Since their inception, America’s community colleges have undergone continuous change. They must, because their mission is to provide learning vital for those who face local as well as global transformations, and that requires vigilant, vigorous commitment.

This volume contains insights from men and women who have led the thinking and practice in these colleges to current historical heights. They were asked to forecast solutions to today’s most critical problems as well as to identify opportunities that will likely engage tomorrow’s community college leaders. In addition, a prevailing university authority was asked to review the support system traditionally relied upon to provide expertise to faculty and administrators.

“Presidents and Analysts Discuss Contemporary Issues” collects decades of experience from extraordinary leaders and places that wisdom in readers’ hands.

This is the 156^th volume of this Jossey-Bass quarterly report series. Essential to the professional libraries of presidents, vice presidents, deans, and other leaders in today's open-door institutions, New Directions for Community Colleges provides expert guidance in meeting the challenges of their distinctive and expanding educational mission.