A series of proposals is presented to create a system of governance for the California community colleges and to define the respective responsibilities of the state Board of Governors and local governing boards. First, background information is presented, underscoring the need to create a system with greater authority to govern. This section describes the extensive involvement of the legislature in current community college governance and policymaking, identifies obstacles which must be overcome in order to provide the system with greater authority to govern its own affairs, and summarizes the efforts of those within the system to reach agreement on the delineation of the respective roles of the Board of Governors and local governing boards. Finally, the draft delineating the new roles is presented in three sections. Section 1 creates the "California Community Colleges" as a postsecondary system consisting of local districts and a coordinating district, while sections 2 and 3 establish the responsibilities of the Board of Governors and district governing boards respectively. Appended are the sections of the 1969 Education Code which delineate functions of the Board of Governors, a summary of the 1976 education code provisions, and a proposal for improving community college governance based on the "coordinating district" concept. (LAL)