CAS Releases Brand New Student Media Programs Standards

Timely new standards for Student Media Programs become the 45th set of CAS Standards.

We are excited to announce the newest addition to the CAS Professional Standards for Higher Education - Student Media Programs (SMP) Standards.

CAS, the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education, released the ninth edition of the CAS Professional Standards for Higher Education in August 2015. The latest edition includes standards for 44 functional areas. The SMP standards, not included in the new book but independently available through the CAS Online Store, brings the total of functional areas standards to 45 sets that have been developed by the consortium.

Pat Parish, CAS board member representing College Media Association, speaks to the complex development process for the new standards, “College Media Association had been working on its own for several years to develop an assessment standard for student media programs, but the wide variety and complexity of student media programs and products complicated efforts to find a ‘one size fits all' process. [The] CAS framework helped solve that problem, and we were glad to be invited to participate in the development of this standard.”

Parish continues by saying, “we are now confident that student media programs of diverse kinds, at diverse institutions, should be able to use this standard to make a valid assessment of their operations.” Furthermore, the standards will provide guidance as programs develop and aim to meet the needs of students.

CAS is excited to introduce a new functional area to the CAS Professional Standards for Higher Education. Marjorie Savage, CAS Member-At-Large for Standards Revision, elaborates on the need for the new set of standards, “The forms of media that today's college students are learning about and working within have changed dramatically in recent years with new technology. How they produce, transfer, and fund news and various forms of art has required a balance of innovation and creativity. At the same time, students must adhere to the ethics, standards, and legal requirements of media delivery. The new CAS standards for Student Media Programs provides a framework that will help students connect current and emerging technology with the longstanding traditions of journalism and publication.”

The new standards are available for purchase as an individual set, and as a Self-Assessment Guide, at www.cas.edu/store_home.asp. Please contact CAS executive director Marybeth Drechsler Sharp ([email protected] or 202.862.1400) with media inquiries or questions.