A discourse analysis of collaboration between academic and student affairs in community colleges

The purpose of this study was to understand the nature of collaboration between academic affairs and student affairs units in the community college context from a qualitative perspective. A discourse analysis study was conducted to explore the ways in which collaborative practice was discussed and understood by chief and midlevel academic and student affairs practitioners in three different community college settings. By using their actual practice and desired practice to understand collaboration in this setting, this article offers a definition for academic and student affairs collaboration that has been absent from most literature on the topic.