This book, containing seven chapters and an epilogue, describes how continuing education--as a structure and a function--can become a unique tool for reorienting major universities toward confronting new societal challenges. "The Coming Wave" (Lerner) discusses relevant organizational theory to explain the special role of continuing education in the present context and amplifies the idea of the relationship between the coming wave (the new societal challenges) and the nature of the "megauniversities" (very large, multifaceted, multipurpose institutions). The next six chapters support and build upon the notion that to remain vibrant, the university, especially the megauniversity, must change its way of preserving its essence. As the chapter called "Population Diversity and the Organization and Function of Continuing Higher Education" (Donaldson, Ross-Gordon) indicates, the university must adapt to a fundamentally altered student body. "Change in Continuing Higher Education: Implications for Faculty" (Escott, Semlak, and Comadena) explains how a modified university mission will affect university faculty. "Research and Continuing Higher Education" (Donaldson) considers how such developments will influence the research agenda. "Organizational Structure and Performance Dynamics in Continuing Education Administration" (King, Lerner) addresses the strengths and weaknesses of various models. "A Question of Finance: Existing Resources and New Missions" (King) explains how the megauniversity can adapt to a changing financial context in which entrepreneurship must be given its due without being given centrality. "Setting the Norms for Coming Wave Relationships: Continuing Education and External Organizations" (Lerner) explains how the modern university must prepare for a changing relationship with external organizations in an environment that is essentially a complicated web of organizations. "Epilogue: Looking Inward" (Lerner) focuses on the expertise needed to perform the activities described. Contributor biographies and an index are appended. (YLB)