Gale Arent, Doreen Woodward, Gary Lemme, Beth Moore, and Kathy Foerster. Chairperson Donna Aird gave an official welcome and called the meeting to order. Arlen Leholm and Ian Gray gave a brief budget update. Federal budget is again expected to be flat. Arlen thanked the council s budget chair, John Gernaat, and explained that John would present a more detailed report the following morning.
Research updates The council boarded vans to view research at two sites around the university.
In the floriculture area, Norman Lownds, Ast. Professor, Horticulture, led a walk through the MSU gardens with a discussion about annual trials and their relationship to the floriculture industry. At the Equine Research Center, a discussion of new investments in the horse industry took place. All are members of the MSU Extension diversity team. He spoke of the cultural self-awareness training that all Extension staff members have participated in and announced that MSUE had won the USDA Diversity award for 1999.