County staff face many challenges, including fewer co- workers on both the local and state level. The remaining Extension specialists also find their roles changing as much of the research generated isn't useful in Extension programs. The shift to more basic research by many scientists requires Extension specialists to conduct an increasing amount of applied research,4 resulting in a lack of back-up support from Extension specialists for Extension agents. Further, funding is limiting replacement of specialists with either no support for certain areas or remaining specialists being spread thinner to cover the gaps in program support. Even when new specialists are hired, the promotion and tenure treadmill endangers specialists who do too much Extension work.
Extension is denigrated in many departments.
Department heads and administrators in the agricultural colleges are more than willing to accept Extension funds, while discouraging Extension work. Even though Extension funds support a portion of the position, young faculty are told to get on with their research and limit their Extension activities if they want to be tenured. Dealing with real-world problems in rural communities isn't academic enough for peer committees that literally hold life or death over Extension specialists. This inequity is further compounded by the fact that the promotion and tenure committees don't adequately balance research expectation with the percent of research appointment. In Ohio, even county agents who hold faculty rank, but have no research appointment, are expected to publish several articles in peer-reviewed journals to advance in rank.