Research findings on college instruction and basic skills deficiencies are discussed in 12 papers from the first Regional Conference on University Teaching. Titles and authors are as follows: "Basic Skills: Dealing with Deficiencies" (Susanne D. Roueche, with responses by Gary B. Donart, Betty Harris, and James Nordyke); "Is Higher Education an Education Process or a Screening Process?" (Martin J. Blake); "A Model for the Development of Content-Area Basic Skills Courses and Its Implementation at a Liberal Arts College" (David E. Borrebach, Mark O. Farrell, Frederick Sproull); "Literacy and Writing: Making 'The Connection'" (Victoria C. Duckworth); "Critical Reading Deficiencies--Cause, Scope, Remediation" (Gerard Giordano); "Components of a Model Developmental Studies Program" (Michael T. Hoban); "Improving the Basic Skills of Beginning Teachers Through the Use of Follow-Up Studies of Teacher Education Program Graduates" (Edward L. Kirk); "The Importance of Writing to Chemical Engineers" (Richard L. Long); "Cognitive Modifiability for Indian Engineering Students" (C. Lance Lujan, Marjorie Burr); "Teaching Critical Thinking in Higher Education" (James P. Marshall); "Working with Nontraditional Students: Women in Transition" (Kathleen O'Connor, L.J. Aasheim); and "An In-House Training Program to Correct Mathematics and Chemistry Deficiencies at Los Alamos National Laboratory" (Helena Whyte). (SW)