In this day of increased competition for students, educators need to know what makes their institution exceptional or how it is perceived as providing something of value that other institutions in the local area do not. Without this information, community colleges will find it difficult to thrive and adapt in the future. Efforts to determine the existence, nature, and strength of an institution's unique aspects must consider both empirical and perceptual dimensions of distinction. The college needs to identify its unique programs, services, and characteristics, and also compare the image that the college projects to the outside world with the perceptions held by internal constituents. The search for institutional distinctiveness can be accomplished by either a college committee or a consultant, with both approaches offering advantages and disadvantages. When integrated with strategic planning and decision-making processes, the results of such a search can contribute to the creation of a vision of the institution that can be shared by all members of the college community, to the development and communication of a positive institutional image, and eventually, to the development of institutional integrity. (AJL)