Council for the Advancement of Standards
in Higher Education (CAS)

The Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS) has been the pre-eminent force for promoting standards in student affairs, student services, and student development programs since its inception in 1979. For the ultimate purpose of fostering and enhancing student learning, development, and achievement and in general to promote good citizenship, CAS continues to create and deliver a dynamic line of products that are designed to lead a host of quality-controlled programs and services.

The mission of CAS is to promote the improvement of programs and services to enhance the quality of student learning and development. CAS is a consortium of professional associations who work collaboratively to develop and promulgate standards and guidelines and to encourage self-assessment (2008).

NADE is one of 36 professional associations that comprise CAS. NADE sends its director to semi-annual CAS meetings and is involved in the creation of new standards as well as the review and revision of current standards. Historically, NADE members were instrumental in the development of the initial set of CAS standards for learning assistance programs. In addition, the CAS standards formed a foundation for the NADE Self-Evaluation Guides. The relationship between NADE and CAS is one of mutually beneficial cooperation.

CAS Self-Assessment Guides and CAS Professional Standards for Higher Education, 7th Edition, are available from the CAS ecommerce site.

Learning Assistance Programs: Standards and Guidelines