All About the Professional Standards for Higher Education 11th Version

Learn about the updates and new features available in the 11th version of the CAS "Blue Book."

As a staple resource in higher education assessment and student affairs, the CAS Professional Standards for Higher Education, has been updated with highly requested interactive features and increased usability. The 11th Version of the Blue Book is available in E-Book format only. This iconic resource has served as the defining source of professional standards for programs and services across higher education for decades, and the Council is committed to its ongoing revision for relevance.

The CAS Professional Standards for Higher Education provides an introduction to CAS, its mission, initiatives, and the principles upon which it was founded, in addition to:

• Individual functional area standards,
• Introductory contextual statements,
• CAS Learning and Development Outcomes,
• CAS Characteristics of Individual Excellence, and
• The CAS Statement of Shared Ethical Principles.

The 11th Version of the CAS Blue Book is available in an interactive electronic format, as requested by CAS consumers and members. This is the first version of the Blue Book to be offered exclusively in an e-book format. This allows for an interactive user experience and aesthetic enhancements.

New features include clickable hyperlinks, writable PDF formatting, increased font size, and color enhancements for readability make this updated version more accessible and user-friendly.

The 11th Version also includes interactive Self-Assessment Guides, accompanied by user-friendly directions designed to maximize the user experience and, ultimately, empower more effective assessment.

The content of the Blue Book has been significantly updated in the 11th Version as well, debuting new and revised General Standards and Functional Area Standards, with significant revisions enhancing focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Revisions to these resources were also inclusive of international and indigenous voices, contributing to even greater perspective. With the release of the 11th version, all new and revised sets of Functional Area Standards and Self-Assessment Guides are also available in the CAS store. Continued updates to the 11th version will also take place with greater frequency than previous versions.

To learn how to access your copy of the 11th Version of Professional Standards for Higher Education, click here.