DURING THE 1-YEAR PERIOD FOLLOWING ACCREDITATION COMMITTEE VISITS TO FOUR JUNIOR COLLEGES, THE AUTHOR VISITED THESE INSTITUTIONS AND STUDIED THEIR SELF-EVALUATION REPORTS AND THE VISITING COMMITTEE REPORTS, IN AN EFFORT TO DETERMINE THE EFFECTS OF THE ACCREDITATION PROCESS ON THE QUALITY OF INSTRUCTION. WHILE ACTIONS WERE TAKEN AS RESULTS OF BOTH THE SELF-STUDIES AND THE COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS, THE LATTER ACCOUNTED FOR MOST OF THESE ACTIONS. THE COLLEGES ACTED ON RECOMMENDATIONS MORE OFTEN THAN THEY REJECTED THEM. CURRICULUM CHANGES WERE THE MOST NUMBEROUS, FOLLOWED BY THOSE IN THE LIBRARY. FROM THESE AND OTHER FINDINGS, THE AUTHOR CONCLUDED THAT (1) THE ACCREDITATION PROCESS DOES STIMULATE INSTITUTIONS TO CORRECT WEAKNESSES, (2) VISITING COMMITTEES DO APPLY EVALUATIVE STANDARDS, ESPECIALLY IN ADMISSIONS, GRADING, AND INSTRUCTION, (3) COMMITTEES SOMETIMES OVERLOOK THE PURPOSES OF LESS SELECTIVE, "OPEN DOOR" INSTITUTIONS, (4) AN INSTITUTION MAY CHOOSE NOT TO ACT ON COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS, (5) LOCAL CONDITIONS OF FINANCE, FACULTY, ORGANIZATION, AND PHILOSOPHY MAY AFFECT AN INSTITUTION'S ACTION ON RECOMMENDATIONS, AND (6) THE VISITING COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE THE MOST INFLUENTIAL CHANGE STIMULUS IN THE ACCREDITING PROCESS. THIS ED.D. DISSERTATION IS AVAILABLE AS DOCUMENT NO. 65-4758 FOR $2.00 (MICROFILM) OR $9.70 (XEROGRAPHIC COPY) FROM UNIVERSITY MICROFILMS, INC., P.O. BOX 1346, ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN 48106. (WO)