What is CAS?
The Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS) provides guidelines and standards to enhance educational programs by aligning them with best practices. Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, CAS allows for flexibility in assessing specific aspects or conducting full program evaluations. Standards use “must” and “shall” to specify requirements, while guidelines use “should” and “may” as recommendations.
As a member of NODA, members can access — New Student Orientation Programs Standards and Family and Parent Programs Standards—at no cost through the NODA website’s Publications section and the NODA Connect Resource Library.
How to Access CAS
- Membership Benefit: NODA members have free access to two sets of standards: New Student Orientation Programs Standards (NSOP) and the Family and Parent Programs Standards
- Where to Find It:
- NODA Website: Publications section.
- NODA Connect Resource Library.
Guidance for Educational Curriculum Development
NODA leaders who create and deliver educational content play a vital role in ensuring the integration of the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS) into curriculum and program development. Intentional use of CAS not only strengthens the quality of learning experiences but also reinforces professional standards across our field.
While institute and symposium faculty, core competency course instructors, conference planning teams, and NODA Community leads are most commonly expected to incorporate CAS into their work, all NODA leaders should consider how to embed CAS into their programming and engagement with members.
At a minimum, NODA leaders should ensure participants:
- Understand what CAS is
- Know how to access the standards
- Recognize why the standards are important to our work.
To effectively integrate CAS into curriculum development, leaders are encouraged to:
- Familiarize themselves with and understand the NSOP and Family and Parent Programs CAS Standards.
- Incorporate CAS early in the planning process, rather than as an afterthought.
- Align learning outcomes and curriculum with applicable CAS standards.
- Cite CAS in presentations and materials (e.g., “For further guidance, see [relevant CAS section]”).
- If applicable, include a Canvas module that highlights the most relevant CAS standards.
- Provide clear instructions for participants on how to access CAS standards.
- Assessment: For institutes, symposia, and core competency courses, include the following question in your post-event evaluation: “After attending this event, my understanding of the CAS Standards has increased.” (Likert scale: Strongly agree, Agree, Disagree, Strongly disagree)
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