Since its inception in 1959, the University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA) has helped to unite theory and practice, integrate relevant work from other disciplines, and improve training programs for educational administrators. UCEA can make significant contributions in the 1980's both by attacking substantive problems and by enlarging the profession's intellectual resources. In the latter category, historical perspectives can be applied to interpreting present problems. For example, the responses of public education to recessions of the past may be informative. Current ethical issues on which UCEA can focus inquiry include children's rights and the state's interest in education. UCEA can also enlist the findings of other disciplines to the study of leadership development. Finally, UCEA can draw upon research on human communications to replace the reliance of many administrators' reports on public relations conventions. Specific issues UCEA can address include helping public education adjust to reduced enrollments and decreased funding, by assembling examples of successful volunteer efforts and by helping practitioners develop effective low cost programs. Secondly, UCEA can help administrators constructively use public educational concerns aroused by special interest groups, guiding, for example, the decisions of schools responding to the present demand for upgraded science and mathematics offerings. (MJL)