The extension and research systems of land-grant institutions are in trouble. Six factors demonstrate the scope of the problem: significant cuts for agriculture in the Clinton administration budget; lawmakers opposed to extension research; federal budget deficit; state budget constraints; decreased power of agriculture in Congress; and agriculture's negative image. Other developments affecting the extension system are as follows telecommunications becoming a regular part of inservice training and educational program delivery; states sharing agricultural experiment station facilities and personnel; and CD-ROM systems allowing instant access to and local printout of extension educational resources. Imperatives for extension include the following: developing a strategic plan; strengthening the capability of extension faculty; resolving to improve service to agriculture and address the high-tech commercial agriculture issue; establishing a process to create centers/networks of excellence that can be accessed nationwide; improving the knowledge base and cooperation among directors/administrators; developing models for gaining access to the total resources of the university for outreach; and continuing system emphasis on diversity. Critical issues for cooperative extension's adult educators are redirection of land-grant institutions to be most responsive to the changing needs of agriculture and society; reconstitution of a broad base of public support; and examination of the validity of the cooperative extension system model. (Contains 14 references.) (YLB)