Bok, Officials Will Advise '88 Bidders

President Bok and 31 other leaders in higher education, labor and industry are expected to release an unprecedented report next month to presidential candidates of both parties which will set guidelines for debate in the 1988 race.

Although the document's wording is not yet complete, it will call on the presidential hopefuls to renew a partnership between government, industry, and higher education to address grievous societal problems, William C. Friday, chairman of the report's commission, said yesterday.

Bok and Friday conceived of the idea for a consensus from education, labor and industry leaders two years ago during a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) meeting, Friday said.

"It will be a memo to the next president of the United States that deals with how government and [higher education] can work together to restore this nation's leadership in the world," said Friday, whose commission was sponsored by the American Council of Education (ACE), a Washington, D.C.-based group representing nearly all of the nation's colleges and universities.

Each presidential candidate will meet with commission members later in the year to discuss the report's recommendations, said Charles B. Saunders, ACE vice president for governmental affairs.

Although higher education groups have suggested planks in the past, this is the first time in recent memory that college and university leaders--joined by labor and industry representatives--have taken such an active hand in a presidential campaign, said Harvard Vice President for Government and Community Affairs John Shattuck.

"There has never before been anything this ambitious," an ACE official said.

In a telephone interview, Friday, former head of the University of North Carolina, said, "It's a very different approach. We take our share of responsibility, and we are trying to speak out not only as people who have spenttheir lives in the [education] field, but ascitizens."

Although the ACE has decided to keep thereport's exact contents secret until its release,several higher education leaders revealed itsmajor points in interviews this week:

Create cooperation between government agencies,private enterprise, and universities to rebuildAmerican economic competitiveness throughscientific research and studies of foreigncultures.

Foster equal opportunity and racial integrationby expanding educational opportunities "for thelarge numbers of young people--particularly Blacksand Hispanics--disadvantaged economically andracially."

Improve "the quality of life" by devoting moreresources to problems of the environment, healthcare, substance abuse, illiteracy, and themaldistribution of wealth.

Strengthen the "ethical rules of conduct" insociety by teaching moral standards on thenation's campuses, by strengthening communityservice programs, and by "forthrightly addressingethical challenges."

"The candidates haven't really thought abouthigher education and these problems," said RobertM. Rosenzweig, president of the Association ofAmerican Universities (AAU), a Washington, D.C.group representing the nation's 54 most prominentresearch universities.

Bok has touched on these themes in speeches andinterviews this year, most notably at a Julyaddress before the Council for the Advancement andSupport of Education.

The commission convened for the first time lastOctober and has held five subsequent meetings. Nofurther meetings are planned unless majordisagreement arises over the report's wording,Friday said.

Members of the commission include some of thenation's foremost higher educationleaders--including Ernest M. Boyer, head of theCarnegie Foundation for the Advancement ofTeaching and Robert H. Atwell, president of theACE.

The commission also counts among its membersthe presidents of a wide varity of colleges,including New York University, Michigan StateUniversity, the University of California, St.Lawrence and Trinity College.

"These are very knowledgeable people who haveworked very hard and have very interesting thingsto say," Friday said