CASE at 50
To mark its 50th anniversary, CASE has published CASE at 50: A Narrative History of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, a book highlighting special moments and seminal stories from the first half-century of CASE. The following excerpt comes from Part I of the book, 1974-1994: Founding and Formulation (Chapter 2).
When CASE was founded, membership comprised 2,052 institutions with 6,915 individual representatives, the great majority of whom had become members as a result of the dissolution of the American Alumni Council and American College Public Relations Association and the transition of their membership from the precursor organizations to the fledgling CASE. Pulling together the disparate programming threads of the parent organizations, CASE began asking past members of AAC and ACPRA to commit to a broader mission going forward. Each member was sent a light blue card with “We Will” written on it, on which they were asked to agree to 16 commitments, each driven by a “We Will” pledge:
-
Promote unity, responsiveness, and oneness to a complex constituency which must cope with a changing society and changing demands in educational institutions.
-
Assist the professional development of our members and search for new ways to improve professional growth.
-
Provide training programs for new professionals and extensive career development programs for the experienced members.
-
Establish codes of professional ethics and a structure for professional accreditation.
-
Maintain high professional standards and honor superior achievement by individuals and institutions.
-
Generate research specifically designed to improve professional development and to answer to the needs of our members and institutions.
-
Respond to the special needs of the diverse elements in our membership and avoid domination by any one particular interest or institutional group.
-
Preserve the volunteer spirit throughout the organization.
-
Govern within a structure which reflects the professional, institutional, and regional interests and concerns.
-
Strengthen district and regional programming to encourage greater member participation and provide useful services and programs.
-
Create a legal structure which provides functional stability and permits adaptation to the demands of changing times.
-
Function in a more participatory and democratic system with a greater involvement of members at all levels.
-
Continue to further develop sound relationships between educational institutions and their various constituencies.
-
Seek to create better dialogue with the outside constituencies and other educational and governmental organizations.
-
Proceed with a unity of purpose and goals for the benefit of each individual and the progress of each institution in the new organization.
-
Intensify our efforts to advance understanding and support of education.
Some 50 years later, it is remarkable to see the organizers’ foresight in addressing these founding concerns, as the “We Will” document spoke directly to the belief and commitment of the new organization. It’s also remarkable how these fundamental tenets continue to be reflected and observed in CASE today.
CASE at 50, by Rob Moore, is available for purchase on CASE’s anniversary website, where members can learn more about CASE history, along with how to be part of the celebration.
Tags
Article appears in:
March-April Issue of Currents
DIGITAL ONLY ISSUE - Institutions are visualizing success with innovative dashboards. Plus, help for students experiencing homelessness, belonging as the corner piece of the work place puzzle, and more.