Perceptions of student affairs and services practitioners in Ontario’s post-secondary institutions: An examination of colleges and universities

Abstract

Student affairs and services divisions and the partnerships and collaborations in which they engage with faculty, students, and the community form the structural centre of institutions’ approaches to student support. Although past research has identified areas typically associated with the student affairs and services portfolio and factors that influence the organizational structure, little is known about how staff perceive their institutions’ organizational structures relative to supporting student success. The purpose of this study was to understand student affairs and services staff members’ perceptions of the role organizational structure plays in their day-to-day work supporting student success in colleges and universities in Ontario. Although staff commented on their institutions’ formal organizational structures (referring to titles, reporting lines, and breadth of portfolio), their comments focused more specifically on how they saw the nature of their work and changes they have experienced in supporting student success as student bodies become more diverse.