An examination of collaboration amongst student affairs and academic affairs professionals in an action research project

Individuals within higher education institutions play a critical role in creating an environment that is conducive to promoting student success. Yet, these institutions struggle with promoting collaborative relationships specifically between individuals on campus such as academic affairs and student affairs professionals. To address the need for collaboration the most effective institutions fully integrate student and academic affairs and focus all of the resources on the shared goal of student success. Using a qualitative case study approach, this study examined the factors that promoted collaboration among academic affairs and student affairs professionals participating in an action inquiry project. This study offers a rich description of the experiences and perspectives of professionals within student affairs and their participation within the project. The study revealed that hierarchical relationships existed within the community college that led to role ambiguity within the action inquiry project. Yet, the use of an external facilitator within the action inquiry project assisted in minimizing the hierarchy by creating opportunities for physical proximity such as inquiry team meetings and informal activities. The physical proximity created opportunities for trust to arise through repeated interaction, shared vision, and validation which resulted in the development of collaborative relationships. This study has multiple implications for practice concerning the development and sustainability of relationships between academic affairs and student affairs professionals.