Liberal arts colleges are concerned with the marketability of their graduates because students are demanding proof that four years' investment in education will pay off with career mobility and economic security. It is suggested that good liberal arts majors have marketable skills in thinking and communication and confidence in themselves. (MLW)

The role of the community college and how declining resources affect its mission toward the U.S. goal of equal opportunity are discussed. The transfer mission, occupational program, developmental/remedial program, and community education or adult education program are described. (MLW)

Changes and problems in the economy and workplace, including the certainty of future struggles for good jobs, new management mood toward unions, automation, and fringe benefits, are examined. It is suggested that education for this future must inculcate moral values along with academic skills and seek to restore faith in institutions. (JMD)

Affirmative action has become symbolic of the public policy debate about equity, race, ethnicity, and gender. Proponents of affirmative action need to address the issues of (1) demonstrable qualification for employment; (2) entitlement to fulfilled expectations; (3) interference of affirmative action with legitimate right to educational/employment…

A policy of lowered standards and expectations for minorities, it is suggested, is reflected in the evolution of government-sponsored programs intended to change the pattern of poverty by helping the disadvantaged through educational opportunity. Such programs include Head Start and Cornell University's special education program. (MLW)

With its fiscal year 1983 budget recommendations, the Reagan administration is seen as moving toward outright rejection of a federal responsibility for access to higher education. The commitment to expand postsecondary opportunities that has been affirmed by presidents and congresses for 25 years may soon be cancelled. (MLW)

The current emphasis on excellence, it is suggested, is used as an excuse to exclude. The more people who are educated, the greater the possibility that collective decisions will be of better quality. Higher education must become more open and more inclusive. (MLW)

Although Black participation in higher education has increased, obstacles to further increases continue, particularly in the areas of the quality of secondary school, unequal job opportunities, and sociological inequities. Three studies concerning the status of Blacks are cited. (JMF)

Attempts to solve or alleviate the problems faced by minorities in newspaper journalism are offered by: the Berkeley Summer Program for Minority Journalists; the Consortium, a working arrangement between six Black colleges and large graduate institutions; and pressure encouraging the hiring of minorities by large news organizations. (JMF)

The concept underlying affirmative action emerged in 1941, but resistance to it persists. Equity management is a form of leadership committed to diversity as a strength, not a weakness. Federal policy has led in this approach, and historically black colleges provide models. Higher education must now forge effective policies and practices. (MSE)

Racial and cultural pluralism in American higher education is advocated in place of integration, which is seen to melt individual identities. This argument supports the existence of predominately Black colleges. Suggestions for reducing racial friction on both Black and White campuses are offered. (JMF)

Some thoughts on higher education in the 1980s are presented. The commitments made to higher education by Congress have included: education accessible to those likely to be excluded either by economic or physical disadvantage, research, support of institutions of culture, and strengthening of international studies. (MLW)

Preserving the quality of graduate education in the arts and sciences is seen as the most serious educational challenge facing American universities over the next decade. The quality of graduate education must improve, while the overall numbers of graduate students and Ph.D. programs must be reduced in an orderly way. (MLW)

Issues of equal educational opportunity are seen to be transformed into issues of effectiveness, efficiency, or cultural pluralism. It is suggested that issues of equal educational opportunity are likely to be resolved only by reducing the capacity of the educational system itself to determine the future and the value of individuals. (MLW)

Survival of predeominantly Black colleges in the higher education system is advocated in arguments for an educational balance. The goals of Black colleges are cited, and the encouragement of non-Black students to attend is seen as an attempt to teach other institutions how to become pluralistic. (JMF)