Although community college faculty can be identified as a distinct group, it is difficult to completely separate them from their counterparts in the secondary schools and universities. Though time has weakened the links that community colleges once had with secondary schools, there are still many vestiges of those historical ties. However, studies have indicated that the community college faculty tends to identify more closely with university professors. Like secondary school teachers, community college faculty focus on instruction of students; like university faculty, they express the desire to engage in research and scholarly writing, although they seldom do so. The issue of the professional status of community college faculty centers on this duality. Criteria defining professionalism have been long identified, validated, and accepted. It is consistently indicated in the literature that "teachers" have not yet evolved into professionals, although "university professors" have. Community college faculty have made progress toward satisfying the criteria of professionalism, but are often cited as being deficient in the areas of self-governance, the development of a body of knowledge, and the establishment of a communal identity. The major obstacle in the community college faculty's progress toward professional status is the tremendous amount of time that is spent in direct student contact. A second obstacle lies in the bureaucratic structures of the institution itself. Professional associations have also proven to be a barrier, rather than a support, to community college faculty's struggle for professional recognition. A final problem rests in the deficiencies and limitations of inservice faculty development programs. Overcoming these barriers and enhancing the professional process will require changes by the institutions, professional associations, and individual faculty members themselves. (EJV)