This document is an accreditation guide for community and junior colleges from the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC), which is part of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. The purpose of the guide is to communicate the general background and content of the accreditation standards. The guide is divided into five parts that discuss the standards of the ACCJC. The first section of the guide is an introduction, which reports that the primary purpose of an accredited institution is to foster learning in its students. Additionally, an effective institution continuously assesses learning and pursues institutional excellence and improvement. The second section discusses the ACCJCs first standard, which ensures that the institutional mission provides the impetus for achieving student learning and other goals that the institution endeavors to accomplish. The third section covers the second standard, which states how instructional programs, student support services, and library and learning support services facilitate the achievement of the institutions' stated student learning outcomes. The fourth section covers the third standard, which states that human, physical, technology, and financial resources enable instructional programs and services to function and improve. The final section covers ACCJC's fourth standard, which ensures ethical and effective leadership throughout the organization. The guide concludes that a college-wide dialogue that integrates the elements of the standards provides the complete view of the institution that is needed to verify integrity and to promote quality and improvement. (ND)