[United States Government Manual]
[May 31, 1996]
[Pages 141-143]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


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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

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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

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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.