Longwood University

Longwood University Division of Student Affairs 2004-05

During the 2004-05 academic year, each department in Student Affairs at Longwood University conducted a Council for the Advancement of Standards (CAS) Review. This process engaged students, faculty, and staff to examine our practices against the best practices outlined by the Council for the Advancement of Standards. The CAS Reviews resulted in fourteen Action Plans, which can be found on departmental web pages.

Common Themes and Overview
Common themes were easily identified when reviewing the departmental action plans. Two of the thirteen CAS Standard areas emerged as the most common areas needing to be addressed: Financial Resources and Human Resources. Twelve of the fourteen Action Plans contained recommendations for Financial Resources. Eleven of the fourteen Action Plans contained recommendations for Human Resources.

Financial Recommendations

• Most (eight) of the Action Plans that address Financial Resources request operating monies.
• Examples of other Financial Resources Action Items include recommendations about both internal and external management issues, working with the Student Government Association, and scholarships for students to participate in leadership opportunities that charge a nominal fee.

Human Resources Recommendations

• Most (nine) of the Action Plans request additional staffing (either professional, graduate, or paraprofessional).
• Examples of other Human Resources Action Items include professional development opportunities and materials.
• There was a challenge evaluating Longwood’s approach to addressing Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs. The structure is such that there is no one person responsible for the program, nor is there a single funding source. This seems to be working on Longwood’s campus, but is not consistent with the CAS guidelines. Longwood may want to discuss this structure further to determine if it is indeed appropriate for our campus.

Implementation Timeline and Cost Implications
Some of the other recommendations included in the Action Plans must involve multiple departments and resources in the institution while others can be accomplished by the department in a relatively short period of time with little or no additional resources.

Examples of Action Plans that can be Implemented in Departments

• Clarify individual departmental missions.
• Collaborate more with campus partners.
• Increase the visibility of the work of the office.
• Continue and augment assessment and evaluation processes.
• Make results of assessment and evaluation more visible.
• Post additional information on web pages.
• Provide more comprehensive training, development, and evaluation of student volunteers and staff.
• Advertise more aggressively that students with disabilities are welcome and will be accommodated.

Examples of Action Plans that are More Complicated to Implement

• Implement the financial and human resources recommendations above.
• Advocate for additional, updated, or more appropriate space.
• Advocate for additional, updated, or more appropriate equipment and technology.

For more detail about the departmental Action Plans, please point your web browser to each department’s web page.

• Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs: http://www.longwood.edu/health/Files/ATOD/Action%20Plan-ATOD.doc
• Campus Recreation: http://www.longwood.edu/Recreation/CAS%20Action%20Plans%202005.doc
• Career Services: http://www.longwood.edu/career/CAS/CAS.htm
• Counseling: http://www.longwood.edu/counseling/CounselingCAS2004.pdf
• Disability Support Services:  http://www.longwood.edu/disability/CAS%20Action%20Plan.pdf
• Fraternity & Sorority Life: http://www.longwood.edu/studentunion/Documents/GreekAction%20Plan-CAS.doc
• Honor & Judicial Programs: http://www.longwood.edu/judicial/CAS2004honorand%20judicial.pdf
• Leadership: http://www.longwood.edu/leadership/feedback.html
• Multicultural Affairs: http://www.longwood.edu/mcaffairs/assessment.htm
• New Student Programs: http://www.longwood.edu/newstudent/evaluation.htm
• Residential & Commuter Life: http://www.longwood.edu/rcl/assessment/LongwoodCASS04-05.PDF
• Student Activities: http://www.longwood.edu/studentunion/Documents/STUDENT%20ACTIVITIES%20CAS%20Action%20Plans.doc
• Student Health and Wellness Center: http://www.longwood.edu/health/Files/CHP/Actionplan.doc
• Student Union: http://www.longwood.edu/studentunion/Documents/Student%20Union%20CAS%20Action%20Plans%202005.doc

If you have questions about Longwood University’s 2004-05 Council for the Advancement of Standards review process, please contact Dr.  Laura A. Bayless, Assistant Dean for Student Affairs, at 434.395.2487.

July 2005