Having neglected urban responsibilities for too long, institutions must now employ several strategies to mitigate problems and achieve a more livable and equitable society. (Editor/PG)

The role of higher education is discussed in this essay with regard to the "new mission" of basic learning skills. It is suggested that teaching basic skills should be pressed back on the precollegiate educational units where it belongs, and that colleges must defend the idea that they are institutions for higher studies and advanced intellectual…

The author supports flexible academic programs, close student-faculty relationships, and extensive community interaction. (Editor/HS)

Considers the issues of governance, purpose, and techniques of influence which plague all of higher education. (Editor/IR)

The urban university is a citizen of the city and should hold itself to high standards of civic commitment. However, such citizenship should not deter it from its traditional roles of asking questions, seeking knowledge, teaching, and conducting research. There is no inherent inconsistency between these functions and urban citizenship. (MSE)

The increasing demand for accountability involves both a demand for cost-effective management and a demand for proof that objectives are being met. It is suggested that the public has difficulty understanding quality in higher education because it is not familiar with the language of quality. (LBH)

Several questions are probed: Can education truly encourage the individual to develop his unique capabilities? Can it be an agent in the humanization of society? Is that humanization dependent on reordering society? Can education really solve society's problems? (Editor/LBH)

Specialization has been emphasized at the expense of generalization. Focus in this address is on how liberal learning can accommodate the twin necessities of educating specialists and educating generalists, or of producing experts who are not merely technicians. (Editor/LBH)

The author alleges that colleges and universities have adopted a policy of "value neutrality" in order to protect academic freedom and to survive. He calls for professional responsibility, asserting that axiological considerations lie at the heart of the educational process. (Editor/LBH)

Postsecondary education can and should play a major role in the development of intermediate and long-term resoution of the underlying causes of youth unemployment. A closer relationship is urged between unemployed youth and the higher education community. (Author/LBH)

The role of community colleges in the future is examined. It is suggested that if community colleges are to fulfill their mission adequately, they must assume a new responsibility in providing adult education and community services. (Author/BH)

Since the early 1900s, the University of Wisconsin-Madison has assumed a role as useful citizen of the state with a variety of outreach programs designed to solve agricultural, economic, social, and medical problems. In addition to practical outcomes, the approach has enriched lives and encouraged individual effort. (MSE)

Some of the criticisms of American higher education are identified and answered. Areas covered include increasing costs, economic and noneconomic impacts on future life, preparation for the future, and the charge of too much overeducation. This paper is adapted from a convocation speech by the president of Dartmouth College. (LBH)