The public service role of universities and components of a knowledge transfer model are considered, and two case histories of university response to public client systems are presented. In addition, the community services office is described as one strategy for a university desiring to improve its public service role. It is suggested that the transfer of knowledge in various ways to community decision-makers and other users is a major facet of the public service role of universities. Linkages that connect knowledge producers and knowledge users in mutually beneficial ways and the development of continuing interactions between producers and users are seen as important components of a knowledge transfer model. For the first case study, the client system was a state agency that needed survey research skills and university capabilities including knowledge of basic evaluation research design and methods, design of survey instrumentation, experience in data collection techniques, statistical analysis methods, survey research data processing and computation facilities, technical and policy report writing skills, and a high quality manuscript and printing operation. In the second case study the client system was a small city that needed knowledge and expertise from several disciplines for assistance in problem definition and identification of alternative solutions for community improvement. The two case studies illustrate the ability of a university to respond to different kinds of client system needs. A community service office could serve as a knowledge transfer and service delivery model with two main functions: an in-house information exchanging process within the university, and a linking function. Institutionalization of partnership arrangements is seen as a very important part of the overall process. (SW)