After reviewing definitions of general education and statements regarding its importance found in the literature, this paper presents observations to be considered in updating or developing general education programs. It is observed that many disciplines have developed excessive departmentalization; that administrators tend to view general education as insignificant; that material should be presented that pertains directly to the lives of the students; that there should not be a separate general education faculty; that courses should be adjusted to different ability levels; and that these courses usually do not prepare students for advanced courses. New emphases in general education instruction include: stressing inquiry, greater flexibility for the teacher, popularity of independent study and study abroad, and the negative effects of greater inducements for specialized scholarship for younger teachers. The general education teacher should attempt to help his students develop: (1) a sense of responsibility for their own learning; (2) an awareness of their strengths and weaknesses; and (3) an understanding of what college is and what it means to do scholarly work. (MB)