This discussion of the role of general education in community college programs in Ontario begins with an acknowledgement of the absence of a broadly accepted working definition of general education and an admonition to community colleges to accept the responsibility for providing students with a total education. Next, the paper proposes various elements for a definition of general education, focusing on its role in developing well-rounded individuals capable of coping effectively with personal problems and broader social issues. After providing the historical rationale for general education at the community-college level, the paper puts forward five objectives of a general education core program which were developed by a Harvard University curriculum task force. These goals are to develop: (1) the ability to think and write clearly and effectively; (2) the ability to appreciate critically the ways in which knowledge and understanding of the universe, society, and oneself are obtained; (3) the ability to view life and experience in a wide, non-provincial context; (4) the ability to understand and contemplate moral and ethical problems; and (5) the achievement of depth in some field of knowledge. In this section, the applicability of these objectives to the goals of community college education is stressed. In concluding, the paper stresses the importance of total education, of developing balanced programs, and of self-examination by college personnel of the extent to which they are attaining these goals. (HB)