The recent development of a service society where a majority of occupations are service related has called for of a new model for higher education, a departure from the traditional universities modeled on the medieval ideal and the recent variations on that model. This new model, the third alternative, is a performance based system that integrates theory with practice, assumes that the professional is primarily responsible to the client rather than simply to supervisors or to a bureaucracy, and that professional competence must be redefined in broad, humanistic terms. This model is more egalitarian than earlier models because it recognizes that ability and effectiveness are built on more than academic skills. This model has been implemented at the College for Human Services in New York. The curriculum includes a major role for the client in setting and strengthening performance standards, periodic assessment of professionals throughout their working lives, and a blend of theory and practice. Eight generic competency areas, or "crystals" serve as an organizing principle for the curriculum. Faculty in this setting function in the service setting as well as within the institution. Assessment instruments, a series of Constructive Actions, allow the students to evaluate their progress. Twenty four foot-notes and a chart showing the Eight Competency Crystals are included. (JB)