About CAS

Founded in 1979, the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS) is the pre-eminent force for promoting standards in student affairs, student services, and student development programs. CAS creates and delivers dynamic, credible standards, guidelines, and Self-Assessment Guides that are designed to lead to a host of quality programs and services. CAS aims to foster and enhance student learning, development, and achievement.

CAS Standards respond to student needs, the requirements of sound pedagogy, and the effective management of 45 functional areas. Individuals and institutions from 42 CAS member organizations comprise a constituency of over 115,000 professionals. Representing a significant majority of higher education practitioners in student programs and services throughout the country and beyond, CAS provides tools to higher education leaders assessing institutional effectiveness, student learning, and outcomes.

Learn about the redesigned Self-Assessment Guides
In conjunction with the 9th edition of CAS Professional Standards for Higher Education, CAS released new tools to help programs and services measure how well they meet the CAS standards. 

News and Notes

CAS remembers founding president Theodore "Ted" K. Miller
Founding CAS editor and president, Ted Miller, passed away in August 2016. CAS remembers Ted for his many contributions to our association and the field of student affairs at large. "He saw the future," reflected Susan Komives, past CAS president. "And Ted was willing to do the hard work to get us there."

Revised CAS standards for 6 functional areas released
Thoroughly revised standards and self-assessment guides (SAGs) for Campus Religious, Secular, and Spiritual Programs; Collegiate Recreation Programs; Dining Services Programs; Learning Assistance Programs; Multicultural Student Programs and Services; and Undergraduate Research Programs are now available from CAS. These items are in addition to the ninth edition publications that CAS released in August 2015. Visit our store to place your order today!

CAS welcomes the Higher Education Case Managers Association as a new member organization
CAS is pleased to welcome the Higher Education Case Managers Association (HECMA) to its membership. CAS was founded 38 years ago as a consortium of 11 associations; today, 42 professional organizations reflecting a wide range of student-oriented functions across higher education institutions comprise the CAS membership.

CAS Member Organizations

ACUI NACAS CACUSS NCLP CMA NACA NASPA ACUHO-I NWSA NACUFS
NCSD ACPA ASCA CRLA IACLEA Consortium NACADA ACCA NACS NODA
               

View  all  42  members >>

The President's Corner  with Deb Garrett, CAS President

As CAS enters its 38th year as a consortium and I continue my tenure as president, I am struck by the massive amount of work we accomplish as a council of volunteers. Creating, revising and promulgating standards along with our self-assessment guides has always been our core function as we have continued to “...promote the improvement of programs and services to enhance the quality of student learning and development” (CAS, 2008).

As we all know, circumstances change and CAS will also change to accommodate the evolving needs of our stakeholders as they attempt to meet the demands of their students and institutions. We are at the point in the development of CAS as an organization to be able to reflect on our history and current practices and have the frank discussions we need to move forward. The priorities rising to the top of our new strategic plan include restructuring our organization, providing a new approach to our standards and self-assessment guides, and creating a “brand” that is unique to CAS. To accomplish all of this, we will continue to rely on our capable Board members and also utilize others from around the world who would like to become involved.

Stay tuned as we prepare for our years to come!