Given that a community is defined by the common interests of a group of people and that community development involves the joint efforts of these people in addressing shared problems, the most important component of the community development process is instruction in the skills needed for effective political and social involvement. Yet society persists in believing that its citizens are born with these skills, and colleges have not yet learned to approach the teaching of political and social skills as an applied educational process leading to the active involvement of students in the community. In initiating this process, community-based colleges should recruit housewives, the elderly, idealistic young people, and other persons who may have few opportunities for social contacts, but who can provide the community with a heretofore untapped source of energy and insight. The creation of a community development program also requires that the college establish procedures for information networking, community dialogue, and coalition-building. These steps demand considerable institutional commitment and may even pose a variety of risks, such as the possibility that information gathered in the networking process could be used against the college. Ultimately, however, the community development program will benefit the individual, help the community solve its problems, and enhance the status of the college. (JP)