Community colleges play a significant role in the higher education landscape. Open access missions and diverse student bodies are often used to indicate that community colleges are democratizing higher education. This study begins broad questions about what it means to do the work of democracy at a community college. De Anza College in Cupertino, California was selected as the research site for its rich history and national reputation for equity and civic engagement. Appreciative Inquiry was deemed an idea method to both illuminate the complexity of and advance the work of equity, democracy, and justice at De Anza College in Cupertino, California. The findings are disseminated in a multiple article format dissertation. The first article, "On Becoming the People's Students" is coauthored by Angelica Esquivil, Rex Zhang, and Ben Vo. This participatory action research project sought to explore what De Anza means to students, where students have felt a sense of connection and and where they might find more connection. Findings from this study explore the ways in which students experience belonging at De Anza in hopes of informing changes to institutional architecture toward empowering students. Next, "On Becoming a People's College: Hidden Curriculum," is an ethnographic account of the author's immersive fieldwork project. This paper explores differing institutional identities and organizational characteristics present at De Anza. This paper offers levers of change to enhance institutional climate with a specific emphasis in students' civic identity. The third article, "On Becoming Ergonomic: A Model for a People's College," offers a conceptual model representing the best of what De Anza hopes to be and an opportunity for community colleges to apply these findings at institutional, programmatic, or course levels. Finally, "On Becoming a Publicly Engaged Scholar at a People's College," is an autoethnography of the author's experience during the fieldwork and returning to his home institution as a community engagement professional. As a whole work, this dissertation advances an intentional metaphoric shift of a People's College to center the most important element of community colleges: the people. Readers are encouraged to interpret, refute, reanalyze, and apply these offerings on their own terms. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]