This report addresses specific problems that urban-oriented colleges and universities face in meeting the educational needs of the urban poor and disadvantaged, and explores what is being and can be done about these problems. Six programs funded by the Ford Foundation are described. Four of these deal with basic skills and related services. They are (1) a cooperative effort between Miles College and the public schools in Birmingham, Alabama; (2) a faculty development project led by Jersey City State College in cooperation with several colleges in Hudson County, New Jersey; (3) community outreach and English as a Second Language (ESL) activities in Hartford, Connecticut; and (4) a program for developing and implementing diagnostic testing services, housed at the University of the District of Columbia. The other two programs described, which address the problem of institutional planning and cooperation are (5) a planning and assessment project carried out by the San Francisco (California) Consortium; and (6) a collaborative effort between Boston, Massachusetts, public schools and six public higher education institutions. Cost and funding problems of urban institutions are also examined. It is recommended that ESL programs be strengthened and expanded; that imaginative recruitment, testing, and placement programs be launched in urban areas; that college, high school, and community-based counseling and guidance programs be developed and expanded; and that staff and faculty development programs be undertaken. Appended to the report are lists of Ford Foundation Conference participants (for May 1980) and of Ford Foundation grants. (GC)