Program Review and Accreditation
All Student Affairs departments participate in formal review on a regular cycle. Most departments participate in program review, which involves a self-study process for program evaluation. This process includes others at the institution (and sometimes external participants) examining evidence to determine whether the program is in compliance with standards. The Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS) was founded in 1979 as a professionwide entity to establish standards to guide practice by student affairs, student development and student support service providers employed by institutions of higher learning. The standards, intended to describe quality practice, are developed through collaboration and consensus and are designed to apply broadly across institution types and sizes.
Some departments will participate in accreditation as required for licensing in their field. Accreditation is a process of external quality review used by higher education to scrutinize colleges, universities and educational programs for quality assurance and quality improvement. In the United States, accreditation is carried out by private, nonprofit organizations designed for this purpose.