Concepts of civic learning and democratic engagement are central to the purpose of higher education, especially for community colleges. This volume: * establishes a philosophical framework for civic learning and democratic engagement in community colleges, * details several approaches to enhancing the civic capacities of students in these institutions, * provides best practice examples and lessons learned from practitioners in the field, and * addresses some of the sticky issues such as: What are the outcomes of civic learning programs and practices? How might civic competencies transfer to other settings? Is there a connection between civic skills and those valued in the workplace? This is the 173rd 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.