Campus Religious, Secular, and Spiritual Programs Revised Standards Now Available

CAS is pleased to announce the release of the revised standards for Campus Religious, Secular, and Spiritual Programs (CRSSP). Standards and Self-Assessment Guide are now available for purchase.

The Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education is pleased to announce the release of the revised standards for Campus Religious, Secular, and Spiritual Programs (CRSSP). CAS, composed of 42 collaborating professional associations representing over 115,000 professionals in higher education, has developed standards and guidelines for 45 functional areas, and rooted them in the scholarship and work conducted within their respective fields. The new standards delineate expectations for educators in the related functional areas and complement the ninth edition of the CAS Professional Standards for Higher Education.

The revision to the standards were guided by Committee Chair and CAS Executive Committee Member, Marjorie Savage. She explained that the revised standards:

• Added the concept of secularism to the standards to reflect a broader definition of worldviews;
  
• Defined a role for faith and spiritual guidance on campus in times of crisis; and
  
• Expanded definitions of accommodations for students and staff in relation to religious observances.
  
  

Additionally, the revisions focus on “the whole student,” and the changing demographics of college students, recognizing that there is an increased diversity of worldviews existing on college campuses today.

Reverend Cody Nielsen, an expert for the standards revision process, shared that “Religious, Secular, and Spiritual programs encourage students and staff to remain curious about one another and to engage diversity as a significant part of the human experience.” CAS is proud to present revised standards that reflect growth and development of this important functional area.

The revised Campus Religious, Secular, and Spiritual Programs standards and Self-Assessment Guide are now available at https://store.cas.edu.

Please contact CAS Executive Director Marybeth Drechsler Sharp ([email protected] or 202.862.1400) with questions and media inquiries.