Higher Education

NIRSA knows that a student’s education is the sum of all their experiences as a student, not just those that occur in a classroom. While NIRSA focuses on advancing student learning through recreation, we work very closely with other related higher education organizations. Doing so allows us to share resources, learn from others, place our work in a larger context, and ultimately better serve our members. NIRSA is proud to be an active member of the following groups:

• Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS)
  CAS promotes standards in student affairs, student services, and student development programs. NIRSA’s Standards Committee works with a NIRSA Member representative to the CAS Board to periodically review and update the standards relating to collegiate recreational sports. Learn more
• Council of Higher Education Management Associations (CHEMA)
  CHEMA is an organization of nonprofit associations representing the administrative functions of colleges and universities. NIRSA Executive Director Kent J. Blumenthal is serving as the Chair of CHEMA’s Steering Committee through November 2008. Learn more
• Inter-Association Task Force on Alcohol and Other Substance Abuse Issues (IATF)
  The IATF is a coalition of organizations who collaborate on issues relating to substance abuse prevention efforts within the higher education community. Many NIRSA Member Institutions participate in National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week, which IATF presents and NIRSA supports. Learn more
• Student Affairs in Higher Education Consortium (SAHEC)
  A subgroup of CHEMA (see above), SAHEC promotes the understanding of learning and development as intertwined, inseparable elements of the college student experience. The Learning Reconsidered publications, website and Institute are SAHEC efforts. Learn more
• Higher Education Associations’ Sustainability Consortium (HEASC)
  HEASC is a network of higher education associations with a commitment to advancing sustainability within their constituencies and within the system of higher education itself. NIRSA also has a Sustainability Knowledge Community, or think tank, made up of NIRSA Members and experts in the field. Learn more