Assessment Director Mary Ellen Wade Co-authors Paper

In spring 2022, Mary Ellen Wade, director of student affairs assessment, research, and strategic priorities co-authored “Defining Collaboration Through the Lens of a Delphi Study: Student Affairs and Academic Affairs Partnerships in Residential Learning Communities” with Margaret Leary, Ph.D., University of San Diego; Tina M. Muller and Samantha Kramer, Ph.D., University of Central Oklahoma; John Sopper, University of North Carolina Greensboro; and Richard D. Gebauer, Ed.D., Cabrini University.

The abstract for the paper, published in The Qualitative Report (n3 p. 664-690 March 2022), states, “Evidence suggests that collaborations between academic affairs and student affairs can foster student success both inside and outside of the classroom. Residential learning communities (RLCs) are a popular avenue by which these two divisions can find collaborative opportunities to integrate students’ curricular and cocurricular experiences…We engaged RLC scholars and practitioners in a Delphi study to create a comprehensive definition for use in RLC program assessment and development resulting in the following definition: Collaboration between academic and student affairs is the continuous process of cultivating an interdependent relationship where each stakeholder is mutually committed to working toward the shared purpose of holistic student learning. This definition serves as a springboard for academic affairs and student affairs RLC collaborators to strive for continuous processes, interdependent relationships, and commitment to a shared purpose.”