Views of 705 state legislators about higher education in New England were surveyed in 1984. Five major topics in higher education were covered: quality, role in economic development, finance, communication between educators and legislators, and role in retraining mid-career workers. A large majority of the respondents felt New England colleges and universities were vital to the economic development of the region. They rated the quality of postsecondary institutions as good or excellent and favored direct aid to higher education or special incentives to industry to promote retraining programs. Overall, respondents felt strongly about the need for better communication among government, higher education, and business, and favored better information about retraining needs, retraining programs, and model legislation on retraining. Respondents were strongly disposed to regional collaboration on retraining programs. Of the 36 public colleges represented by the respondents, 27 operated one or more retraining programs, while 29 of the 65 private colleges had one or more such programs. The respondents represented Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. In addition to the survey report, which contains narrative and statistical information, a press release and summary on the survey are provided. (SW)