Take an in depth look at the current key issues and practices in budgets and finance for community colleges. In this volume, topics include: * the contemporary challenge of meeting growing demands for increased student persistence and success, * diminishing state support for higher education, * new calls for accountability and ways to measure institutionaleffectiveness, * the increasing reliance of many community colleges on grants and other sources of revenue, and * college policies that have significant financial ramifications. This is the 168th volume of this Jossey-Bass quarterly report series. Essential to the professional libraries of presidents, vice presidents, deans, and other leaders in today's open-door institutions, New Directions for Community Colleges provides expert guidance in meeting the challenges of their distinctive and expanding educational mission.