Collaborating for Student Success

One of the most persistent and troubling aspects of U.S. higher education is the division commonly found between faculty and staff. The causes for this are numerous but one that I've addressed in my previous writing (most notably in Deeper Learning in Leadership, Roberts, 2007) is the bureaucratization that emerged when higher education opportunity expanded in the U.S. in the middle of the 20th century. The practical issue was that, as student numbers expanded, roles were segmented according to the management theories of the time; these management theories advocated specialization and hierarchical bureaucracies as being best for the efficient handling of students.

U.S. universities struggle with the impact of a 'divided house' and this is something that international higher education faculty and staff should seek to avoid at all costs. There are institutions that have found ways to bring faculty and staff together and these universities' practices should be replicated or adapted wherever possible. Georgetown University started a collaboration effort over a decade ago and it may be an approach worth considering. Essential to the Georgetown example and any effort undertaken to link faculty and student affairs staff is letting go of a sense of privilege or superiority that often undermines building respectful relationships focused on shared work - helping students be successful.