This is the first in a series of 3 bulletins dealing with university-community relationships. This bulletin examines the role of the university in contemporary American life and describes some innovative programs in university-community cooperation. The second bulletin will discuss some of the areas in which cooperation exists between the University of Nebraska and the city of Lincoln. The third will deal with the response of the University of Nebraska to urban problems within the state. The information was obtained from responses to letters of inquiry sent to several universities and national organizations. This report notes that because of population growth and the many problems of urbanization, it is necessary for the university to become actively involved in public affairs and service, in addition to fulfilling its traditional roles. Technical expertise alone, however, is not enough, for it is necessary to resolve conflicting values and interests. An example of government-university cooperation is Oklahoma University's "Professor of the City" program in which faculty advised and assisted the local governments in working on the city's ills. The Institute for Excellence in State Government at the University of North Carolina was developed to do research on problems in state government. Internship programs in Virginia and West Virginia have been established for college students or recent graduates interested in careers within the state government. (DS)