Few studies have focused on the effects of systemic change and decentralized decision making on organizational structure and on an institution's notion of quality education. This study examined such interconnections at a community college given the pseudonym America Community College (ACC). ACC is a multi-campus metropolitan area college in a area of high crime, high unemployment, and racial tensions. More than 75% of the 55,000 full-time students each year are people of color. Major reforms in the last two decades have established a core curriculum, a computerized advising and articulation system, and a student placement assessment system. A second set of reforms tied a comprehensive faculty development program, including continuing education and tuition reimbursement, to a faculty advancement system. Using the models of strategic planning, total quality management, and systems thinking, the study traced the reform efforts over 20 years, demonstrating the cyclical spiraling of decision making at the college. Four figures illustrate the concepts. (Contains 33 references.) (SLD)