By Kristal Fehring
The Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS) promotes standards in student affairs, student services, and student development programs in order to maximize the quality and effectiveness of higher education today.
As a proud member, NIRSA participates in collaborative projects to achieve our shared goal of fostering healthy, productive learning environments.
The Recreational Sports Programs: CAS Standards and Guidelines and The Role of Recreational Sports: CAS Standards Contextual Statement are two resulting resources, critical in establishing shared standards for the field of collegiate recreation.
CAS standards are a great benefit for all NIRSA members.Having CAS Standards for all NIRSA members to look to and utilize in their diverse and dynamic collegiate recreation programs serves as a yardstick for assessing the status of our programs against a shared set criteria. Endorsed by our industry, the standards provide guidance in planning or revising the primary aspects of programs.
Due to the evolving nature of collegiate recreation and, more broadly, higher education, NIRSA will assemble a CAS Standards Review Task Force in the spring of 2015 to recommend changes to the standards. The updated standards will be published in the Spring of 2017.
To continue making these standards as true to the realities and evolution of the field as possible, NIRSA needs your help! If you have been using the CAS Standards and would be willing to share examples with other NIRSA members, the NIRSA Research & Assessment Committee is beginning to compile these resources. Please send samples directly to NIRSA Director of Membership, Kristal Fehring.
