Outcomes for Students of Student Affairs-Academic Affairs Partnership Programs

Abstract

Although academic and student affairs partnership programs have been cited as potential means to create seamless learning environments for undergraduate students, little research exists on the outcomes of such programs for students. The Boyer Partnership Assessment Project examined the outcomes for students participating in academic and student affairs partnership programs at 18 institutions. Four categories of student outcomes were identified: acclimation to the institution, engagement, student learning, and academic and career decisions. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.

Collaborative Efforts: Raising Students’ Multicultural Consciousness through Academic Affairs and Student Affairs Partnerships

“…Furthermore, student affairs should invite academic affairs to participate in out-of-classroom activities within first-year experiences such as orientation or new student welcome. Academic and student affairs partnerships in first-year experiences not only aid in acclimating students to institutions but they also foster a seamless learning environment, which encourages students to reflect and apply classroom learning to life experiences (Nesheim et al, 2007;Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005). Campuses wishing to establish or enhance their firstyear experience program will find abundant resources available to aid them in developing effective collaborations (University of South Carolina, n.d.)…”

Collaborating with Academic Affairs to Cultivate Environments that Support Student Integrity

“…Students come to college with their identities and characteristics. We, as practitioners and administrators, have the ability to affect the college environment to support students and help achieve desired learning outcomes (Astin, 1993;Nesheim et al, 2007). If students' integrity development is a core college outcome, then we must structure different levels of an environment to help achieve this intended outcome.…”

Ernest L. Boyer, the Christian College, and the Uneasy Tension between the Curriculum and the Cocurriculum

“…In addition, The Boyer Partnership Assessment Project conducted a study on student outcomes from collaborative academic-student affairs programs at 18 diverse institutions around the nation (Nesheim et al, 2007). Their findings indicated four categories in which these partnerships benefited students: (a) acclimation to the university: by providing support for academic and social adjustment during the college transition; (b) engagement: by increasing involvement and meaningful interpersonal relationships both on and off campus; (c) student learning: by connecting learning within curricular and cocurricular experiences, as well as learning about self and others; and (d) academic/postacademic decisions: by influencing choice of college, major, and career.…”

“…To be sure, in addition to Boyer's challenge noted above, there are several who have called for increased collaboration between the academic and student affairs, many of them specifically within the Christian college setting (Beers & Beers, 2008;Friesen & Soderquist-Togami, 2008;Jones & Trudeau, 2008;Mannoia, 2000;Nesheim et al, 2007;O'Conner, 2012;Ream, Herrmann, & Trudeau, 2011). These perspectives clearly imply that collaboration between the curricular and the cocurricular educators should be occurring but, unfortunately, it is far less clear that this is the case.…”