In 1981, at the suggestion of the college president, Metro Community College (MCC) instituted a College Advisory System (CAS) to replace its cumbersome structure of 17 standing committees and numerous ad hoc committees. CAS is a voluntary, action-oriented, entirely open system, allowing for input from all sectors of the college community. It is not controlled by the administration, but rather is composed of a steering panel and four subcommittees for business and personnel matters, the college's future, student services, and teaching and curriculum. All constituencies (i.e., faculty; students; and administrative, professional, and classified staff) of the college are represented on the appropriate committees. The steering panel meets once a month to review, discuss, and determine appropriate action for proposals received during the month. Proposals are submitted on simple forms requiring the initiator to state his/her idea, concern, etc.; indicate what brought about the request; suggest a solution; and provide supporting materials. Proposals that affect many individuals and/or areas are channeled to one or more of the four committees for further discussion, and then forwarded to the appropriate vice president for input and implementation. "Housekeeping" proposals on clear-cut issues are submitted directly to an administrator. Efforts are made to complete all action on submitted proposals within 20 working days. As an advisory system, CAS can make recommendations for change, but it remains the task of management to make the final decision and implement the idea. The college community is kept informed of proposals submitted to CAS through a weekly publication. The keys to CAS's success are credibility, communication, and commitment. (UCM)