CAS Coronavirus Update: here to help, providing free resources, interested in your next steps

March 2020 - CAS President Dan Bureau's message to the CAS user community with information about resources available in response to the disruption caused by COVID-19.

CAS Coronavirus Update
here to help, providing free resources, interested in your next steps

During this unprecedented time, we want you to know that CAS is here to support you and your work. We stand committed to helping you continue to deliver high quality programs and services. As many of our functions are now virtual, it is important to know that our standards and frameworks can continue to guide the formation, implementation, and assessment of your programs and services. One way we have incorporated the delivery of online programs and services is through our general standards. These standards, which cut across all 47 sets of our functional area standards, can help in the transition toward providing remote or online programs and services.

Our staff are working remotely and our governing board, representatives, and volunteers continue to conduct the work of CAS. There should be no disruption of our response to users or for anyone who is purchasing materials, many of which are now electronic only or offered in electronic format. Our 10th Edition of CAS Professional Standards in Higher Education is offered as an ebook, and we are continuing to fulfill hard copy orders via our distributor. Subscribers can be assured that all materials will continue to be available via a downloadable format and hard copy books will continue to be fulfilled and shipped on schedule. Shipping deliveries may change as COVID-19 continues to challenge us all.  If you have any questions, contact us at [email protected].

To provide our users with tools as they plan for current and future implementation of CAS, we are providing additional resources for free to all who register through June 30. Free resources will include six white papers to help implement CAS. More details will be provided once you register at https://bit.ly/CASResources2020

Finally, we are interested in how those of you who lead CAS focused self-assessment are approaching program review processes during this time. While staff are adjusting to working remotely, the process of self-assessment and program review can continue given the technology to conduct online meetings; manage evidence collection, organization, review, and evaluation of materials; and perform most other functions necessary for completing your processes (including external review work). Knowing how people are responding during this time will help us plan for the future and best serve our users. If you are currently implementing self-assessment and program review using CAS, please take five minutes to complete our short survey.

Thank you for your commitment to using CAS Standards to guide the development, implementation, and assessment of quality programs and services to facilitate student learning, development, and success. We look forward to serving you during these difficult and trying times. Take care of you as you take care of others.

Sincerely,

Dan Bureau, PhD
President, Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS)