The current Canadian higher education environment is one in which there is competition for limited resources, learning must be measured and demonstrated, and student demographics are evolving and changing on a continual basis. The field of Student Affairs in higher education, which traditionally provides support services to students and is often referred to as co-curricular education, is a necessary and valuable Division in colleges and universities (Witt, 2005). The Division contributes to the cultural context and identity of the institution as well as to the success of its students. It is integral Student Affairs Departments and Divisions have a clear purpose, vision, and mission, to ensure continued success and longevity. Strategic planning is a central process to this development and implementation. Strategic planning, adopted from the corporate industry, is prevalent in higher education institutions around the world (Bryson, 2011). Examining how Divisions of Student Affairs (DSAs) engage with strategic planning, however, has not been studied, especially in Canada. With its unique purpose, role, and structure, Student Affairs Divisions need to adopt a strategic planning process that works for them, but much more research must be conducted before we arrive at this goal. To respond to this need, this study examined existing strategic planning processes used by Divisions of Student Affairs in Canada. Tromp and Ruben (2010) created the Strategic Planning in Higher Education Framework (SPHEF) for use specifically in college and university contexts. This model was used to guide the study, and data were compared to this model to determine its relevance and appropriateness in Student Affairs settings in Canada. The data were collected using a mixed methods approach involving a survey followed by interviews. The survey was distributed to all Senior Student Affairs Officers (SSAOs) in Canadian colleges and universities, with support from the Canadian Association of College and University Student Services (CACUSS). After garnering 37 survey responses, a 19.1% response rate, five interviews were conducted with specifically selected individuals based on their survey data. The key findings indicate that SSAOs and DSAs are engaging in planning efforts, with most pursuing strategic planning. The importance of institutional alignment, engaging Student Affairs leadership and staff in the strategic planning process, and the extensive use of data are some themes that were recurring. Some common challenges or barriers to success were managing capacity and resources, varying terminology, and some resistance or hesitancy by staff to engage in planning. The majority of participants indicated they will continue with the same planning approach in the future, but there was enthusiasm and eagerness to create a community of SSAOs to discuss strategic planning and share experiences and lessons learned. Additionally, it was found that the SPHEF is not an appropriate tool to be used by SSAOs in Canadian Student Affairs contexts. Several recommendations for additional research and potential changes to practice are presented, which include a suggestion to determine if a single strategic planning process or model is even required. The data indicate that it is necessary to study the Canadian context as unique, and different, compared to other international settings, such as the United States of America. While this study begins to fill the large gap in literature and research in the area of strategic planning in Student Affairs, especially in Canada, additional investigation is required to validate these findings and build upon the valuable conclusions generated from the data. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Spring Semester 2019. / April 11, 2019. / Canada, Canadian higher education, post-secondary education, strategic planning, Student Affairs, Student Services / Includes bibliographical references. / Tamara Bertrand Jones, Professor Directing Dissertation; Bruce Lamont, University Representative; Kathy L. Guthrie, Committee Member; Robert A. Schwartz, Committee Member.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_709798 |
| Contributors | Murji, Shermin (author), Jones, Tamara Bertrand (Professor Directing Dissertation), Lamont, Bruce T. (University Representative), Guthrie, Kathy L. (Committee Member), Schwartz, Robert A. (Committee Member), Florida State University (degree granting institution), College of Education (degree granting college), Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies (degree granting departmentdgg) |
| Publisher | Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English, English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, text, doctoral thesis |
| Format | 1 online resource (259 pages), computer, application/pdf |
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