CAS Releases the Self-Assessment Guide for the Cross-Functional Framework for Advancing Health and Well-Being

The CAS Self-Assessment Guide for the Cross-Functional Framework for Advancing Health and Well-Being (SAG for CFF for AHWB) is essential to the work of individuals and teams involved with the complex issues of health, well-being, flourishing, and thriving of college students in the context of a healthy community. The SAG for CFF for AHWB complements The Cross-Functional Framework for Advancing Health and Well-Being, produced earlier this year by the Council for Advancement of Standards for Higher Education (CAS).The SAG is designed to translate the Cross-Functional Framework's standards, guidelines, and descriptions of enhanced practices into tools for conducting self-study of cross-functional teams.

The Framework guides the design of cross-functional teams that work across organizational boundaries and details the processes needed to move the campus toward greater well-being. The Framework's focus on excellence in collaborative practice and optimal design makes it an essential tool for presidents, vice presidents, and those responsible for leading cross-functional processes. Because each institution of higher education approaches this work differently in accordance with their culture, structure, environment, and available resources, the Framework focuses on process elements rather than restrictive approaches.

The Self-Assessment Guide for the Cross-Functional Framework for Advancing Health and Well-Being offers guidance for assessment of impact and outcomes of the AHWB team as part of a self-study. The SAG helps inform perspectives on the strengths and deficiencies of the cross-functional team, as well as plan for improvements. The SAG provides a list of suggested evidence and documentation; the Framework's standards, guidelines, and enhanced practice descriptions; rating scales; and summary questions. Finally, a Self-Study Summary of Good Practices, Strengths, Areas for Improvement, and Opportunities for Enhanced Practice is provided to offer direction in developing an action plan and to ensure that the findings of the self-study are used for improvement and enhancement of the work of the cross-functional team.
 
Simply put, the CAS SAG for CFF for AHWB is an essential tool for institutions that want to ensure effective structures are in place to promote the quality and improvement of cross-functional teams responsible for advancing health and well-being campus-wide. The Framework and its Self-Assessment Guide offer another resource for professionals striving to build the capacity to work efficiently and effectively in this area.

Institutions can look to CAS's Self-Assessment Guide and the Cross-Functional Framework for Advancing Health and Well-Being as trusted resources for standards, guidelines, and best practice developed by experts and promoted by a reliable organization that, itself, is based on principles of cross-functional collaboration. Drawing on CAS's 40 years promoting standards in student affairs, student services, and student development programs, the Framework builds on principles, elements and structures of CAS traditional functional area standards while being tailored to cross-functional teams. The Cross-Functional Framework for Advancing Health and Well-Being and the new Self-Assessment Guide, when used in conjunction with CAS functional area standards (e.g., Health Promotion Services, Clinical Health Services, Alcohol and Other Drug Programs, etc.), and their SAGs provide a comprehensive approach to assessment of the campus impact on goals for advancing health and well-being.

The new Self-Assessment Guide for the Cross-Functional Framework for Advancing Health and Well-Being, as well as The Framework, are available for purchase at the CAS store.