WSU tendrils reach every corner of the state

EXTREME and inappropriate budget proposals threaten Washington State University's core land-grant duty to take its educational mission far beyond the Pullman campus.

The catchall description is public service, but they are better known as WSU extension programs that have strong records of success throughout the state. Research and best practices are translated into courses for agriculture, livestock, nutrition, gardening, conservation and environmental stewardship. Some 2,000 WSU workshops attract an estimated 250,000 people each year.

We think WSU President Elson Floyd put it well, when he said:

"As a land-grant institution, Washington State College, now Washington State University, has maintained a solid and strong tradition of community engagement dedicated to the improvement of the quality of life for Washingtonians first and far most." He pledged to build on WSU's land-grant tradition.

He offered those thoughts one year ago in a state-of-the-university speech. National and state economic conditions have changed to be sure, but the strength of those connections and the value received is still the same.

WSU extension, and programs such as 4-H, which the school has overseen since 1902, offer excellent returns on taxpayer dollars. Programs attract 13,000 volunteers, and they help generate $3 for every $1 from state sources.

WSU extension is present in every county. The university is not only tinkering with a proven system of continuing education and resource management, but also jeopardizing one of the best extended families of community support any institution could ask for.

Higher education and research can seem remote and distant. WSU extension successfully closes the gap.