In May 1979 a survey of ten California public postsecondary institutions was undertaken, at the request of the state commission, to learn the impact of enrollment and financial uncertainty on the institutions. Surveyed were these community college districts: El Camino, Mt. San Jacinto, San Jose, San Mateo County, and San Diego; also surveyed were the California State University at Dominguez Hills, California State University at Hayward, San Diego State University, the University of California at Davis, and the University of California at Los Angeles. Questionnaires were sent to the chief executive officers, and field interviews were conducted. Results are discussed in this report under five chapter headings: (1) the character of uncertainty (enrollment, budgetary, and other factors such as collective bargaining, accountability requirements, student preparation, shifting student interests, physical plant, and unclear governmental policies) and its differential impact on segments of the institution's community; (2) the concept and context of stress as it is studied here; (3) institutional response; (4) institutional processes for the orderly resolution of program planning and budgeting issues (governance, budgeting, planning, and program review); and (5) concluding observations regarding institutional procedures and autonomy, coordination and control, state government, and community services policy. It is suggested that virtually all of California's public higher education institutions will survive as organizational entities; but to do more than simply survive, they must maintain program quality and processes that impose order on uncertainty to the extent possible. Advisory committees for the survey are listed. (MSE)