A look at strengths and weaknesses of organizational structures and how they address critical issues in higher education.

A look at strengths and weaknesses of organizational structures and how they address

critical issues in higher education.

Out-of Class Centered Model: “no one checks your GPA after you graduate. But everyone looks at your resume for leadership, involvement, and out-of-class experience” (Manning, Kinzie, and Schuh p. 37).

Administrative-Centered Models: founded on principles of organizational theory and management principles. Heavy value of student retention, fiscal responsibility, and strategic planning. ◦ Functional Silos Model◦ Student Service Centered Model

What to look for Pros and Cons

◦ Most learning happens outside of the classroom

◦ Leadership and involvement opportunities are plentiful, but NOT connected to academic life

+ Allows for staff specialization in one functional area

+ Creates a separate budget for student affairs programs

+ Frees faculty to teach+ CAN increase student

retention

- Lack of faculty support creates roadblocks to expansion of programs

- Students have to juggle or choose between academics and involvement

- Creates two separate missions and hierarchies w/i an institution

What to look for Pros and Cons

Offices that serve one functional incredibly well

No collaboration or centralized supervision

Competition between programs for resources

No collective mission, values or vision among departments

+ Once found, service is of extremely high quality and professional

+ Financial accountability+ Clear division of labor for

administration

- Not student centered- Professional isolation can lead

to burnout - Budget cuts lead to quick

elimination of departments

What to look for Pros and Cons

View of institution like a service oriented company (bank, internet, phone, food)

High value on fast, efficient, helpful services

Reputation of departments is highly valued (i.e. brand loyalty) over relationships with students

+ High customer service+ Management tasks are

separated and specialized+ Integrates student workers

into organized system and helps in developing new professionals

- Lack of collaboration- Budget cuts for highly

specialized programs

Student-Centered Models: Values and promotes development of the whole person and views students as the center of the university’s purpose. Creates elevated student governance and employment as paraprofessionals◦ Ethic of Care Model◦ Student-Driven Model◦ Student-Agency Model

Academic Collaboration Models: Values and emphasize combined efforts between academic and student affairs to create student engagement and success◦ Academic-Student Affairs Collaborative Model◦ Academic-Centered Model

What to look for Pros and Cons

Services are centered on care and relationships with students

Student needs are “preeminent”

First-year and transfer student programs receive constant attention/resources

Institutional obligation to assist those who are inadequately prepared to succeed academically or socially

+ High level of time and energy spent on individual student needs

+ Every member of community is valued

- Huge time commitment by faculty and staff

- Requires large staffs and resources

- Treats students like children, does not promote self-advocacy

What to look for Pros and Cons

Heavy student involvement in facilitating student (community service, rec. center, programming) and academic services (tutoring, research)

Puts a great deal of trust in students to run the show

Strong belief and value in student empowerment and engagement at the highest levels

Works best with traditional student populations

+ Creates strong student ownership in programming and services

+ Students work to get others involved

+ Stretches institutional resources

+ Provides faculty and SAPs with new lens

-Requires extra training and supervision by staff

- Requires heavily involvement which may be impossible for some students

What to look for Pros and Cons

Students are completely responsible for student services and programming

Students are full and equal partners with faculty and staff

Clearly shared values, purpose and obligations for all community members

+ Clearly shared values, purpose and obligations facilitates high quality, consistent leadership

+ Increased personal responsibility leads to invested learning

+ Heavy emphasis on self-advocacy

- Relying on students initiative can be problematic - Programs may be inefficient and

messy- Too much re-invention every year

- Low involvement from external stakeholders

What to look for Pros and Cons

Vision of seamless learning in and out of the classroom

Academic and student affairs activities build on one another

Mutual mission concerning student success

Belief that all parties are vital to student learning

+ Significant interactions between students, faculty and staff

+ Students don’t need to choose academics over involvement

+ Shared administrative resources and burdens- less likely to cut specific programs quickly

- Unfair, lopsided collaborations can exist

- Lessening of each groups impact in order to partner up

- Who reports to whom?

What to look for Pros and Cons

Students and faculty are primarily responsible for coordinating student life activities

Student affairs activities are usually connected with academic issues

SAPs are involved in providing structural support to help students succeed in an academically rigorous environment

SAPs play a key role in helping student relax and recreate

+ Students value and enhance the academic rigor and educational mission of their institution

+ Students have a great deal of face time with faculty

+ Faulty members are highly involved on campus

+ Allows SAPs to showcase talents as educators

+ Student affairs paired with academic mission CAN lead to fewer budget cuts

- Faculty don’t always understand or appreciate student affairs

- Requires huge time commitment by faculty

- Extremely limited role for student affairs professionals