Community colleges account for over half of the ethnic minority enrollments in America, and a controversy has developed over how well these students are being served. On one hand, community colleges are praised for providing open access to higher education. Critics, however, claim that community colleges track minority students into low level studies and reduce their chances of obtaining baccalaureate degrees. Indeed, this question of quality of service permeates the literature. Several ERIC documents, for example, explore the causes of minority attrition and the special services, including remedial instruction and academic counseling, that are provided to reduce this attrition. Other efforts to improve service include the Extended Opportunity Programs and Services in California and the formation of community colleges especially for minority students. Yet the resolution of the basic controversy rests on the individual's interpretation of the community college mission. If the mission is to provide educational alternatives to high risk, non-traditional students, then community colleges have been a success. If their main goal is to provide traditional instruction leading to transfer to a four-year college, the community colleges are a failure by design. Thus, the question of what is done to assist minority students is intertwined with the definition of the community college's place in higher education. (JP)