Texas Agricultural Extension Service
Supplements System Policy 02.04 and System Regulation 02.04.10
1. Introduction and Background
The provisions of the Smith-Lever Act of 1914 were accepted by the Texas Legislature in House Concurrent Resolution Number 2, approved January 29, 1915. In this action the Legislature designated the [then] Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas (now Texas A&M University) as the institution to receive and administer funds made available under the Smith-Lever Act. The resolution provided for the work to be carried on as a cooperative activity between Texas A&M University and the United States Department of Agriculture in accordance with the terms and conditions expressed in the Smith-Lever Act. (Hence the name Cooperative Extension System.)
As a result of the cooperative provisions indicated by the Smith-Lever Act, a formal instrument entitled Memorandum of Understanding Between the [them] Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas and the United States Department of Agriculture on Cooperative Extension Work in Agriculture and Home Economics governing the operation of the Texas Agricultural Extension Service (Extension Service) was developed in 1914. This instrument was revised and signed by both parties concerned in March 1955 and is the one in current effect. It is reproduced below.
2. General (Reproduced from Contract)
Whereas the Texas Agricultural and Mechanical College System* has under its control Federal and State Funds for Extension work in agriculture and home economics which are and may be supplemented by funds contributed for similar purposes by counties and other organizations and individuals within said State, and the United States Department of Agriculture has funds appropriated directly to it by Congress which can be spent for Extension work in the State of Texas;
Therefore, with a view to securing economy and efficiency in the conduct of Extension work in the State of Texas, the Chancellor of the Texas Agricultural and Mechanical College System* acting subject to the approval of the Board of Directors of the said Texas Agricultural and Mechanical College System*, and the Secretary of Agriculture of the United States, hereby execute the following memorandum of understanding with reference to cooperative relations between the said Texas Agricultural and Mechanical College System* and the United States Department of
Agriculture for the organization and conduct of Extension work in agriculture and home economics in the State of Texas.
3. TAMCS Agreement
The following sections are from the agreement between the System and USDA. All section numbers are for the purpose of this Rule and are not in the original agreement.
The Texas Agricultural and Mechanical College System* agrees:
3.1. To organize and maintain at said institution a definite and distinct administrative division for the management and conduct of all cooperative Extension work in agriculture and home economics, with a director selected by the institution and satisfactory to the Department;
3.2. To administer through such division thus organized, known as the Texas Agricultural Extension Service, any and all funds it has or may hereafter receive for such work from appropriations made by Congress or the State Legislature, by allotment from its Board of Directors or from any other sources;
3.3. To accept the responsibility for conducting all educational work in the fields of agriculture and home economics and subjects related thereto as authorized by the Smith-Lever Act as amended and other Acts supporting cooperative Extension work, and such phases of other programs of the Department as are primarily educational, which the Department has been authorized to carry on within the State.
4. USDA Agreement
The United States Department of Agriculture agrees:
4.1. To maintain in the Department of Federal Extension Service** which, under the direction of the Secretary, (1) shall be charged with the administration of the Smith-Lever Act as amended and other Acts supporting cooperative Extension work insofar as such administration is vested in the Department; (2) shall have primary responsibility for and leadership in all educational programs under the jurisdiction of the Department, except the graduate school; (3) shall be responsible for the coordination of all educational phases of other programs of the Department, except the graduate school; and (4) shall act as liaison between the Department and officials of the Land-Grant Colleges and Universities on all matters relating to cooperative Extension work in agriculture and home economics and educational activities relating thereto.
4.2. To conduct through the Texas Agricultural and Mechanical College System* all Extension work in agriculture and home economics and subjects relating thereto authorized by Congress to be carried on within the State except those activities which by mutual agreement it is determined can most appropriately and effectively be carried out by the Department.
5. Mutual Agreement
The Texas Agricultural and Mechanical College System* and the United States Department of Agriculture mutually agree:
5.1. That, subject to the approval of the Chancellor of the Texas Agricultural and Mechanical College System* and the Secretary of Agriculture, or their duly appointed representatives, all cooperative Extension work in agriculture and home economics in the State of Texas involving the use of Federal funds shall be planned under the joint supervision of the director of the Agricultural Extension Service of Texas and the administrator of the Federal Extension Service**; and that approved plans for such cooperative Extension work in the State of Texas shall be carried out through the Agricultural Extension Service of Texas in accordance with the terms of individual project agreements.
5.2. That all State and county personnel appointed by the Department as cooperative agents for Extension work in agriculture and home economics in the State of Texas shall be joint representatives of the Texas Agricultural and Mechanical College System* and the United States Department of Agriculture, unless otherwise expressly provided in the project agreement. Such personnel shall be deemed governed by the requirements of Federal Civil Service Rule Number IV relating to political activity.
5.3. That the cooperation between the Texas Agricultural and Mechanical College System* and the United States Department of Agriculture shall be plainly set forth in all publications or other printed matter issued and used in connection with said cooperative Extension work by either the Texas Agricultural and Mechanical College System* or the United States Department of Agriculture.
5.4. That annual plans of work for the use of Smith-Lever and other Federal funds in support of cooperative Extension work shall be made by the Agricultural Extension Service of Texas and shall be subject to the approval of the Secretary of Agriculture in accordance with the terms of the Smith-Lever Act as amended or other applicable laws, and when so approved shall be carried out by the Agricultural Extension Service of the said State of Texas.
5.5. The Texas Agricultural and Mechanical College System* and the United States Department of Agriculture further mutually agree:
5.5.1. That the Department of Agriculture shall make final determination on any proposed supplementary memoranda of understanding or similar documents, including those with other agencies, affecting the conduct or cooperative Extension work only after consultation with appropriate designated representatives of the Land-Grant Colleges and Universities.
5.5.2. That the Texas Agricultural and Mechanical College System* will make arrangements affecting the conduct of cooperative Extension work with agencies of the Department, or with other Federal agencies, only through the administrator of the Federal Extension Service**, or in accordance with an existing general agreement which has been approved by him.
5.5.3. That all memoranda and similar documents hereafter executed affecting cooperative Extension work, whether between agencies of the Department or between the Agricultural Extension Service of Texas and agencies of the Department, shall be within the framework of, and consistent with the intent and purpose of, this memorandum of understanding.
5.5.4. That all memoranda and agreements affecting policies in cooperative Extension work shall be reviewed periodically by appropriately designated representatives of the Land-Grant Colleges and Universities and the Secretary of Agriculture for the purpose of determining whether modification is necessary or desirable to meet the more effectively current developments and program needs.
5.5.5. This memorandum shall take effect when it is approved by
the Texas
Agricultural and Mechanical College System* and the Secretary of
Agriculture of the United States, and shall remain in force until
it is
expressly abrogated in writing by either one of the signers or his
successor in
office. The agreement executed June 12, 1914 shall be deemed
abrogated
upon the effective date hereof.
TEXAS AGRICULTURAL AND MECHANICAL COLLEGE SYSTEM
DATE: March 3, 1955
BY: M.T. Harrington, Chancellor
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
DATE: March 17, 1955
BY: E.T. Benson, Secretary
* Now the Texas A&M University System
** Now the Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension
Service
OFFICE OF RESPONSIBILITY: