MSUE Food Safety Area of Expertise (AoE) Team
Mode of Operations

Membership: Active membership in the Food Safety AoE Team is open to MSU campus-based faculty, specialists, and academic staff and board-appointed field staff.  Associate membership is extended to partners external to MSU who have a commitment to the vision and mission of the Team. 

Coach:  Karen Shirer

Co-Chairs:    Ellen DeFay (Field Staff)

                        Leslie Bourquin (Campus Faculty)

Vice Chair: Lisa Treiber (Field Staff)

Coordinator: Jennifer Wagester

Food Safety AoE Team Vision Statement:

To be leaders in food safety education for families, the media, policy makers and the food industry in Michigan and abroad.

Food Safety AoE Team Mission Statement:

Recognizing that the provision of a safe food supply is fundamental to health and well-being, the mission of the Michigan State University Extension Food Safety AoE Team is to protect the health of the people of Michigan and abroad through the execution of sound research, the delivery of research-based educational programs, and the provision of reliable information to policy makers.

Organizational Structure of Food Safety AoE Team

Officers:

o      Campus Co-Chair

o      Field Co-Chair

o     Vice Chair

o      Officers must be active members of the AoE Team and attend a minimum of 75% of Food Safety AoE Team functions during their term.

o      Nominees for officer positions must consent to their candidacy before the elections.

o      Voting and nominating privileges are extended to all active members.

Roles:

o      Co-Chairs - Serve as facilitators of the Team.  Communicate with MSUE administration and other AoE Co-Chairs.

o      Serve a 2-year term.

o      Campus Co-chair chairs the Resource Committee.

Vice Chair - Communicates with the committees on a monthly basis.  (The first of every month.)  If the committee is in need of resources, answers to questions, assistance, etc. the Vice Chair communicates these needs to the Co-Chairs and ensures that the committees' needs are met.

o      Serves a 1-year term.

o      Advances to the corresponding Co-chair position once the 1-year term has been served.

Co-chair Selection:

A new Vice Chair is elected each year.  The Vice Chair who will be elected must be a campus faculty member on odd numbered years and a field staff member on even numbered years.

o The past Vice Chair advances to the corresponding Co-Chair position.

Team Coordinator:

o      Paid Position.

o      Role: To provide support for all Team activities.

o     Selection: A candidate is selected to fill this position as needed.

o      Note: In the event that a Team Coordinator is not available a Secretary Officer Position will be created.

Standing Committees:

o      Consumer Education

o      Professional Training

o      Social Dimensions 

Linkages within the Food Safety AoE Team

 

Framework for Setting and Meeting the Food Safety AoE Team Priorities

Step 1.  Annual Retreat (November)

Select Programming Priorities for Following Year from Priorities Identified by External and Internal Parties (through the process of evaluation) and AoE Team Members.

Step 2.  Summer Meeting (June)

Step 3.  Establish Budget (July)

Step 4.  Fall Meeting (Held in Conjunction w/ Extension Conference)

Organizational Structure of Standing and Ad Hoc
Food Safety AoE Team Committees

Composition: 1 Committee Chair

                        3-6 Committee Members (more members are acceptable if needed)

Selection: Volunteer Basis

Role:

Expectations:

Base Funding:

MSU Extension provides base funding.  For fiscal year 2000-01 the base budget is $10,000.  These funds will be used to support team meetings, work-group operating budgets, and travel for team members when possible and appropriate.  The AoE Co-Chairs will subdivide the base budget among these categories based upon input from the Team.

Additional Funding:

Additional funding will be sought through sources outside of MSU.  The campus Co-Chair will serve as the leader of the Resources Committee and Team members with grant writing experience will be asked to serve on the committee.  The Resources Committee will be responsible for facilitating proposal development to fund Team priorities that cannot be addressed under the current base budget.  Currently, the major source of outside funding is the National Food Safety Initiative competitive grants program administered by USDA-CSREES.  Additional funding sources may include other programs within USDA or other federal agencies, state agencies, and foundations.

Opportunities For the Food Safety AoE Team Members to Improve Their Knowledge and Skills

At the Summer meeting, the Team members will identify areas in which they wish to receive additional training.  Two of these areas will be selected and two Team members will be asked to volunteer to organize half-day training sessions on the selected areas.  Either of the Co-Chairs can volunteer if they desire. 

All other Extension campus and field staff/faculty will be offered the opportunity to participate in the training as well.