Exploration of successful partnerships

¶ … Successful Partnership

This work has the objective of exploring how cross-campus coalitions and partnerships have been achieved between teaching faculty and student development and specifically as stated in the work of Blimling and Whitt (1999) and in the areas of: (1) the creation of campus wide coalitions, (2) the formation of partnerships with faculty in support of what we are now coming to call "learning - living environments; (3) the establishment of conversations with teaching faculty that has resulted in model community "service learning" projects consistent with the mission of the college or university; (4) Student development alliances and programmatic development with teaching faculty that address problems related to poor class attendance, personal or behavioral problems which impair academic performance, and the tendency to view "the classroom as the classroom" and everything outside of class as "everything else. Finally, this work will identify the lessons that were learned and the principles that are critical should the alleged 'chasm' between academics and student life is successfully bridged.

I. Learning Defined

The work of the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators and the American College Personnel Association entitled: "Learning Reconsidered: A Campus-Wide Focus on the Student Experience" states that learning is defined as "a comprehensive, holistic, transformative activity that integrates academic learning and student development, processes that have often been considered separate and even independent of each other. " ( ) the profile of the college students in the United States has undergone changes that are dramatic in nature over the past few decades. (Ibid, paraphrased) Today's students "...have a far greater variability in preparedness for college-level work than was true in the past. More women, students of color, students from diverse cultural origins, and economically disadvantaged students are now able to attend college; higher education is no longer primarily the privilege of the elite, and its predominant purpose is no longer mostly the preparation of students for the learned professions." (Ibid)

In addition the understanding of the "...educational process, and of learning itself, has also changed. The new concept of learning recognizes the essential integration of personal development with learning; it reflects the diverse ways through which students may engage, as whole people with multiple dimensions and unique personal histories, with the tasks and content of learning" (Ibid) Education today that is transformative in nature is one that "...repeatedly exposes students to multiple opportunities for intentional learning through the formal academic curriculum, student life, collaborative co-curricular programming, community-based, and global experiences." (Ibid)

II. Context of Learning is Social, Academic and Institutional

The 'context' of learning may take place in the: (1) social; (2) academic; and (3) institutional context. (National Association of Student Personnel Administrators and the American College Personnel Association, 2004)

The social context includes areas of: (1) personal relationships; (2) group memberships; and (3) inter-group connections (National Association of Student Personnel Administrators and the American College Personnel Association, 2004).

The Academic context of learning includes: (1) Opportunities for reflective judgment and critical thinking; (2) Constructivist classroom teaching methods; (3) Brain-based learning; (4) Interdisciplinary courses; (5) Experiential learning; and (6) Integrative conversations with faculty in all domains. (National Association of Student Personnel Administrators and the American College Personnel Association, 2004)

The institutional context of learning includes: (1) Opportunity/reward structure- leadership roles, work study positions, teaching and laboratory assistantships, off-campus connections to service and learning; and (2) Campus culture- ethical codes, judicial processes; norms of behavior; annual rituals and celebrations, geographic and economic location. (National Association of Student Personnel Administrators and the American College Personnel Association, 2004)

Blimling and Whitt (1999) state that "...outsourcing, privatizing, reengineering, and downsizing could take on new meanings in student affairs, particularly if student affairs programs and activities are seen as ancillary to the mission of the institution" (p. 9).

III. Blimling & Whitt (1999) -- Good Practice in Student Affairs

The work of Blimling and Whitt entitled: "Principles of Good Practice for Student Affairs states that "The principles of good practice for student affairs are intended to build consensus on the actions associated with creating high-quality undergraduate experiences, thereby reinforcing a common agenda for student affairs -- fostering student learning."(1999) These principles are stated to be of the nature that are designed to "...be incorporated into our daily work and to shape how we think about our responsibilities, communicate our purposes, and interact with students. " (Blimling and Whitt, 1999)

Good practice in student affairs is stated to:

(1) Engages students in active learning;

(2) Helps students develop coherent values and ethical standards;

(3) Sets and communicates high expectations for student learning;

(4) Uses systematic inquiry to improve student and institutional performance;

(5) Uses resources effectively to achieve institutional missions and goals;

(6) Forges educational partnerships that advance student learning; and (7) Builds supportive and inclusive communities. ( Blimling and Whitt, 1999 as cited in: Pontius and Harper, 2006)

IV. Effective Partnership Principles

The work of Schuh (1999) entitled; "Guiding Principles for Evaluating Student and Academic Affairs Partnerships" states that principles that are stated as being of the nature that demonstrate partnerships between universities that are effective include those as follows: (1) Student learning is an essential part of the institution's mission; (2) Student learning is the organizing principle of the student experience; (3) the learning process for students is seamless; (4) Credit experiences require out-of-class activities; (5) Student affairs staff teach courses with faculty; (6) Student describe learning as continuous; (7) Faculty regularly interact with students outside the classroom; (8) Institutional committees and task forces include balanced representation of faculty and student affairs practitioners; and (9) the development of learning communities is widely supported on campus.

Stated as 'Seven Principles for Good Practice in Graduate Student Engagement' are the following principles: (1) Continually strives to eradicate marginalization among underrepresented populations; (2) Provides meaningful orientation to the institution beyond academic units; (3) Invests resources in communication with graduate and professional students; (4) Facilitates opportunities for community building and multicultural interaction across academic units; (5) Partners with academic schools and departments to create engagement plans for students; (6) Enhances career and professional development; and (7) Systematically assesses satisfaction, needs, and outcomes. (Pontius and Harper, 2006)