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Dissertation
Factors that support or inhibit academic affairs and student affairs from working collaboratively to better support holistic students' experiences: a phenomenological study
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), Drexel University
Dec 2012
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/etd-3988
Abstract
Within a traditional organizational structure in higher education, academic and student affairs divisions may not be collaborating well, and the lack of such collaboration may be impacting the students' holistic experiences. Students' academic and personal development depends not only on the quality of the curriculum and classroom instruction, but also on the quality of another major educational division within the university, student development services, departments commonly collected under the umbrella known as student affairs. This qualitative phenomenological study seeks to identify the factors supporting or inhibiting academic affairs faculty and student affairs professionals from working collaboratively to better support students' holistic experiences. Using three primary methods of data collection - interviews, focus groups, and document review - the researcher examined the following questions: 1) How do higher education professionals describe the interaction between the silos of academic affairs and student affairs divisions? 2) From inhibiting to supporting, what is the spectrum of factors that impact how academic affairs faculty and student affairs professionals work collaboratively? and 3) What are the elements of collaboration between academic and student affairs divisions that would benefit student development? The research intended to examine the collaborative climate on the UC Davis campus in regard to the working relationships between student affairs professionals and academic affair faculty. Five emergent themes ascended from the research: (1) Academic Success, (2) Need for Collaboration and Relationship Building, (3) Silos, (4) Lack of Knowledge of the Other Divisions, and (5) Student Experience. As a result, the research found many factors supporting and inhibiting collaborative work between Academic Affairs and Student Affairs professionals. It is evident silos exist, causing a disconnect in communication, resources, student support, and collaboration between the two divisions. Leadership, increased collaboration, and sharing of information will assist in the deconstruction of preexisting silos. The Academic and Student Affairs Divisions leadership needs to fulfill the mission, goals, and values of their division, while always putting the student first. To accomplish this, the leadership must focus on the mission of the university, reach across silos, and focus on holistic collaborative partnerships that shape the holistic students' experiences.
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Details
- Title
- Factors that support or inhibit academic affairs and student affairs from working collaboratively to better support holistic students' experiences
- Creators
- Joshua Sean O'Connor - DU
- Contributors
- W. Edward Bureau (Advisor) - Drexel University (1970-)
- Awarding Institution
- Drexel University
- Degree Awarded
- Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)
- Publisher
- Drexel University; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Resource Type
- Dissertation
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- School of Education (1997-2026); Drexel University
- Other Identifier
- 3988; 991014632554204721