faculty and teaching staff with the skills to design and distribute effective needs assessment and program evaluation surveys, resulting in meaningful metrics and quality data from their data collection efforts.

Part II of this session (Qualtrics) will provide users with a foundational understanding of the platform's essential use to include account setup and basic navigation with an overview of the core features and functionality. Users will learn how to create and distribute surveys, and collect and analyze data to manage and report participant feedback.
 
Stephanie Orstad, PhD  
Director, Evaluation & Reporting

Dacia Randolph, PhD  
Coordinator, Evaluation & Reporting
Pre-Session Reading Materials 

Post Session: UME faculty may contact Dacia Randolph at daciar@umd.edu to request the webinar materials. 
Register Here
Friday, April 4, 2025

10:00 AM to 11:30 AM
Webinar (Via Zoom) Needs Assessment
This session will cover the purpose of a Needs Assessment as a component of program planning and evaluation. Learners will be provided with examples of research and engagement tools and techniques that are to be employed with the three phases of the systematic process. Learners will be equipped to effectively use the findings from a Needs Assessment for developing a program.
 
Colby Silvert, PhD  
Assistant Professor & Co-Director
Pre-Session Reading Materials 

Post Session: UME faculty may contact Dacia Randolph at daciar@umd.edu to request the webinar materials 

Register Here

 

Tuesday, April 29, 2025

9:00 AM to 3:00 PM
In-person

Howard County Extension Office,
8930 Stanford Blvd, Suite 25
Columbia, MD 21045
The Ascend One Building
Writing Retreat (Session 1)
What is a writing retreat?

A writing retreat aims to allow educators dedicated writing time to progress any project in a supportive environment.

Most of this session will be dedicated for writing, with brief scheduled discussions to generate solutions to brainstorming, writing problems, developing drafts, and providing feedback.

(minimum of 4 hours of dedicated writing time and networking)
Andrew Kling  
UME Associate Agent


 
Pre-Session Reading Materials 

Post Session: UME faculty may contact Dacia Randolph at daciar@umd.edu to request the supporting materials 
Register at least 5 days prior to the session to ensure lunch arrangements are solidified

Register Here
Friday,
May 2, 2025

10:00 AM to 11:30 AM
Webinar
(Via Zoom)
Grant Writing
This session will focus on identifying suitable grants and crafting compelling proposals to secure funding, effectively. Participants will learn how to research opportunities, align their projects with funding priorities, and create proposals that stand out to reviewers. 

In the second half, we'll dive into AgPAS (PreAward Service), exploring grand documentation and submission processes.
Nevin Dawson  
UME Faculty Specialist

Ora Rollins  
AGNR Assistant Director (Contracts & Grants)

 
Pre-Session Reading Materials 

Post Session: UME faculty may contact Dacia Randolph at daciar@umd.edu to request the webinar materials 

Register Here

Wednesday, May 7, 2025

9:00 AM to 3:00 PM
In-person

Wye Research and Education Center,
124 Wye Narrows Drive, Queenstown, MD 21658
Writing Retreat (Session 2)
What is a writing retreat?

A writing retreat aims to allow educators dedicated writing time to progress any project in a supportive environment.

Most of this session will be dedicated for writing, with brief scheduled discussions to generate solutions to brainstorming, writing problems, developing drafts, and providing feedback.

(minimum of 4 hours of dedicated writing time and networking)
Andrew Kling  
UME Associate Agent


 
Pre-Session Reading Materials 

Post Session: UME faculty may contact Dacia Randolph at daciar@umd.edu to request the supporting materials 
Register at least 5 days prior to the session to ensure lunch arrangements are solidified

Register Here
Friday, May 23, 2025

10:00 AM to 11:30 AM
Webinar (Via Zoom) Planning Your Extension Event
This webinar will review Extension event considerations for planning, promoting, and conducting a successful event. This session will cover policies and best practices.
Jennifer Bentlejewski, PhD  
Area Extension Director - WMD
Pre-Session Reading Materials 

Post Session: UME faculty may contact Dacia Randolph at daciar@umd.edu to request the webinar materials 

Register Here

UME Professional Development Schedule - Fall 2024 

Join us for our Fall Training Series, designed specifically for junior faculty seeking professional development! While these sessions are tailored to support junior faculty, everyone is welcome to participate.

This training series aims to equip you with essential organizational information and practical tools for success in extension programs. Gain valuable insights, enhance your skills, and connect with colleagues as you explore strategies to elevate your work and impact.

