Division J Vice Presidential Session: Revising CAS's (Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education) Campus Religious, Secular, and Spiritual Programs (CRSSP) Standard for the Next Decade

Session Type: Symposium

Abstract

The Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS) has developed over 50 sets of standards and 3 cross-functional frameworks to enhance higher education. The upcoming symposium will focus on the revision of the "Campus Religious, Secular, and Spiritual Programs" (CRSSP) standard. Experts will share their insights on the revision process, emphasizing updates on Indigenous rights, cultural explanations of lived religions and non-beliefs, and other expansive approaches. The previous contextual statement outlined historical and legal evolutions in campus religious, secular, and spiritual programs, from early Christian values to contemporary pluralistic practices. The symposium will discuss these updates, CAS’s role, and future directions for supporting student success.

Sub Unit

• Division J - Postsecondary Education

Participants

• Jenny L. Small, Convergence on Campus

• Gaurav Harshe, University of South Carolina

• Jeremy T. Snipes, Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville

• Abiya Ahmed, Stanford University

• Simran Kaur-Colbert, The George Washington University

• Julia R Collett, Rochester Institute of Technology

• Sachi Edwards, University of Hawai‘i at Manoa

Papers

• Four Pillars for Supporting Religious, Secular, and Spiritual Student Identities - J. Cody Nielsen, Western Michigan University; Jenny L. Small, Convergence on Campus

• Distinguishing Between Belief and Culture: A Critical Perspective on Religious Identity - Sachi Edwards, University of Hawai‘i at Manoa

• Negotiating the salientization of identity: Hindu? Indian? American? - Gaurav Harshe, University of South Carolina

Discussant

• J. Cody Nielsen, Western Michigan University