We conduct teaching, research and educational extension programs to help students and cooperatives understand and improve decision making in cooperatives, cooperative performance, customer service to patrons of cooperatives, cooperative industry standards and the ability of cooperatives to compete with other businesses in the marketplace. W e have added or expanded cooperative topics in courses, including presentations by cooperative leaders, and developed an in-depth case study of a local cooperative to teach cooperative principles, economics, and management to aid in cooperative education. We have also developed a comprehensive software program which helps cooperatives determine results of alternative strategies. We have presented educational programs and information to various state, regional and national audiences including an Annual Symposium on Cooperative Issues , an Annual CEO Round Table, seminars on cooperative finance, cooperative marketing, and cooperative organization and assisted with the Kansas Cooperative Council's Director Development Program . We have also established a cooperative library containing over 4,000 documents, books and videos and created the Arthur Capper Cooperative Research Collection in the K-State library.
Additional income is obtained from registration fees and project fees on a fee for service basis.
Grants and contracts with government agencies, private foundations, and cooperative organizations also provide funding. The council is made up of KSU faculty and cooperative industry leaders.