Includes bibliographical references (p. 435-477) and indexes.

Background : evolving priorities and expectations of the community college -- Students : diverse backgrounds, purposes, and outcomes -- Faculty : building a professional identity -- 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 : research in and about the colleges -- The social role : a response to the critics -- Toward the future : trends, challenges, and obligations.

Since it was first published in 1982 The American Community College has become the primary resource that faculty, administrators, trustees, and researchers look to for a comprehensive analysis of the most recent findings and up-to-date information on the American community college. Throughout this important book, Arthur M. Cohen and Florence B. Brawer describe how community colleges fit into the American educational