With the average age of faculty members exceeding 55, it is expected that "large numbers of community college faculty may retire at virtually the same time and in the near future" (Gahn & Twombly, 2001, p. 260). In the wake of their exodus, it is a reasonable assumption that community colleges will be faced with hiring many new full- and part-time faculty members within the same time frame. Add to this that little information exists regarding the effectiveness of hiring practices, specifically related to the hiring of faculty in community colleges. Past and current practices represent somewhat amorphous processes with little internal consistency among various stages of decision-making. Considering the probable turnover in full-time faculty, and their subsequent replacement, in many cases, by adjuncts, community college leaders must respond to the challenges, both inherent and learned, in the hiring process to ensure quality instruction in light of diminishing legislative support and the significant, long-term financial obligation the institution makes with the hiring of each new faculty member.