Growing conservatism, dwindling resources, and the increased diversity of students require that the California community colleges develop a plan to meet the challenges of the future. First, efforts must be made to ameliorate the current crisis in educational leadership caused by excessive concern with quantitative management techniques, reporting requirements, and collective bargaining. Leadership initiative can be regained by measures such as a recognition of the pre-eminence of college presidents in educational leadership; faculty support of the final directions chosen by presidents; the encouragement by governing boards of creative and dynamic action on the part of chief administrators chosen for their commitment to education; and the revision of the California Education Code. Second, strategies must be developed to preserve local control, protect tuition-free admissions, and counter the increased competition from four-year institutions. Such strategies include changes in state policy, legislative lobbying, and the development of alternate funding sources. Finally, priority should be given to fulfilling the community college's educational purposes with regard to basic skills, general education, and specific curricular needs in health, energy-related, information, and humanities disciplines. Active pursuit of this agenda will carry the community colleges through the coming decade. (JP)