First: although it pains me to say this, I would encourage you to
keep your concerns to yourself until you have tenure. I say this
from bitter personal experience, so even though it may make you feel
better in the short term, do your best to find constructive
alternative ways to deal with the issue. Look for silver linings -
they are there, even if obscure.
Second: Your observations on the second-class status accorded
extension personnel is sound. I would add that the same comment
could be made of perceptions of applied agriculture research, in
general. In words not dissimilar to those you quoted from your
department head, my more "basic" colleagues have inferred that
agronomy is not really science, and that agronomic or applied
research is really the province of community college or ag college
staff - not professors at universities.
This undercurrent or schism is debilitating to us, as well as
disenfranchising to the producer community, especially in an era when
more formal extension networks (here at least) are falling apart
for lack of government support, and the presumption is that any
farmer worth his/her salt can hire a consultant - shouldn't have to
be spoon fed from the public trough. Don't think we've done a very
good job of generating skilled and perceptive crop consultants,
particularly in the area of SA. So - people are falling through the
cracks, because direct and immediate problems demanding solutions now
are going begging for lack of research funding, while genetic
engineering and molecular genetics can spend it fast enough.
There - I have vented my own anger at this! Ann
ACLARK@crop.uoguelph.ca
Dr. E. Ann Clark
Associate Professor
Crop Science
University of Guelph
Guelph, ON N1G 2W1
Phone: 519-824-4120 Ext. 2508
FAX: 519 763-8933