Part of an effort to expand and improve community college programs and services for older adults, this two-part report summarizes results from a national survey of older adult programs and provides an overview of current trends and their implications for action in community colleges. Following introductory sections, the report discusses a fall 1989 survey of the chief academic officers at the nation's 1,224 two-year colleges. Information was requested on the extent and nature of college programs designed for older adults, the effectiveness of delivery formats, the extent of gerontological training provided, obstacles to providing programs, and the administrative organization of the programs. Usable responses were received from 651 colleges, a response rate of 50.5%, and major findings included the following: (1) while approximately one quarter of the colleges surveyed offered some kind of program, only 7.1% (n=91) offered a wide variety of programs; (2) the most common type of programs offered were exercise (47.9%), arts and crafts (45.4%), retirement financial planning (35.1%), and nutrition (33.2%), while the least common were skills training and personal development; (3) fewer than one in four colleges offered a formal degree or certificate in gerontology with a human services emphasis; and (4) programs for older adults appeared to be unlikely to use nontraditional approaches to instruction. The second part of the report reviews current demographic and economic trends suggesting that the nation's workforce, and population in general, are becoming older; provides a rationale for community colleges to meet the training/lifelong learning needs of older adults; and advances an action agenda for the colleges. The survey instrument is appended. (MAB)