Campus and Community Relationships: The Impact of Student Affairs Advisory Boards

Abstract

Abstract:Advisory boards comprised of prominent alumni and community leaders offer time, talent, and treasure to divisions of student affairs at universities throughout the U.S. Resource dependence theory framed this study due to its emphasis on external resources supporting campuses with financial and social capital. This exploratory, qualitative study indicated that advisory boards in student affairs' units were making important contributions in six impactful areas: (1) To provide advice to the vice president of student affairs; (2) To offer financial and social capital; (3) To create a connection between student affairs and institutional advancement; (4) To encourage external stakeholders involvement with undergraduate students; (5) To increase visibility of student affairs beyond campus; and (6) To serve as a model of excellence for the rest of campus. Ironically, although the boards are termed “advisory,” this topic was only included in the written documents such as advisory board bylaws, but not in the interviews with university employees who oversaw boards on their campuses. The interviews revealed that the board members were able to bridge connections from communities to campus and vice versa. The linkages were useful for spreading positive news about students and student affairs as well as creating opportunities ranging from internships to finding locations for campus buildings to additional fundraising.