This document explores the current environment from which community colleges are charting their paths to the future, with an emphasis on technology as an empowering force for change. It includes an overview of the current higher education environment, emphasizing that much of the demand comes from new markets of learners of all ages, motivated by career changes, and personal interests and developments. To a lesser extent, the public in general values the traditional post-high school educational experience, and increasingly views it as less relevant. Today's learners demand that education be cost-effective and that education be customized to the individual learner. They expect the time, place, and pace of education to be at the convenience of the learner. They have less interest in gaining mastery of a predetermined volume of content than they have in learning work-related skills that will measurably enhance their employment and earning prospects. This paper summarizes relevant trends in technology such as: networks; convergence of voice, video, and data; knowledge navigation; computers; mobile computing; smart cards; distributed computing; open systems; middleware; reliability and ease of use; and neoelectronic applications. It suggests strategic implications for community colleges and offers recommendations for strategic directions by looking at learner-centered education, active learning, community involvement, financing strategies, technology organization, and technology planning. (VWC)