Using as its premise that access and excellence are mutually interdependent goals for urban community colleges, this monograph considers the direction and nature of programmatic responses to the needs of the constituencies of urban two-year colleges and the direction and quality of the research efforts required to measure institutional impact on the community. Following introductory remarks on the work of the American Association of Community and Junior Colleges' Urban Community Colleges Commission which culminated in the preparation of the monograph, the mission of the urban community college is examined, underscoring its primary roles as educational institution and community resource and facilitator. A discussion of the educational and social roles of urban community colleges is followed by a call for research into fundamental questions about the impact of the urban community college on its environment. The next section considers the importance of developing operational definitions of excellence and access in order to measure institutional effectiveness in these areas. Next, the monograph explores issues related to articulation and program linkages, the associate degree as the touchstone of educational excellence, and the influence of finance on the community college mission. The next sections consider the community college's role in economic and human resources development, personnel issues for urban institutions, questions related to organizational management and development, and curricular needs for currency and continuity. Finally, recommendations for further research and investigation are presented. (LAL)