Research On Collaborative Relationship Development Between Student Affairs And Academic Affairs In American Universities

In the present American higher education domain, student affairs and the academic affairs are a group of relative concepts. Generally, the academic affairs usually involve student's study, the curriculum, the cognition development and so on. Meanwhile, student affairs always include extracurricular activities, the lodging life, the sentimental life or private problems and other aspects. In the old time, there were not such distinction of student affairs and academic affairs in American University. It was until the 19th century that student affairs separated form academic affairs and became more and more professional. Since the 1970s, the strangeness of student affairs and academic affairs in American higher institutions led to divergence of educational environment. Thus the collaboration between student affairs and academic affairs was advocated, in order to create a seamless learning environment for the students, supporting their learning and development.This paper takes the collaborative relationship development of student affairs and academic affairs in American Universities since 1970s as research subject. It mainly elaborates the development history of the relationship between student affairs and academic affairs, the collaborative relations establishment background and the direct motivations. From the aspects of collaboration theory development, organizational restructure and cultural transformation, specific practical programs and other aspects, this paper analyzes and summarizes the enlightenment to the relationship between student affairs and academic affairs in our Chinese higher institutions.