This book provides an overview of the central issues surrounding the nation's community colleges through an analysis of their history, their present state, and the possibilities for the future. The handbook is divided into 10 broad sections providing chapters written by over 50 community college practitioners. The sections address the following topics: (1) the historical development of the community college; (2) the development of the college mission and its influence on the services provided by the institutions; (3) curricular and instructional development designed to assist the community college serve its increasingly diverse student population; (4) leading and managing the community college during the societal shift from industrial age administration and management to information age leadership; (5) the influence of internal and external pressures on resource development in the community college; (6) crucial issues in human resource management, such as recruitment, retention, replacement, and reward; (7) the role of faculty in the success of the community college; (8) the need for a student development strategy that employs a variety of resources and approaches within the community college structure; (9) the effect of external forces on the performance of community colleges; and (10) issues and obligations influencing the development and mission of community colleges in the future. The volume concludes with a bibliographic essay on the most important works in the field. (MAB)