Following a description of the facilities, programs, and students of El Centro College (Texas), this paper reviews the conflicts arising between the mandates of external certifying boards, the expectations of hospital administrators and other medical personnel, and the realities of community college philosophy, planning, staffing and budgeting for allied health programs, as seen from the perspective of the college president. The open admissions policy and the desire to provide minority students opportunities previously denied them require compensatory and mastery learning strategies which conflict with external expectations for fixed program length. Arbitrary requirements concerning class size, pass rates for graduates on state board exams, and faculty certification levels can cause probation, loss of accreditation, faculty and student attrition, and hardships on colleges in isolated areas. Such mandates, often having immediate effect, are made without consultation or opportunity for input, and ignore the requirements of contractual obligations, advance planning, the principles of good teaching and learning, and community health care needs. While El Centro's nursing and other allied health programs are successful, it is felt that the college deserves the right to be involved in the external decisions which affect it. (RT)