WWCC’s Standardized Evaluation of Programs and Services (STEPS) provides a framework to evaluate the contributions of all programs and services at the college towards student success.  STEPS informs meaningful change by identifying needs, setting priorities, and facilitating continuous improvement in alignment with the college’s vision, mission, and strategic goals. 

*All programs (both instructional and non-instructional) submit a STEPS report each year by the first Monday in February. Functional unit leaders should check with their division leadership to determine who will report. 

Standards

The STEPS standards are informed by those developed by the Council for the Advancement of Standards (CAS) in Higher Education, and include:

1. Mission
2. Organizational Structure and Objectives
3. Student Learning, Development, and Success
4. Interpreting Information
5. Human Resources
6. Finances & Other Resources
7. Planning & Continuous Improvement

CAS emphasizes standards and guidelines that can be understood as essential practices to enact good work within institutions of higher education and are informed by practice and applicable research. Not all CAS standards apply to the WWCC context, while others have been simplified, adjusted, or integrated into other standards. 

For example, the CAS standard for Assessment mostly aligns with the STEPS standards for Interpreting Information and Planning & Continuing Improvement, but elements are included in other standards as appropriate. Elements of the CAS standard for Access, Diversity, Equity, Inclusions, and Justice are found throughout STEPS. 

Each standard makes up a section of the STEPS report. Each standard section and subsection are marked in parenthesis to indicate if they are required for (I)nstructional programs, (N)oninstructional programs, or (A)ll programs. If a standard is marked as applicable to all programs (A), that does not mean that all subsections must be completed by all programs. Some subsections may be marked as only applicable to instructional (I) or noninstructional (N) programs.

For more information on CAS:

• Introduction to CAS in Anticipation of the 11th Version.

Shea, H. (Host). (2023, Feb. 15). Introduction to CAS in Anticipation of the 11th Version. (No. 139) [Audio podcast episode]. In Student Affairs NOW. 

• CAS Standards and Guidelines Overview with CAS President Gavin Henning

• Using CAS for Assessing Program Effectiveness and Student Learning

All programs (both instructional and non-instructional) submit a STEPS report each year by the first Monday in February. Functional unit leaders should check with their division leadership to determine who will report.