Concern with the prevalent under-representation of ethnic minority groups in Western graduate schools, and with the growing demand of minority students for more relevance in the college curricula, prompted a cooperative WAGS-WICHE (Western Association of Graduate Schools-Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education) effort in the general area of graduate education and ethnic minorities. The first paper in this volume is the report of a WAGS-WICHE sponsored workshop on graduate education of minority students. It deals with the philosophy, objectives and guidelines of minority education programs as formulated by the minority group students who attended the workshop. Other papers focus on graduate opportunity and support programs for minority students in all fields of academic endeavor (with one paper specifically devoted to the Indian student) as well as on current and projected programs in the area of ethnic studies and the preparation of faculty in US ethnic study fields. Recommendations and guidelines are the results of the work of 6 task forces composed of graduate deans, minority group consultants, and WICHE staff who served as members of the WAGS-WICHE committee. (AF)