Drawing from visits to all 19 two-year colleges in New Jersey and meetings with trustees, faculty, administrators, students, and other interested citizens, this report presents a series of recommendations for ensuring the future health and vitality of the state's county community colleges. First, introductory information is presented on the formation, work, and composition of the panel created to study the colleges. Subsequent chapters provide background and recommendations concerning: (1) the fundamental services comprising the colleges' mission; (2) the governance structure of the county community colleges; (3) state appropriations to the colleges and the current funding formula; (4) student characteristics and satisfaction, and the need to improve the representation of disadvantaged and minority students at the college; (5) remedial education; (6) liberal arts and humanities education; (7) student retention/attrition; (8) the role of the colleges in the economic development of New Jersey; (9) faculty issues (e.g., professional stagnation, faculty characteristics, and adjunct faculty); (10) regionalization of high-cost, specialized, and low-enrollment programs; and institutional cooperation; (11) program articulation with four-year colleges; and (12) capital renewal. Finally, the charge to the panel examining the major educational issues pertinent to the future health and vitality of the county community colleges is presented. Appendices provide background on the development of community colleges in New Jersey; enrollment, revenue, expenditures, and faculty data; papers studied by the panel; and 1979 commission recommendations on "Excellence and the Open Door." (EJV)