This paper presents a case-study of the successful nine-month plan with which Tulane University guaranteed the growth and continuation of its Italian program. The paper provides a blueprint for the teacher of Italian on any campus who wishes to strengthen the position of his Italian program in this era when dwindling federal, state and university support forces us to look for resources which can come only from the community. The three basic steps in Tulane's program development plan include: (1) attracting the community to the program by means of a guest lecture series, a film festival, and a book exhibit; (2) encouraging community support in the form of book donations, the awarding of fellowships and merit prizes, and other fund-raising activities; and (3) reciprocal efforts by the teacher of Italian to serve the community's needs in the area of instruction. These steps are fully detailed and can be employed without modification by the Italian program of any high school, college or university. (Author/CLK)