The meaning, operation, and impact of institutional racism in higher education are examined with attention to both past and present conditions. Institutional racism is examined with reference to several specific issues: barriers to the entry of blacks, as both students and staff, into American higher education; curriculum and academic programs; and treatment and on-campus experiences of blacks once entered. Brief attention is given to facilities, and other differentials between white and black institutions of higher education, as well as the relationship between black communities and white universities. The role of the status allocation functions of colleges and universities, intergroup competition and conflict in the larger society, and on campus, organizational imperatives of the institution, general societal attitudes about race, and attitudes and bigotry are considered. A distinction is made between structural and adaptive reform in attempts to combat institutional racism and its effects in academia. A bibliography is included. (Author/SW)