This paper explains the methodology and procedures used by the Center for the Study of Community Colleges (CSCC) in carrying out a national survey of community college students to gather information on student demographic characteristics, educational background, educational objectives, and opinions about the college experience. As background material indicates, the CSCC was charged with the responsibility of surveying a random sample of 10,000 students enrolled in public community colleges in spring 1986 in all curricula, including collegiate and vocational courses that offer credit toward a degree or certificate (credit courses), and community education courses that do not offer degree or certificate credit (noncredit courses). A section on methodology explains how the samples of colleges and of class sections were drawn in order to complete the in-class survey of 8,000 credit students and 2,000 noncredit students. Next, survey procedures are delineated, indicating the role of the campus facilitator in acting as liaison between the CSCC and the instructors, explaining the content of the survey packet developed by the CSCC for each participating class, and detailing the system used to code the completed packets. The final section explains how the data will be analyzed. (EJV)