The symposium celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Division of Continuing Education at the State University of New York at Buffalo; changes in higher education during those 50 years have moved adult learning into a primary area of attention. Traditional lines of learning are bluring and assumptions about the adult learner are rapidly changing. The andragogical concepts Dr. Malcolm Knowles brings to the symposium and Dr. Paul Baltes' speech on learning abilities of older adults contrast with traditional learning assumptions. Dr. Thurmon White's keynote address asserts new ideals; Drs. Flaherty, Monge, Borwinick, and Bugelski add academic insights into various aspects of the theme of the symposium: intellectual decrement, assessing adult learning ability, age differences in capabilities, and behavioral aspects of aging. Two panel discussions of these topics are also included in the document. (Author/AJ)