Includes bibliographical references (p. 485-538) and indexes.; Background : evolving priorities and expectations of the community college -- Students : diverse backgrounds, purposes, and outcomes -- Faculty : building a professional identity -- Organization, governance, and administration : managing the contemporary college -- Finances : sustaining and allocating resources -- Instruction : methods, media, and effects -- Student services : supporting educational objectives -- Vocational education : occupational entry, change, and development -- Developmental education : enhancing literacy and basic skills -- Community education : extending college services and training -- Collegiate function : transfer and the liberal arts -- Scholarship and assessment : research in and about the colleges -- The social role : a response to the critics -- Toward the future : trends, challenges, and obligations.;