THE VISUAL ARTS DEPARTMENTS OF 53 SMALL, MIDWESTERN LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGES WERE SURVEYED TO DETERMINE BASIC RESEARCH NEEDS FOR BETTER DEFINING THE DEVELOPMENTAL ROLE OF THE VISUAL ARTS IN THE SMALL COLLEGE CURRICULUM. OF THE TOTAL SAMPLE OF COLLEGES, 47 HAD 2 TO 4 FACULTY MEMBERS IN THE VISUAL ARTS, AND THE REMAINING 6 AVERAGED OVER 5 STAFF MEMBERS. NO VISUAL ARTS MAJORS WERE OFFERED IN 15 PERCENT OF THESE COLLEGES. THE ART MAJORS (INCLUDING CERAMICS, DESIGN, PAINTING, PRINTMAKING, AND SCULPTURE) WERE OFFERED IN 75 PERCENT OF THE SAMPLE COLLEGES, SOMETIMES ALONE BUT MORE FREQUENTLY WITH ART EDUCATION OR ART HISTORY. MAJORS OFFERED IN ART APPRECIATION OR MUSEUM EXHIBITING WERE FEW. THE CONFLICT BETWEEN THE ACADEMIC AND THE CREATIVE EDUCATIONAL POINTS OF VIEW AND THE CONFLICT BETWEEN THE NEED FOR ART APPRECIATION EDUCATION AND THE DESIRE TO TRAIN PROFESSIONAL ARTISTS WERE THE TWO MOST BASIC CONFLICTS FOUND AS A RESULT OF THE STUDY. THE RECOMMENDATION WAS MADE THAT A "NATIONAL LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGE ASSOCIATION IN THE VISUAL ARTS" BE ESTABLISED TO (1) DEVELOP EDUCATIONAL STANDARDS AND OBJECTIVES, (2) COORDINATE RESEARCH IN THE DIVISIONAL PROBLEMS OF THE VISUAL ARTS, (3) EXPLORE EXPERIMENTAL MODELS FOR VISUAL ARTS DEPARTMENTS, (4) ASSIST IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF CONSORTIA, AND (5) PARTICIPATE IN A NATIONAL STUDY OF THE NEEDS FOR VISUAL ARTS EDUCATION. (JH)