Background papers for the California Postsecondary Education Commission's five-year plan (1982-87) are presented. The first paper, "Planning for the Eighties," discusses the need for planning, delineates the essential elements of planning, describes the segmental and statewide planning processes in California, and notes existing barriers to more effective planning. Financial issues, including the most current information available on sources of funds for California colleges and universities, the role of the state in financing postsecondary education, and issues regarding this role that pose problems for the future, are addressed. A discussion of students summarizes trends in student needs and characteristics and raises questions about institutional obligations and policies toward students in light of these trends. In regard to faculty, four topics are considered: collective bargaining; affirmative action; the role of part-time faculty; and faculty mobility, development, and retirement. The fifth paper reviews the major problems likely to confront California's colleges and universities over the next five years, including economic factors (such as state funding), demographic influences (such as the decline in the college-age population), and socio-political concerns. External environmental forces affecting postsecondary education in the state include: an aging population, a majority of minorities, inadequate preparation for college, continued inflation, and increasing energy costs. Internal environmental factors include: enrollment-derived funding formulas, tenure, collective bargaining, the new student clientele, and centralization of authority. A bibliography is appended. (Author/SW)