Perspectives on developing international understanding are considered in an essay, and descriptions of the international education at 15 colleges and universities are presented. In the essay, "Two Steps Forward, One Step Back: Slow Progress Toward International Understanding," James A. Perkins discusses barriers to change in internationalizing U.S. vital interests, as well as initiatives to promote international awareness. Attention is directed to the following activities at colleges and universities: an international studies requirement at Goshen College, which allows students to complete study-service trimesters in Central America or the Caribbean; Kalamazoo College's Program in International Education, which is designed to promote an international atmosphere on campus along with foreign study experiences; Occidental College's Core Program in the Liberal Arts, which offers all undergraduates an interdisciplinary introduction to both western and nonwestern traditions; a nonwestern world requirement at Western Michigan University, which offers international and area studies; and the University of Oregon's new undergraduate curriculum on the Pacific region, which is a component of the International Studies Program. Activities at 10 additional colleges are also described, and resource organizations and publications are described. (SW)