20234520041137

The College of Agriculture (COA) implements the land-grant mission of teaching, research and extension at Virginia State University and provides research-based solutions, information and technology for students, individuals, families and communities to enrich their lives.

The COA places great emphasis on delivering products and services that most effectively meet the needs and expectations of its clients and stakeholders. In keeping with Virginia State University's mission, the COA strives to improve the educational and socio-economic well-being of students, families and communities focusing on excellence through integrated instruction, research and extension activities.

The chief executive of the college is the dean, who is also the 1890 extension administrator of the extension unit. The dean reports directly to the provost who reports to the president. The dean is assisted by the associate dean and director of research, associate extension administrator and respective chairs of the departments of agriculture and family and consumer sciences. In addition, the manager of VSU's 416-acre agricultural living lab, Randolph Farm, also reports to the dean.

The proposed five-year plan of work is designed to address infrastructural needs including the L. Douglas Wilder Building which was built in 1997, as a primary extension training facility. Proposed improvements to the environmental control system, demonstration kitchen, training rooms, staff offices, and student support areas will allow us to better engage with students and community partners in a more conducive environment.

More specifically, this facility provides most of the space for public programming for Cooperative Extension, which supports our two major programming units: (a) Integrated Well-being of Youth & Families and (2) Food, Ag Systems, & Agri-Forestry. With respect to student development, the facility will house our student-based internship/workforce development efforts and other co-curricular experiential learning opportunities and support the offices of our USDA liaison, executive director for student success, academic innovation, integration, and workforce development and our USDA-NIFA funded NextGen Student Emerging Leaders Model Program.

These facilities funds efforts will enhance both our extension and agriculture research capacity to generate scientific and technical information designed to advance knowledge further assisting our predominantly small, historically-underserved, and limited-resource farmers.

Virginia State University

NOT APPLICABLE

10.500 - Cooperative Extension Service

Institute of Youth, Family, and Community (IYFC) [USDA - NIFA]

Petersburg, Virginia 23805 United States

Single Zip Code

NOT APPLICABLE

Amendment Since initial award the End Date has been shortened from 08/31/28 to 08/31/26 and the total obligations have increased 205% from $1,095,955 to $3,346,030.