HISTORY
In 2006, the Western Extension Directors Association (WEDA) tasked the WRPLC: Western Regional Program Leadership Committee (.doc) to identify the characteristics of Western metropolitan and to explore one or more conceptual models for metropolitan Extension work. Based upon a literature review and an informal survey of state Extension programs, the WRPLC concluded in its report (.pdf).
- A common approach to metropolitan Extension education and issue analysis does not exist in the West
- Woefully, little has been published on metropolitan Extension models or how to operationalize them
The Western Center was established in 2014 by the Western Extension Directors Association (WEDA) with fiscal support from our members.
The Western Center is hosted at WSU by WSU Extension and co-hosted by the Metropolitan Center for Applied Research and Extension.
Our Advisory Board incorporates distinguished university professionals working all across the United States whose expertise lies in project management, facilitation, leadership, and academia. The Center also provides internship opportunities, helping to prepare the next generation of collaborative leaders.
WCMER Platinum Members:
- University of Alaska Fairbanks
- University of Arizona
- University of California
- Colorado State University
- Cornell University
- University of Florida
- University of Idaho
- Michigan State University
- University of Nevada Reno
- New Mexico State University
- The Ohio State University
- Oregon State University
- Washington State University
Western Center Membership
We are now offering membership to all Extension organizations. Membership provides tools to maintain an impactful presence for your Extension organization in cities and metropolitan areas, professional development for Extension faculty and staff, opportunities to engage in applied research, project and funding opportunities, and a broader forum for advancing effective models of working within metropolitan regions.
To learn more about all of the Western Center’s membership benefits, please visit our membership page.
ABOUT OUR LOGO: WCMER’s logo represents the traditional and modern faces of Extension and the essential interdependence along the urban-rural continuum. Created by students in Washington State University’s Edward R Murrow College of Communication, the WCMER logo features two gold figures: a stalk of wheat symbolizing Extension’s rural roots, and a skyscraper representing the emergence of urban Extension. Six smaller buildings depict WCMER’s six founding institutions (University of Alaska Fairbanks, University of California, Colorado State University, University of Idaho, Oregon State University, and Washington State University), each painted in one of their school’s primary colors. While the logo represents an entity, it ultimately illustrates collaboration – amongst institutions, across disciplines, and throughout the communities we serve.
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