Clemson extension office hours may be changing in some counties

Published: October 7, 2010

CLEMSON — The Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service plans to reduce office hours in some counties due to state budget cuts.

Clemson extension is moving to multicounty service centers to manage state funding cuts of almost 50 percent in the last two years. All county offices will remain open; but some counties may not have a full-time administrative assistant.  

A voluntary retirement/separation program this summer left 22 counties without administrative staff members. To minimize inconvenience to clients, staff members in adjacent county offices will provide services.  

In counties without a full-time administrative assistant, agents or volunteers will staff the office during operating hours, which may be reduced. All telephone calls will be answered from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, except holidays, by staff members in adjacent counties. They also will assist clients with soil sampling, problem plant samples and requests for fact sheets or other information.

“Clemson Public Service remains committed to serving our clients in all 46 counties,” said John Kelly, vice president for agriculture, public service and economic development. “We are focusing our remaining state funding on core agriculture and natural resources programs across the state.”

State funding for Clemson Public Service Activities (PSA) — which includes extension, research and regulatory programs — has been reduced 46 percent since June 30, 2008. Funding levels are now about the same as they were in 1985, not adjusted for inflation. PSA receives no revenue from tuition.

The goal is to implement the new structure by the end of October. Actual dates will vary depending on when equipment can be installed to transfer telephone calls to the nearest service center.

Because this is a transition that will not happen immediately, extension administrators are seeking ways to provide basic support until the service centers are operational.

“We appreciate everyone’s patience during the transition,” Kelly said.

Extension offices with new hours will post the information on the county office doors and send notices to people on their mailing lists and to local associations and 4-H clubs. The hours also will be posted online at www.clemson.edu/extension/county/.

The counties that are currently without administrative staff members and the adjacent county office that will be providing services are:

COUNTY — SERVICE CENTER
Allendale — Hampton
Bamberg — Aiken
Berkeley — Dorchester
Cherokee — Spartanburg
Chester — Kershaw
Chesterfield — Marlboro
Clarendon — Sumter
Colleton — Dorchester
Dillon — Marlboro
Edgefield — Aiken
Fairfield — Kershaw
Jasper — Beaufort
Lancaster — Kershaw
Laurens — Newberry
Lee — Sumter
Marion — Horry
McCormick — Abbeville
Oconee — Pickens
Orangeburg — Calhoun
Saluda — Lexington
Union — Spartanburg
Williamsburg — Georgetown

END