CAS Plan Revision on the Website/CAS Teams

This is for the juniors. I have uploaded an updated version of the junior fall CAS plan assignment on my CAS website. There are no changes to the assignment, but I have expanded the explanation of the CAS teams in response to some student confusion, some of which is bordering on the edge of panic. As was explained more briefly in the older version, the teams are first and foremost intended for you to provide each other with mutual accountability and advice. I have seen great results in CAS in the past when students engage in “crowd-sourcing,” as groups of students who are volunteering in the community often receive information about new activities and opportunities before the CAS coordinators. It is also an opportunity for students with stronger CAS programs to mentor students who are having problems. The CAS team may also serve the secondary role of providing a launching pad for your collaborative group project. This is not mandatory though, and you may fulfill the requirement of a collaborative long term project elsewhere. Some students have been frustrated with the amount of latitude offered here, and seem to desire a clear, definitive and authoritative command on my part that the team must be one or the other, either a “support group” or a “project group.” The purpose of CAS is for the student to creatively design and implement his own plan, and set and meet his own goals. Therefore, I am allowing you a degree of freedom in how you set up your team to best meet the needs of your own personal CAS program. I also ask that you read any instructions I have provided and the JSRHS CAS Handbook thoroughly before proceeding with your plan, asking questions, giving advice to others, or jumping to conclusions. After this has been done, questions by email (please observe the professional standards of courtesy and respect) or in person are welcome.