This book systematically considers governance in the community college, focusing on how decisions are actually made and describing the roles and interactions of all participant groups in the governance process. Community college governance today is an amalgam of procedures borrowed from colleges, universities and high schools, but there are signs that these influences are waning as community colleges develop a unique governance style of their own. While community colleges vary widely in their form of governance--with decision making power residing at the institutional, local, or state level, or shared by all three--they have one important trait in common, a very close relationship with their constituency. Trustees, students, faculty, and administrators are the key actors in the governance of the community college and all generally have a formalized relationship to one another. However, the political aspect of governance is important; ad hoc groups and strong individuals often have influence as significant as that of formal decision-makers. The role of collective bargaining, while not as yet clear, may very well affect the governance patterns of community colleges, as might emerging trends toward control by external bodies. Three fictional case studies are presented to illustrate community college governance processes and a brief concluding chapter examines prospects for the future. (JDS)