The Q-List:  A Faculty Fellows Research Agenda for the Profession 

The Role of Student Affairs in Institutional Sustainability and Viability

The current and ongoing economic crisis provides challenges for all aspects of higher education. Student affairs units, traditionally a first place to look for resource reductions, are being stretched as budgets and staff are reduced. The retrenchment that has occurred during the recent economic crisis negatively impacts staff and faculty morale, productivity, and value within the institution. This is particularly the case in those student affairs divisions that have been traditionally under-staffed. Resources that might otherwise be dedicated to programs and services for students are frequently expended on external consultants, whose work is often treated as tangential to the everyday operation of the institution. As such, the money expended on these efforts can be a less than satisfactory use of limited resources.

1. What organizational models and leadership practices can lessen the impact of budget cuts on all areas of institutional effort?
2. What are the benefits and risks associated with using external resources or consultants rather than internal scholars and experts as student affairs divisions seek to clarify their purposes and institute change? Is the use of external resources or consultants cost effective? If so, how is its effectiveness measured?
3. What strategies are effective in sustaining staff morale, productivity, and institutional value of student affairs divisions during times of retrenchment?
4. What models can best be used to sustain quality, excellence, and viability of student affairs divisions in the future?