An environmental scan was conducted to assess the demographic and economic conditions in Passaic County (New Jersey) as a way of providing information helpful to Passaic County Community College (PCCC) in its planning activities. The environment scan focused on immigration patterns, job creation and loss trends, business hiring needs, PCCC enrollment patterns, and changes within the foreign-born student population at PCCC. Results for the county's immigrant and impoverished individuals indicated that both groups shared needs for obtaining information on locating and utilizing medical and legal services, transportation, literacy programs, recreational programs, and substance abuse programs. The economic data show consistent expansion of the health industries and the beginning of expansion in some segments of the non-durable manufacturing and service fields in the county. The durable goods industries began to decline in 1990 and continued to decline through 1992. A survey of two local chambers of commerce found that nearly 28% had hired PCCC students or graduates, and that 64% of employers used PCCC for employee training. The diversity of the county's population was explored through census data, periodical articles, and student reports of birthplace and residence, revealing influxes from India, Pakistan, the Philippines, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, the Caribbean, and South America within the county and the college. Studying high school and PCCC enrollments revealed that a greater percentage of newly graduated students had enrolled in recent years, perhaps because of relationship-building efforts with high school counselors, economic conditions, and indecision about what to study on the part of high school seniors. (ECC)