Here are 2 essays by Edmund Husserl: 1) on the meaning of "phenomenology", as as Husserl prepared it for the Encyclopedia Britannica; and 2) on the intellectual & moral crisis facing Western Man.
In addition, there is a 3rd essay by Leo Strauss on the place of Political Philosophy in Husserl's thinking entitled "Philosophy as Rigorous Science." All three essays studied together carefully will allow the dedicated & serious student to understand the nerve of Husserl's thoughts and hopes for the future of philosophy, and how he conceived of its mission. Strauss' careful attention to Husserl's intention is the primary focus; however, Strauss does reveal his own judgment of Husserl's thought through the manner in which the consequences of Husserl's thought are brought to light.
These 3 texts alone provide a more than sufficient basis for a comprehensive course on Phenomenology and the Crisis of the Western Tradition. (See, however, the 2 excerpts from the "Crisis of the European Sciences", also available on the internet-archive. These 2 selections will provide some additional clarity regarding the problems Husserl sees himself as confronting an pointing the way toward a solution.)