On the surface, the quality and quantity of openings for entry-level professors seeking to teach undergraduate educational foundations courses seem to indicate a dismal future for the foundations field. Positions advertised in a professional journal suggest not only the paucity of positions available, but also the low status of foundations courses, which are most often taught by nonfoundations professors. The role of foundations courses has been debated since the establishment of the first foundations department at Teachers College, Columbia University, in 1934. In 1977, the American Educational Studies Association (AESA) Task Force on Academic Standards clarified the objectives of foundations coursework in teacher education, suggesting that, by focusing on the study of education as a field of inquiry, preservice teachers can critique and reflect on pedagogical technique in light of an understanding of education as a complex social institution. However, diverse interpretations of the role of foundations courses still exist at the undergraduate level, allowing hiring practices and teaching loads that imply little respect for the field. Programs that prepare professors to teach undergraduate foundations courses must reflect an integrative and interdisciplinary aspect; specializations can be accommodated through minors in other educational fields. It is up to education foundations professors to take reponsibility for defining and refining the field at all academic levels. (FG)