Community colleges should return to the philosophy of localism and team up with community agencies to play an active role in community planning and development. Rural colleges, which are governed by local boards that are more prone to receive immediate community pressure than their urban counterparts, are more suited to the achievement of this goal. While there are contradictory views of the value of the community services function of the colleges, many exemplary practices of community-based education can be cited, particularly in five areas: (1) decision-making involvement, whereby colleges become community resource centers for use by citizens to improve their capacity for participation in government; (2) program cooperation with government agencies to share expertise and/or facilities in order to achieve common goals; (3) cooperation with industry to provide vocational training programs; (4) programs for senior citizens which tap the professional skills of retirees; and (5) cooperative arrangements with museums and libraries for purposes such as the preservation of local history. Such programs can only be instituted after a college has ascertained community needs, determined the extent of current services, prioritized the community service function within the college's objectives, and determined the special attributes necessary for community development specialists. (JP)