A number of possible scenarios are discernible for the future of post-secondary education. Some believe that the next five years will be worse than the last, pointing to declining birthrates, spiraling inflation, and plummeting enrollments. Others look optimistically to the increased need for education, which is evidenced by the involvement of industry in educational efforts and the rate at which knowledge is growing and becoming obsolete. Still others try to assess the effects of environmental factors, such as increased state control and federal regulation, changing technologies, and growth in adult and non-formal education. In order to survive the stresses and strains of the 1980's, community colleges must undergo a transformation, which will be facilitated by their responsiveness to community needs and their flexibility. They must: (1) provide additional access for the older adult; (2) exploit new educational technologies; (3) work with and through other community agencies; (4) increase cooperation with business and labor; (5) provide basic skills and literacy training; (6) become involved in international education; (7) change policies and procedures to meet the needs of part-time, older students; and (8) reaffirm their commitment to the humanities. In short, the 1980's will demand that community colleges employ creativity to a greater extent than ever before. (AYC)