YOUTH TYPICALLY VIEW HIGHER EDUCATION AS AN INSTITUTION ORIENTED TOWARD EXAMINING AND CORRECTING THEM, WHICH POSES A BARRIER TO PROVIDING THEM SERVICES. TO COUNTERACT SUCH IMPRESSIONS, HIGHER EDUCATION SHOULD TAKE A SUPPORTIVE AND PROTECTIVE APPROACH TOWARD YOUTH. UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES SHOULD UNDERTAKE COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSES OF COMPLEX PROBLEMS THAT PARTICULARLY CONCERN YOUTH, AND TRY TO CORRECT SERVICE STRUCTURES OPERATING UNDER MISTAKEN CONCEPTIONS OF SITUATIONS CONFRONTING YOUTH. PARTICULARLY, HIGHER EDUCATION SHOULD WORK TOWARD CULTIVATING PERCEPTIONS OF YOUTH THAT ARE HELPFUL IN DEVISING AND PERFORMING SERVICES FOR THEM; FOR EXAMPLE, THE IDEA THAT YOUTHFUL NONCONFORMING BEHAVIOR IS IN ITSELF 'PROBLEM' BEHAVIOR SHOULD BE REVISED TO INCLUDE A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF YOUTHS' ENVIRONMENTS WHICH REQUIRE CONFORMITY. HIGHER EDUCATION SHOULD PIONEER AN APPROACH TO HUMAN SERVICES FOR YOUTH THAT VIEWS THEM AS NORMAL PERSONS SEEKING ADAPTATION TO OR RESOLUTION OF PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED IN THEIR INTERACTION WITH A PARTICULAR ENVIRONMENT. FURTHER, HIGHER EDUCATION SHOULD NOT JUST DEVISE CONCEPTS AND POLICY THAT CORRESPONDS TO THE MOST RECENT RESEARCH DEALING WITH YOUTH DEVELOPMENT; COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES ALSO INVOLVED IN STRUCTURALLY DESIGNING AND IMPLEMENTING POLICY PROGRAMS. UNIVERSITIES SHOULD BECOME INVOLVED IN LOCAL COMMUNITIES WITH COOPERATIVE HUMAN SERVICE ENDEAVORS THAT ARE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF GOVERNMENT AND COMMUNITY AGENCIES. THROUGH THESE 'GRASS ROOTS' EFFORTS, FEDERAL PROGRAMS CAN BE AFFECTED. FOR RELATED ARTICLES, PLEASE SEE NCJ 56707-56714 AND 56716-56717. (RCB)