In recent years, community colleges have made concerted efforts to reach out and meet the needs of the communities they serve. Relevance in community college education depends upon the successful identification of individual and social needs and the implementation of responsive programs. As a basis for conducting a community needs assessment, the goals of the college, as well as the principles and assumptions on which these goals rest must be identified; this necessitates the formulation of an operational philosophy of education. Once an operational philosophy of education is established, data from the community must be collected and analyzed. The process of data analysis must compare community concerns with present policies, with large discrepancies indicating validated needs. The second step of the community needs assessment is converting needs into viable programs. Critical factors which influence successful implementation are the extent of community involvement in the needs assessment, way the college is governed and administered. (Author/AH)