Two schools of thought exist with regard to the goals of humanities instruction. The "university orientation" places an emphasis upon impersonal, intellectual, and purely academic objectives. The "liberal arts orientation" maintains that humanities instruction should contribute to the beliefs, values, expectations, attitudes, fears, emotions, and self-images of students. This latter orientation, which is currently strongly represented in the literature, tends to be pushing the humanities from its traditional place with specialized college programs into the realm of general education. One way to resolve these conflicting demands on community colleges is to develop a two-pronged curriculum with courses which serve the two interest groups of transfer students wishing to transfer college credits directly to a four-year institution, and other students whose interests may lie in cultural enrichment. Extremes of relevance-seeking approaches that are academically unsophisticated, and courses with overwhelmingly rigorous standards are to be avoided. The humanities department chairperson should take a leadership role in promoting the right course of action in individual institutions. (A bibliography is included.) (MB)