[United States Government Manual] [May 31, 1996] [Pages 141-143] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]________________________________________________________________________ Graduate School, U.S. Department of Agriculture Fourteenth Street and Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20250 Phone, 202-401-9129 Director Philip H. Hudson Deputy Director Lynn Edwards Program Director, Center for Applied Technology Nat Hopkins Program Director, Correspondence Study Norma Harwood Director of Information and Public Affairs Brian Gray Program Director, Evening and Saturday Ronald MacNab Program Director, Government Audit Training Donald Smuland Institute Program Director, International Institute for Robert Brown Training and Education Director of Administration Robert Kies Director, National Independent Study Center Mike Allen [[Page 142]] Director, Northeast Training Center Frank Bauer Director, Southwest Training Center Tony Gutierrez Director, Westerm Training Center Maureen Hetzel Director, Southeast Training Center David Hitt Director, National Capital Training Center Nancy Randa Director, Midwest Training Center Cynthia Rudmann Director, Career Development Programs Lew Taylor Registrar Carolyn Nelson ________________________________________________________________________ The Graduate School, U.S. Department of Agriculture, is a continuing education school offering career-related training to adults. It is self- supporting and does not receive direct appropriated funds from Congress or the Department of Agriculture. Fees charged individuals and Government agencies are nominal. Courses are planned with the assistance of Government professionals and specialists. The faculty is mostly part-time and is drawn from throughout Government and the community at large. They are selected because of their professional and specialized knowledge and experience and thus bring a practicality and experience to their classrooms. Faculty holding regular Government positions take annual leave or leave without pay when teaching during their normal work hours. The school does not grant degrees but does provide planned sequences of courses leading to certificates of accomplishment in a number of occupational and career fields important to government. Training areas include management, auditing, computer science, communications, foreign language, procurement, financial management, and others. The Graduate School's objective is to improve Government services by providing needed continuing education and training opportunities for Government employees and agencies. The Graduate School, administered by a Director and governed by a General Administration Board appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture, was established by the Secretary of Agriculture on September 2, 1921, pursuant to act of May 15, 1862 (7 U.S.C. 2201); joint resolution of April 12, 1892 (27 Stat. 395); and the Deficiencies Appropriation Act of March 3, 1901 (20 U.S.C. 91). In July 1995, through a memorandum of understanding between the U.S. Office of Personnel Management and the Department of Agriculture, the Graduate School acquired many of the training offices formerly operated by the Office of Personnel Management. For further information, contact the Information Office, Graduate School, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Room 129, 600 Maryland Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20024. Phone, 202-401-9129. Sources of Information Consumer Activities Educational, organizational, and financial assistance is offered to consumers and their families in such fields as rural housing and farm operating programs, improved nutrition, family living and recreation, food stamp, school lunch, donated foods, and other food programs. Contact the Office of Public Affairs, Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC 20250. Phone, 202-720-2791. Contracts and Small Business Activities Contact the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization, Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC 20250. Phone, 202-720-7117. Employment Most jobs in the Department are in the competitive service and are filled by applicants who [[Page 143]] have established eligibility under an appropriate examination administered by the Office of Personnel Management or Department Special Examining Units. General employment inquiries may be sent to the Recruitment and Employment Division, Office of Personnel, Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC 20250. Phone, 202-720-5626. Persons interested in employment in the Food and Nutrition Service should contact the Regional Offices located in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, San Francisco, and Robbinsville, NJ, or the national headquarters in Alexandria, VA. Phone, 703-305-2351. Persons interested in employment in the Office of the Inspector General should contact the USDA Office of Personnel, Room 31-W, Administration Building, Washington, DC 20250. Phone, 202-720-5781. In addition, all Forest Service field offices (addresses indicated in the preceding text) accept employment applications. Environment Educational, organizational, technical, and financial assistance is offered to local citizens, organizations, and communities in such fields as watershed protection, flood prevention, soil and water conservation practices to reduce erosion and sedimentation, community water and waste disposal systems, safe use of pesticides, and the development of pesticide alternatives. Contact the nearest county extension agent or USDA office, or write to the Office of Public Affairs, Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC 20250. Phone, 202-720-2791. Films Motion pictures on a variety of agricultural subjects are available for loan through various State Extension Service film libraries. Contact the Video and Teleconference Division, Office of Public Affairs, Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC 20250, for a listing of cooperating film libraries. Phone, 202-720-6072. Color filmstrips and slide sets on a variety of subjects are available for purchase. For a listing of titles and prices, contact the Photography Division, Office of Public Affairs, Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC 20250. Phone, 202-720-6633. Whistleblower Hotline Persons wishing to register complaints of alleged improprieties concerning the Department should contact one of the Regional Offices or the Inspector General's Whistleblower hotline. Phone, 800-424-9121 (toll-free, outside Washington, DC); 202-690-1622 (within the Washington, DC, metropolitan area); or 202-690-1202 (TDD). Reading Rooms Located at each USDA agency at addresses indicated in the preceding text. Speakers Contact the nearest Department of Agriculture office or county Extension agent. In the District of Columbia, contact the Office of Public Liaison, Office of Public Affairs, Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC 20250. Phone, 202-720-2798. For further information concerning the Department of Agriculture, contact the Office of Public Affairs, Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC 20250. Phone, 202-720-2791.