The past and current condition of general education in the two-year college is examined in this four-part monograph. Part 1 reviews the history of general education, tracing its roots in the European tradition of liberal education from Greco-Roman antiquity to the end of the 19th century in America. In addition, the 20th century general education movement and the contemporary debate over general education are discussed. Part 2 focuses on overall trends in general education with respect to requirements, structure, content, and components, and points to signs of the current decline and disarray of the field. Part 3 first scrutinizes emerging integrative, interdisciplinary/distribution, and competency-based models of general education. It then examines trends evident in the programs of a sample of community colleges that have recently introduced curriculum reforms and points to the accomplishments of these reforms in revitalizing general education. Looking at the choices facing two-year colleges in determining the future of general education, part 4 sets forth a rationale for general education and examines those forces militating against curriculum reform (e.g., faculty opposition and traditional organizational structures), as well as those providing an impetus for reform (e.g., the increasing visibility of general education and concern for quality). Finally, the monograph offers five recommendations for revitalizing general education in the community college. (AYC)