Grossmont College, in California, undertook a project to address the issue of institutional and faculty academic vitality and create an environment that encourages faculty to achieve their highest level of professional development. First, symptoms of the loss of faculty vitality were identified as lack of participation in campus affairs, not staying abreast with their disciplines, and severe disenchantment with college teaching. Next, a literature review was conducted to gather data on socioeconomic and psychological factors related to faculty vitality in community colleges. Senior faculty members at the college were then invited to an all-day, off-campus retreat to identify specific policies and practices which had served either as a bridge or barrier to their own professional development. The college president met throughout the 1995-96 academic year with 22 separate campus departments, management, student government, and the Board of Trustee to discuss the bridges and barriers to professional development. Based upon these activities, reports were prepared and distributed to management and faculty detailing specific findings and suggestions to address faculty vitality. The ideas generated from the meetings and reports were incorporated during the following spring term, including projects to bring guest lecturers to campus; to assist tenured female faculty in completing their doctoral dissertations; and to restructure a compulsory, beginning-of-term faculty meeting to include discussion of education-related topics. Contains 28 references. (TGI)