Don’t miss this opportunity to invest in your professional growth! Register now and take the next step toward achieving your goals in extension programming. We look forward to seeing you there!

Date Location Topic Speaker Resources for Review Registration
Friday, September 27, 2024

10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Webinar (Via Zoom) Planning Your Extension Program and Preparing Your IEP
The session will provide the process for completing your Individual Extension Plan (IEP). The IEP is the faculty’s individual response to the UME Programmatic Plan, which will be used to guide the year's programming efforts. IEPs are due October 14th.
Stephanie Orstad, Shannon Dill,  Program Leaders or Representatives

Followed by Office Hours on October 2nd and 4th (9AM - 12PM) 
https://umd.zoom.us/my/sdill 
Pre-Session Reading Materials - https://extension.umd.edu/about/program-and-organizational-development/program-planning-evaluation-and-assessment/program-planning/individual-extension-plan-iep/

Post Session: UME faculty may contact Dacia Randolph at daciar@umd.edu to request the webinar materials 
 

View Recording

Friday, October 18, 2024

10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Webinar (Via Zoom) Working with the Institutional Review Board (IRB)
This session will cover the purpose of the Institutional Review Board (IRB) and its importance in human subject research. We will guide you through IRB steps, including account setup, CITI certification, and form submissions, and we will share best practices. You will also receive a demonstration of the IRB system and information on the submission and amendment process.
Dacia Randolph, Samantha (Sam) Martocci - IRB Office  Pre-Session Reading Materials - https://extension.umd.edu/about/program-and-organizational-development/program-planning-evaluation-and-assessment/program-planning/institutional-review-board-irb/

Post Session: UME faculty may contact Dacia Randolph at daciar@umd.edu to request the webinar materials. 
View recording
Friday, November 1, 2024

10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Webinar (Via Zoom) Documenting Teaching Effectiveness
As a faculty member at UMD, it's essential to gather feedback on your teaching effectiveness from your students. This session will guide you through using the General Teaching Effectiveness form, required for classes taught to the general public, ages 14 and up. We will cover best practices for distributing the data, emphasizing using the online survey link for streamlined data collection.
Jeff Howard

 

Pre-Session Reading Materials - https://extension.umd.edu/about/program-and-organizational-development/teaching-resources/teaching-effectiveness/

Post Session: UME faculty may contact Dacia Randolph at daciar@umd.edu to request the webinar materials.

 

View Recording

Wednesday, November 13, 2024

9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
In-person

Howard County Extension Office, 8930 Stanford Blvd, Suite 25
The Ascend One Building, Columbia, MD 21045
 
Designing and Implementing Your Extension Logic Model
This session will review the basics of a logic model to create and evaluate an Extension Program. The morning session will discuss the mechanics of the logic model, and the afternoon will work through creating a logic model for your program. The session will also provide networking time and collaboration with your promotion cohort.
Jackie Lewis, Shannon Dill, Stephanie Orstad, Program Representatives   Registration closed as of 11/3/2024
Friday, November 15, 2024

10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Webinar (Via Zoom) Writing Impact Statements
This session will provide you with the skills and strategies to effectively communicate the significance and outcomes of your work. Impact statements are crucial for demonstrating the value of your programs to reviewers, stakeholders and funders.
Shannon Dill Post Session: UME faculty may contact Dacia Randolph at daciar@umd.edu to request the webinar materials 

View Recording

 

Friday,
November
22. 2024

10 a.m. to
11:30 a.m.
Webinar
(Via Zoom)
Collecting Your Program Outputs, and Reporting in UMERS Stephanie Orstad, Chuck Schuster Post Session: UME faculty may contact Dacia Randolph at daciar@umd.edu to request the webinar materials 

View Recording

Friday, December 13, 2024

10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Webinar (Via Zoom) Developing Your CV
Join us for a training session on creating a comprehensive CV tailored to the University of Maryland Extension (UME) standards. This workshop will guide you through organizing your scholarship, teaching, and service activities into a well-structured CV that reflects your professional achievements. This session will give you the tools and tips to showcase your accomplishments effectively.
Jackie Lewis Post Session: UME faculty may contact Dacia Randolph at daciar@umd.edu to request the webinar materials 

View Recording & CV Reference Documents
 

 

Friday, December 20, 2024

10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Webinar (Via Zoom) Preparing for Your Annual Faculty Review (AFR) Jackie Lewis Post Session: UME faculty may contact Dacia Randolph at daciar@umd.edu to request the webinar materials 

View Recording