A STUDY WAS MADE IN NORTH CAROLINA OF ROLE EXPECTATIONS OF SUBJECT MATTER SPECIALISTS AS IDENTIFIED BY 83 WHITE COUNTY AGRICULTURAL AGENTS AND 78 WHITE SPECIALISTS. A COMPARISON OF THE AGENTS' CONCEPT OF THE SPECIALISTS' ROLE, AND THE SPECIALISTS' CONCEPT OF THEIR OWN ROLE WAS MADE, AND THE VARIABLES OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE WERE ANALYZED. SIXTY ACTIVITIES OF THE SPECIALISTS WERE DIVIDED INTO THREE MAJOR AREAS--PROGRAM PLANNING AND EVALUATION, TRAINING AND TEACHING COUNTY EXTENSION WORKERS, AND COOPERATION AND COORDINATION WITH RELATED GROUPS--AND RATED FOR PRESENT AND EXPECTED PERFORMANCE. TESTS OF SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES WERE DETERMINED BY THE CHI-SQUARE METHOD. RESULTS REVEALED AN EXTENSIVE GAP BETWEEN PRESENT ROLE PERFORMANCE AND ROLE EXPECTATIONS. MORE ASSISTANCE WAS EXPECTED FROM THE SPECIALISTS IN COUNTY PROGRAM PLANNING AND EVALUATION, AND PROMOTION OF BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE EXTENSION PROGRAM WITH RELATED EDUCATORS AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC. THE SPECIALISTS WERE ALSO EXPECTED TO COOPERATE WITH RESEARCHERS AND PROVIDE LOCAL AGENTS WITH RESEARCH FINDINGS AND SUGGESTED COUNTY APPLICATIONS. MORE SPECIALIST ASSISTANCE IN THE FORM OF CONSULTATIONS WAS DESIRED. THIS DOCUMENT IS AVAILABLE FROM UNIVERSITY MICROFILMS, ANN ARBOR, MICH., ORDER NO. 63-4818. MICROFILM $2.75. XEROGRAPHY $8.80. 191 PAGES. (AUTHOR/PT)