This digest discusses two recurrent themes presented in the New Directions for Community Colleges volume titled "Organizational Change in the Community College: Ripple or Sea Change?" First, change in the external environment is accelerating, and colleges must respond to these changes to thrive. External environmental influences include differences in the economy, government relations, the demographics of student populations (more immigrants, high school dropouts, returning and displaced workers, welfare participants, and workers in need of skill upgrading), and the development of new technologies. All of these factors require responses from the community college. The second theme is that organizational change can either be internally initiated or externally imposed. California Legislation AB 1725 and case studies from Minnesota and Arizona State colleges and universities are cited to illustrate this position. The digest concludes with the observation that a lack of institutional cooperation hinders the implementation of legislatively mandated changes and that state lawmakers should solicit the input and support of the higher education community before passing legislation that dramatically affects those institutions. (AS)