Jason Vlastaras Begins CAS Presidency with Three Priorities for the Year Ahead

The Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS) is pleased to welcome Jason Vlastaras, Director of Campus Recreation at Texas State University, as President of the CAS Governing Board.
​
Vlastaras begins his presidency during a period of significant change for CAS, including the launch of the CAS+ portal and the upcoming revision of the CAS General Standards. As he begins his term, he has identified three priorities to guide CAS in the year ahead, focusing on how CAS supports practitioners, creates opportunities for greater involvement, and builds a sustainable future for the organization.

Burn the Script, Build the Compass
CAS was built around the concept of rigorous self-study for continuous improvement. Rather than providing prescriptive solutions or benchmarks, CAS Standards are designed to help practitioners critically and thoughtfully examine their work within the unique context of their institutions.

Vlastaras wants CAS to continue building these “compasses” for higher education professionals.
That philosophy is reflected in the new CAS+ portal, which provides greater flexibility for professionals to customize and use CAS Standards based on the needs of their campuses. It will also be reflected in the forthcoming revised CAS General Standards, which are being streamlined to make them easier to use for assessment, strategic planning, and continuous improvement.

Among the related priorities for the year are mapping existing CAS Standards to the new General Standards framework and launching a new communication and collection tool within CAS+.
And assessment is only part of the story. Next month, Vlastaras plans to highlight the work of the National Association of College Stores (NACS) and explore the different ways its members use CAS Standards, including why assessment is only the fourth most popular use of their standards.

Breakdown the Gates, Leverage the Strengths
CAS has a long history of volunteerism and service to higher education, but Vlastaras sees an opportunity to create more pathways for professionals who want to become directly involved in the organization's work.
During the coming year, CAS plans to establish new opportunities for volunteers outside of the traditional Council structure. These include two ongoing committees, the CAS Knowledge Management Committee and CAS Communications and Outreach Committee, as well as a CAS+ Champions Task Force that will help guide continued development of the CAS+ portal.

By expanding these opportunities, CAS aims to better tap into the experience, ideas, and enthusiasm of professionals who use CAS Standards and resources in their work.

Shift the Business Model, Build a Sustainable Future
The ways higher education professionals access and use CAS resources have changed significantly over time. CAS once relied heavily on sales of the physical CAS “Blue Book,” but the transition to digital resources, combined with declining institutional budgets and increasing demands on professionals, has created a need for a different approach.

CAS+ represents an important part of that shift. Rather than focusing primarily on individual resource sales, CAS+ creates an opportunity to partner directly with institutions and build a broader ecosystem supporting continuous improvement.

Vlastaras has set a goal of partnering with 100 universities through CAS+ All Access subscriptions during the coming year as part of the effort to strengthen CAS's long-term sustainability.

Be Part of What Comes Next
Vlastaras's priorities for the year ahead reflect both where CAS has been and where the organization is headed: providing practitioners with useful frameworks rather than prescriptive answers, opening new opportunities for professionals to contribute their expertise, and building a sustainable model that allows CAS to continue supporting higher education.

Members of the CAS community and other higher education professionals interested in serving on one of the new committees or task forces are encouraged to complete the CAS Interest Form. Those interested in learning more about a CAS+ subscription are also invited to connect with CAS.
​
CAS looks forward to Vlastaras's leadership and to working alongside the higher education community as these priorities take shape during the year ahead.