This paper presents a historical perspective on the growth of the Seattle Community College District (SCCD) from 1967 to 1980 and the period of retrenchment from 1981 to the present. First. the paper reviews the formation of the SCCD, its organizational structure, goals and objectives, and mission. Next, demographic data are presented to illustrate the severity of the crisis being faced nationally, in the state of Washington, in the city of Seattle, and in the SCCD, as indicated by trends in the economic outlook, social conditions, political climate, educational arena, technological demands, and population projections. Then, the paper focuses on the causes of educational reductions in Washington (i.e., an inadequate tax base and a disintegrating economic climate); the decline in full-time equivalent enrollments from 15,040 in 1980-81 to an estimated 10,770 in 1982-83; the cutbacks made between 1980 and 1982; and the methods used to effect these cutbacks. Finally, a four-stage sequence for retrenchment is presented derived from the SCCD experience. It involves: (1) reduction of services on a somewhat proportional basis; (2) disproportionate cutback of particular services; (3) cutbacks in whole categories of programs and services; and (4) the reformulation of the college's mission to cope with retrenchment. (HB)