CAS 101
CAS Standards include 12 of these, considered foundational to every area.
What are General Standards?
A term which describes students whose caregivers did not hold a baccalaureate degree.
What is first-generation?
Acroymn for TRIO and College Access Programs.
What is TCAP?
CAS emphasizes this core concept, requiring that student affairs professionals "do the right thing" even when it's hard.
What is ethical responsibility?
According to CAS, programs must be intentionally designed to foster this among students—hint: it's what education is all about.
What is student learning and development?
CAS was established in this year, back when mullets were also a standard.
What is 1979?
Staff must be trained in this area to work effectively with students from a wide range of backgrounds.
What is cultural competence?
CAS calls for this to be clearly defined to ensure clarity in who does what and when.
What are roles and responsibilities?
CAS states that programs must protect this, especially when handling student records or personal information.
What is confidentiality?
CAS says access programs must provide these to assess whether learning outcomes are achieved.
What are evidence-based assessment methods?
According to CAS, this is what functional areas should align with at the institutional level.
What is the institution’s mission and goals?
To assess the long-term impact of access efforts, programs are encouraged to track this after graduation.
What are postsecondary outcomes?
This must be conducted regularly to evaluate staff performance and ensure alignment with goals.
What are performance evaluations?
According to CAS, professionals should avoid relationships or situations where their judgment could be impaired, also known as this.
What is a conflict of interest?
Programs are required to have clear, documented procedures for these, including budgeting, record-keeping, and decision-making.
What are operational processes?
This CAS document provides a framework for assessing and improving programs.
What is the CAS Self-Assessment Guide (SAG)?
CAS standards state that these outcomes—beyond just enrollment—should be tracked for program success.
What are persistence and graduation rates?
CAS expects leadership to ensure appropriate use of this, whether it’s federal, state, or institutional.
What are financial resources?
According to CAS, professionals must ensure that their services and programs are accessible and inclusive, upholding this ethical principle.
What is equity?
Access programs must use this type of planning to allocate and use resources efficiently.
What is strategic planning?
This mythical creature is often confused with a fully compliant program with no need for improvement.
What is a unicorn?
This landmark 1965 act authorized federal student financial aid and was the first time federal scholarship monies were distributed based on low-income status.
What is the Higher Education Act of 1965?
This type of leadership includes mentoring staff, encouraging professional development, and advocating for resources.
What is transformational leadership?
When staff recognize that their personal values may interfere with professional duties, CAS says they should do 3 things.
What is seek supervision, consultation, or remove themselves from the situation?
Programs are required to employ this kind of framework to ensure equitable treatment and eliminate systemic barriers.
What is a social justice and inclusion framework?