Kenitra Keeney, Washington State University Extension’s newly hired county relations coordinator, will help guide county and tribal Extension through an upcoming USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) civil rights compliance review, in addition to developing trainings to further educate Extension faculty and staff on civil rights compliance.
NIFA recently announced it will conduct a 2024 civil rights compliance review of WSU Extension. The agency also announced it will collect data differently than in years past.
These reviews are designed to assess all U.S. state agencies that receive federal dollars to improve access, equal opportunity, and program delivery to NIFA funding recipients. Historically, these reviews have occurred about every seven years, but they are slated to become more frequent.
“NIFA has undergone changes in recent years,” said Keeney, who joined WSU Extension in August 2022. “Now, NIFA collects race, ethnicity, and gender compliance data at various levels, including at the state and program levels.”
Jim Kropf, WSU Pierce County Extension director, has been part of Extension office teams that have had successful reviews over the years.
“These compliance review changes mean that WSU Extension offices should review their civil rights plan throughout the year, adjust as necessary, and, above all, document their efforts,” said Kropf, who joined WSU in 1979.
As a part of the recent changes in compliance data collection, NIFA will reach out virtually with records requests for policies, practices, and procedures.
“At that point, they will likely select around 11 people from across the personnel organizational chart at multiple levels of Extension to see if those individuals can articulate Extension’s civil rights policy,” said Keeney.
Occasionally, NIFA-funded agencies are initially found to be out of compliance. In those cases, opportunities for growth are identified, and agencies have 60 days to respond with a corrective action plan outlining policies, procedures, and practices that will fulfill civil rights and funding criteria.
“This is very much a cooperative process between NIFA and Extension,” Keeney said. “They help organizations aspire to greater inclusivity and access, and are happy to provide the technical help, resources, training, and advice, in addition to quarterly meetings. They are very supportive.”
If anyone in WSU Extension has questions about the civil rights compliance review process, Keeney encourages them to reach out.
“I’ve already seen that faculty and staff are passionate about serving Washingtonians,” Kenney said. “I think that our civil rights policies show Washingtonians and our national neighbors what we’re made of. This is an opportunity for WSU Extension to reimagine the future.”
Media Contact: Kenitra Keeney; Extension County Relations Coordinator, kenitra.keeney@wsu.edu; 509-335-2521