Institutions of continuing education social-pedagogical mission

The paper presents an analysis of the mission, goals, objectives, activities of university institutions of continuing education. The content of 65 Russian federal, national research and regional universities sites was studied. Analysis of the material allowed the author to formulate the basic components of social and educational mission of university institutions of continuing education: regional cadres development; interaction with the real sector of the economy, business, authorities and representatives of the social sector in the field of continuing education; the quality of the university entrants and school leavers education development; students inclusion in the system of continuous education; university human resources development; further education, adult education, education for vulnerable social groups, social and educational projects; researches in the field of the lifelong education; university development as an international center for continuing education. Four models of further development are proposed.