In this article, the author examines the "citizenship role" of community colleges, which causes them to devote time and resources to activities that have little to do with higher education: Is it a legitimate one for community colleges, or does it siphon off resources and energy that should be devoted to the primary educational mission? He draws on community college leaders' responses to a questionnaire on this subject to conclude that college leaders need to evaluate each function their institutions take on in their roles as citizens in order to ensure a balance among the many programs and services the colleges provide.