The academy, a house divided, is a main theme of Partnering for Success: How to Build Strong Internal Collaborations in Higher Education. While this divide has at times been very wide between the academic and non-academic units, the author offers a theory-based road map that can be used to transform the academy and build strong internal collaborations for quality educational service in the 21st century.

Building Internal Collaborations

Collaboration must be intentional and occur across institutional types to comprehensively support student learning. The author notes, “As colleges and universities move to embrace the concept of becoming learning-focused institutions, it becomes even more critical for them to provide an optimum environment to actualize the notion of a seamless culture of learning through increased collaboration.” (p. 4)

During the initial stages of collaboration, college and university internal partners should identify goals, detail intended outcomes, formalize the partnership process by a statement of intent, and jointly delineate strategies for sustainability.

The world views of academic units (scholarship and learning), student affairs (service to the whole student), and continuing and vocational educational units (response to community needs) differ and will need to be bridged for effective collaboration. Stronger internal partnerships are needed to minimize unit marginalization and increase integration and collaboration. Nonacademic units are crucial to student learning and must move from the edge to the center in support of their institutions’ focus on learning.

Using a Bryn Mawr interdisciplinary team as an example, the author states that an important element for success is changing academic structures so that internal collaborations result in the valuing of each team member’s differing perspectives and contributions to the learning process.

Recognizing that change within the academy is challenging yet necessary to building strong internal partnerships and breaking down silo functioning, the author describes various theory-based change models that can be used, including those to manage resistance to and fear of change. Selection of the appropriate change model necessitates that institutional stakeholders take time to assess its culture and identify barriers. Edward Deming’s Energy Transformation Cycle is recommended as an effective tool for helping stakeholders make measurable change happen.

People-Centered Tools for Change

People really matter… and the author demonstrates this via the strategies, principles, and models recommended for use as frameworks for forming an institutional culture that encourages collaboration and is more open and responsive to change and to learning. The author reviews the Human Capital Strategies, Servant Leadership principles, and her own Seventh Learning College Principle and the emergence of a culture of CARE (compassion, appreciation, respect and empowerment strategies) as people-centered tools for change.

The author posits that to form sustainable and effective internal collaborations, it is necessary to transform institutional culture to one that supports change and successful partnering among varying units within higher education. Strategies for culture transformation are suggested.

The author describes strategies to establish authentic collaborations among all institutional units—student services professionals, faculty, academic administrators and other stakeholders—as a way to transform higher education. The first step is to eliminate barriers to effective collaboration such as those identified by faculty (e.g., lack of resources and time and turf conflicts). It is also important to gain consistent and visible support from institutional leadership—the president, chancellor, or provost—although the author cautions that sustainable collaboration should be independent of specific leaders. Collaborative partnerships must also build in effective assessment and evaluation strategies and the wide dissemination of results.

A Framework for Transformation

A useful framework for transforming collaborative processes is described by the author to guide and support adjustments needed to institutional cultures. Common goals, honest discussion and authentic communication about the contributions and values that each partner brings to the table, equal access to power, mutual trust, and respect for others are important elements. The author effectively reviews how to align structures and resources, how to make the change fit the culture, how to examine and redefine the role of nonacademic/nontraditional units, how to use dissatisfaction, and how to create seamless systems and integrate to sustain.

There are new expectations for partnerships in learning-centered organizations, and the author offers specific strategies for how colleges and universities can meet these higher standards of collaboration. Critical success factors for building more sustainable internal partnerships include shared values, integrity and mutually beneficial relationships; common partnership goals, authentic communication and feedback; patience, mutual support and respect; and adequate, quality time and attention.

The author summarily indicates that effective collaboration necessitates accountability, valuing individuals, a shared vision, a strategic plan, and consensus building through teamwork. It is clear the author understands that the transformation process takes teamwork across the academy; therefore, a road map and a variety of powerful tools to accomplish this important work are provided.

The publication ends positively by having higher education professionals look to the future by embracing change and the high standards required for sustaining internal partnerships capable of transforming colleges and universities into learning-centered institutions. The task will be to have academic and nonacademic units within our divided academies take heed of this challenge.

About the Book

Harvey-Smith, Alicia. 2006. Partnering for Success: How to Build Strong Internal Collaborations in Higher Education. Pennsylvania: LRP Publications.

To order Partnering for Success, you may contact LRP Publications, online at http://www.shoplrp.com/, by phone at 800-341-7874, or by email at custserve@lrp.com. Book ordering information: Source Code: LR0608-42HS / Product Number 31135.

About the Author

Dr. Alicia B. Harvey-Smith
Dean of Learning and Student Development
Community College of Baltimore County

Dr. Alicia B. Harvey-Smith is Dean of Learning and Student Development at the Community College of Baltimore County. She is the author of Partnering for Success: How to Build Strong Internal Collaborations in Higher Education, The Seventh Learning College Principle: A Framework for Transformational Change, and Getting Real: Proven Strategies for Student Survival and Academic Success. Dr. Harvey-Smith is available for consultation and speaking engagements (email: ceo@abharveysmith.com).

About the Reviewer 

Dr. Magdalena H. de la Teja
Dean, Student Services
Austin Community College

Dr. Magdalena H. de la Teja, Dean, Student Services, Austin Community College has about 18 years of community college and 8 years of university experience in student affairs administration. She was also an attorney with the Texas Legislature for 3 years. Dr. de la Teja is a published author on student learning and success.