Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS), a consortium of over 40 collaborating professional associations representing over 115,000 professionals in higher education, has developed standards for 47 functional areas and 3 cross-functional
teams, rooted in the scholarship and work conducted within their respective fields. This 2019 revision of the Registrar Services standards is the third since its initial release by CAS in 1995, and the first in over a decade.
The CAS revision committee was chaired by Patricia Carretta, a retired Assistant Vice President for University Life at George Mason University and a CAS Representative from the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). Carretta commented
on the significance of these revised standards, noting that they “reflect and align current CAS criteria and AACRAO guidelines, and in so doing, provide a comprehensive set of standards and guidelines against which registrar officers may judge
or evaluate the quality of the services they offer.”
Carretta was joined by other CAS Representatives on the multidisciplinary revision committee, including Megan Adams (CIVSA, University of Louisville), Laura Sanders (NCLCA, Valparaiso University), and Kristen Vickery (NCTA, Anne Arundel Community
College).
Partnership with AACRAO
Three experts from the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) participated in the core revision team as well, helping to shape the research and practice recommendations from experts into the CAS standards.
Those individuals include Brooke Holt (University of Arkansas), Robert Hornberger (Missouri State University), and Rebecca Mathern (Oregon State University).
CAS partnered closely with a number of additional experts from AACRAO in this revision of the standards. CAS is grateful to AACRAO and this large team of experts for sharing their knowledge and expertise about the services provided by Registrars,
and how they play a crucial role in the execution of an institution's educational mission and in advancing student learning, development, and success. Hornberger notes the importance of the diverse review team, commenting that the revised
standards are “grounded in current research and collaboration with nine expert reviewers and three subject matter experts, representing different sizes and types of institutions.”
Focus areas
Hornberger highlighted areas of focus in the revised standards, including “the addition of new standards in assessment, leadership, management, and particularly the evolving nature of technology.” Mathern underscored the significance of
the revision as the new standards “reflect the evolution from a tightly focused record-keeping to a role of managing the delivery of services while ensuring data protection of those records.”
Mathern commented that the new standards “reflect the diversity of the work performed by registrar services offices at all types of institutions and provide the scope and purview so that emerging leaders in the professional can gain guidance
and structure from CAS.”
Review the accompanying Self-Assessment Guide.
Significant contributors to the revised standards and contextual statement include:
- Michael Burke, Harvard University
- Cheryl Dobson, Missouri Southern State University
- Jonathan Helm, Baylor University
- Rhonda Kitch, North Dakota State University
- Rebecca Mathern, Oregon State University
- Audra McQuarie, University of Phoenix
- Julia Pomerenk, University of Oregon
- Brenda Selman, University of Missouri
- Emily Shandley, Yale University
- Jennifer Thorpe, Columbia College
- Kristi Wold-McCormick, University of Colorado, Boulder