Shifts in funding of public value for higher-education engagement: Extension administrator perspectives

Introduction/Theoretical Framework/Review of the Literature: The dominant narrative communicated in the literature is that in order to improve Extension’s public support, Extension needs to measure impacts and more effectively communicate value to stakeholders (Kalambokidis, 2011; West, Drake, & Londo, 2009). Improving evaluation efforts have been aimed at supporting the narratives shared with legislators to increase public funding (Conone, 1991; Cummings & Boleman, 2006; Fetsch & Bolen, 1989; Graf, 1993; Franz, 2013). The promise of this narrative is that if Extension does a better job of documenting and communicating the economic and public impact of Extension programs then more financial resources will be appropriated (Davis, 2012; Franz, 2013; Stup, 2003; Zotz, 2004). In order to build support for Extension, “public value stories and statements” (Chazdon & Paine, 2014) or “public good” (Franz, 2015) are terminologies that have been used synonymously with “impact.” This is a movement occurring across the not-for-profit sector. The United States is experiencing a societal change that has removed the contract of public support for public services. The trend reflects a strengthening of neoliberalism in the political discourse in the United States. Neoliberalism is commonly referred to as an economic theory. Yet, it is comprised of values, ideologies, and practices that work as a “cultural field.” Giroux (2004) makes the argument that neoliberalism’s cultural dimensions erode public participation, which is the very nature of democratic life. Under neoliberal policies, the symbolic, educational, and economic capital necessary for engaged citizenship is being increasingly undercut (Giroux, 2004).

Purpose and Objectives: The changing nature of public value was discovered as an emergent theme as a part of a larger descriptive qualitative study on Extension and 4-H’s organizational environmental factors. The research question of the larger study was: What environmental factors do Extension administrators perceive as being challenges for their Extension organization and the 4-H program? The objective of this project is to share State Extension Directors and 4-H Program Leaders perspectives on the changing public value contract.