According to life cycle theory, community colleges have attained the stage of maturity that requires that they adjust their missions to be responsive to the demands and challenges of the new globally competitive economy, or they will begin the decline phase. Further, the rapidly changing demographics of the U.S. population call for a reassessment of the community college mission, which should no longer be defined by the outdated and restrictive term of two-year college. This misnomer is not only unrealistic, it is untrue. Only a small percentage of our students attend for two years. As stated in Ed Gleazer's book, The Community College Values, Vision & Vitality, "Any time we can describe the community college in definitive, specific terms, we will destroy it."

Community colleges could be facing an identity crisis in the coming decade. Challenges to the survival of the public community college in the twenty-first century will come from charter colleges, e-colleges, broker colleges and proprietary colleges as well as private non-profit colleges operating as baccalaureate-degree granting institutions. To be competitive in this educational marketplace, the community college must develop new products and delivery systems, and shed the confining title of two-year college. The concept of a community college as "a climate to be created rather than an area to be served" must take hold.

As learner demand for the baccalaureate degree increases, community colleges are in a natural position to serve that need by simply expanding their climate. It is a natural progression to build a four-year degree from an existing two-year degree because, in increasingly more workplaces in the emerging economy, the body of technical knowledge needed will require more time to acquire. Gaining the increasing volume of knowledge and skills needed, and the development of the ability to do more advanced critical thinking and problem solving will often require four years. As Alan Greenspan noted in his speech to the National Governor's Association, "Workers must be equipped not simply with technical know-how, but also with the ability to create, analyze, and transform information, and to interact effectively with others."

Consider some of the trends that are influencing changes in higher education: 1) The marketplace for higher education has become international. The worldwide web has enabled colleges and universities to enroll students from anywhere in the world. 2) The majority of students in higher education are older, part-time, and working. These students have families, jobs, mortgages, and other demands on their time. They want convenience, good service, and twenty-four hour availability of instruction. 3) The baccalaureate degree is replacing the associate degree as the entry-level credential for good paying jobs. 4) There are new world colleges and universities with no boundaries. 5) There are new brand names and new educational companies and more choices for students. 6) The transition from teaching colleges to learning colleges is accelerating.

In this environment, the competition for learners will be won by those colleges that are most successful at adapting to the changes in the new society. Take note of the words of Charles Darwin who said, "It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent; it is the one that is most adaptable to change." To remain relevant in the twenty-first century, the community college must prepare to do things it has never done before, not simply continue to do the same things differently. We must rethink the reasons for our existence; the competition and our attitude toward it; the complexity of the modern world that needs our services; the markets for our services; and the leadership that will determine the role of the community college in the new century. That role must include the bachelor's degree.

In his thought provoking book entitled The Lexus and the Olive Tree, Thomas L. Friedman writes about the democratization of technology, finance, and information. As these critical elements of power and society are democratized, education through the level of the bachelor's degree must also be democratized. Failure to do so could threaten our democratic society, and threaten the survival of community colleges.

Critics of this concept will talk about competition with universities and the fear that community colleges will forgo their core values. President Franklin D. Roosevelt said it succinctly, "we have nothing to fear but fear itself." This issue is not about institutions; it is about students. The surprising thing to this writer is that the critics never talk about the needs and demands of students, nor the needs of business and industry for well-educated employees. Their focus is fear of competition, fear of change, and fear of whatever. It is time for a new vision of America's community colleges which will assure their survival and relevance in the twenty-first century. It is time to remember that community colleges have survived and thrived in the last one hundred years because they changed and adapted their missions to remain responsive to the needs of communities.

Our mission should be defined not by the needs of a bygone era, but rather by the responsiveness, adaptation, and growth that are necessary to meet the changing dynamics of the communities we serve. By adding baccalaureate degrees to our offerings, community colleges would help promote:

• Geographical, financial, and academic access to higher education.
  
  
• Cost efficiencies through the use of existing infrastructures.
  
  
• Success among nontraditional or returning students through smaller classes, less rigid sequencing, and greater scheduling options.
  
  
• Ready matriculation and upward mobility for students with associate degrees.
  
  
• Stable family and employment relationships for students while they complete their degrees.
  
  
• Commitment to economic and workforce development.
  
  
• Responsiveness to community needs for specialized programs.