CAS Releases Updated 2026 Standards for Civic and Community-Engaged Learning Programs

The Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS) has released the newly updated 2026 CAS Standards for Civic and Community-Engaged Learning Programs, along with the accompanying Self-Assessment Guide (SAG).
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Representing a comprehensive revision for 2026, the updated Standards provide higher education professionals with a current framework for developing, evaluating, and strengthening programs that connect student learning and development with meaningful civic and community engagement.

Supporting Meaningful Engagement and Student Learning.

Civic and community-engaged learning can take many forms across higher education, including advocacy and awareness-raising, philanthropy, mutual aid, voting and other political activities, volunteering, immersion experiences and alternative breaks, internships, service-learning courses, and community-based research. These experiences combine structured learning and critical reflection with direct engagement in communities.

The updated Standards recognize the important role these programs play in advancing student learning, development, and success. The research highlighted in the contextual statement connects civic and community-engaged learning to outcomes such as academic performance, critical thinking and social skills, leadership development, well-being, connection, and belonging. These programs also provide an important way for institutions to advance their missions, build strong community relationships, and support the civic purpose of higher education.

Central to the Standards is an emphasis on engagement that is relational, reciprocal, and mutually beneficial. Community-engaged learning should prioritize meaningful partnerships in which institutions, students, and community partners contribute to and benefit from the experience.

The Standards also emphasize intentionally designed curricular and co-curricular experiences that contribute to student learning, development, and success while responding to community-identified needs.

Putting the Standards Into Practice

Accompanying the updated Standards is the 2026 CAS Self-Assessment Guide for Civic and Community-Engaged Learning Programs.

The SAG provides a structured process for examining how well a program aligns with CAS Standards. It is designed to help institutions identify program strengths and deficiencies and use those findings to plan improvements.

The guide includes the self-assessment instrument, work forms, the complete Standards, and additional resources to support the assessment process.

Together, the Standards and SAG give professionals a framework for understanding expectations for quality practice and a practical tool for evaluating current programs and identifying opportunities for continued improvement.

Informed by Expertise in the Field

The 2026 edition also reflects the expertise of professionals working in civic and community-engaged learning. Courtney Holder and Kamrie Risku of the University of Maryland are recognized as contextual statement contributors for the current edition.

The publication also recognizes the contributions of professionals who helped inform previous editions, representing institutions and organizations including the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Kennesaw State University, NASPA, NAFSA, IUPUI, Kansas State University, Drexel University, William & Mary, and others.

Their contributions help provide historical and contemporary context for understanding the evolving role of civic and community-engaged learning within higher education.

Explore the Updated Standards

The 2026 CAS Standards for Civic and Community-Engaged Learning Programs and the accompanying Self-Assessment Guide are now available in PDF and ePub formats.

Whether you are developing a program, evaluating current practices, conducting a self-study, or identifying opportunities for improvement, these newly updated CAS resources provide a foundation for strengthening civic and community-engaged learning.
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Explore the newly updated Standards and Self-Assessment Guide in the CAS Store.

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