What are community colleges doing to help their students analyze social, economic, environmental, and political issues; become good citizens; live in a rapidly changing world; understand their heritage; discover their potentialities; refine their interests and goals; and achieve their optimum personal growth? These objectives provide a frame of reference for general education, a modern term that has replaced what was called liberal education in ancient times. A liberal education concerns itself primarily with the body of knowledge that encompasses historical perspective, cultural knowledge, a sense of values, intellectual development, and the ability to communicate with others. A historical sketch of general education reveals the transitions in thinking that have occurred. The classical liberal arts curriculum was replaced by the distribution plan, followed by survey courses, and the block-and-gap method. Alternatives included courses designed by faculty within their areas of interest, but oriented to cultural interests rather than to professional or vocational preparation and developmental plans comprehending both general and vocational education. Although there are no simple solutions to the problem of general education, the community college has the best opportunity to raise the general level of expectations, cultural undertaking, and values of all the people. (TP)