Proceedings of a 1980 conference on economic development in the West and the contribution of higher education in dealing with economic development issues are presented. The West as a region is considered in relation to land and population, urban growth, energy impact, and the states' role. Higher education can help in the areas of manpower, research, and public service. Economic expansion is dependent on the supply of trained manpower, and high technology manufacturing and energy development are two industries that are pacing western economic growth but need increased manpower supply. To meet the challenges of balanced economic growth, people with specialized, multidisciplinary training in economic development will be needed to provide the leadership and management capabilities for both the public and private sectors. A special facet of the need for economic development professional manpower is the need to improve access into the field for the region's minorities. Colleges and universities can help the situation by better manpower planning and by closer cooperation between higher education and industry in planning. The scientific and technical research role of universities has particular relevance to international trade, agriculture, and water issues. Public service roles universities can provide are: information on trends, policy research, and technical assistance. Attention is directed to institutional barriers to providing public services, faculty incentives, funding issues, coordination and communication, organizational structures, and formal linkages. A summary of conference recommendations and a summary of responses of a needs assessment survey are included. (SW)