The Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS) was founded in 1979. It is a consortium of 41 professional associations providing standards and guidelines for 44 functional areas affiliated with student service, student affairs, and student-development programs. As explained by the 2015 Council for the Advancement of Standards, the CAS associations work “collaboratively to develop and promulgate standards and guidelines and encourage self-assessment.”
NIRSA became a member of the consortium in 1981 and has taken an active part in the development of standards for all areas covered by the consortium. Since NIRSA’s first engagement with CAS, The Role of Recreational Sports Contextual Statement, Recreational Sports Program standards, and the Recreational Sports Self Assessment Guide (SAG) have been part of the CAS Professional Standards for Higher Education or “Blue Book” of standards, which is currently in its 9th edition.
The review and revision process for the “Blue Book” typically occurs every 8–9 years. The process involves professional association members working with a select committee of members from the CAS Board of Directors to develop a draft version of the revised standards. Although the CAS “Blue Book” was revised in 2015, the Recreational Sports Program standards have not been reviewed or revised since 2007.
To facilitate the review process by collegiate recreational professionals, A NIRSA CAS Standards Review Task Force has just been appointed, and NIRSA is beginning the process to revise the Recreational Sports Programs standards. The following members are serving on this important volunteer leadership group:
- Doug Franklin, Chair, NIRSA CAS Director and Emeritus Assistant Dean from Ohio University
- Cindi Barnett, Missouri State University
- Steve Bobbitt, James Madison University
- Shaun Boren, University of West Florida
- Marci Kuhrt, Viterbo University
- Andy Milton, St. Ambrose University
- Richard “JR” Rathiens, The Ohio State University
- Steve Rey, Western Kentucky University
- Jennifer Puhl Winkler, University of North Dakota
The CAS Standards Review Task Force is expected to undertake their work over the next two years. NIRSA anticipates a revision cycle for the Recreational Sports Program standards that will begin in the fall of 2015 with a final version of the revised standards adopted no later than the fall of 2016. The task force’s duties will include reviewing and revising the standards to meet the current needs of the profession and identifying potential expert reviewers to validate the revised standards.
For more information about the CAS Standards Review Task Force, please contact Douglas Franklin, CRSS, Ph.D. or NIRSA Director of Professional Development Kristen Gleason.
