The Executive Secretary of the Commission on Non-Traditional Study discusses the history of the Commission and his own views on non-traditional study. The total system of postsecondary education in this country needs to be enriched by alternative modes of access, learning, and recognition. External degrees, contract learning, and similar developments are steps in this direction. New non-traditional programs have several features in common: a different student population; sensitivity to the individual student's needs; adaptation of learning to the student's circumstances; increased institutional flexibility; and expanded learning resources. Non-traditional studies must be placed in the context of other changes in postsecondary education: democratization, technology, and increased awareness of the problems of survival. (CS)