State-level influences on community colleges are becoming more and more pronounced (greater state financial support, more state coordination in all higher education, general politicization of higher education) and its consequences are enumerated in this article (role changes, state instructional planning). (Author/PG)

Noting that junior college institutional research is being affected by two major influences--changing student populations and information demands of state and federal agencies--the author suggests specific questions for research important to college operations and emphasizes the need to reconcile the frequently contradictory internal and external…