From Silos to Systems in Higher Education: Doctoral Students’ Conceptualizations of Faculty and Staff Collaboration in Academic Planning

Authors

• Linda Wilson-Jones, Fayetteville State UniversityFollow
• Simone Elias, Abilene Christian UniversityFollow

Abstract

Collaboration is increasingly recognized as central to student success and institutional effectiveness in higher education. This qualitative study investigates doctoral students’ conceptualizations of faculty and staff collaboration in academic planning. Data were collected from 22 written responses in a doctoral-level program course. Through reflexive thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006, 2021), five interrelated themes emerged: (1) holistic student support, (2) shared institutional vision and goal alignment, (3) complementary expertise and role interdependence, (4) communication as quality assurance, and (5) collaborative culture as an institutional asset. The findings indicate that collaboration functions as organizational infrastructure that aligns academic and administrative systems around student outcomes, rather than as a merely functional practice. Recent empirical studies similarly demonstrate that faculty and staff value collaboration, although inequities in voice, role clarity, and responsibility persist (Bryer et al., 2025; Syno et al., 2023). This study advances the literature by conceptualizing collaboration as the organizational mechanism through which institutions operationalize integration in everyday academic planning. Implications for leadership, doctoral education, and institutional design are addressed.

Recommended Citation

Wilson-Jones, Linda and Elias, Simone (2026) "From Silos to Systems in Higher Education: Doctoral Students’ Conceptualizations of Faculty and Staff Collaboration in Academic Planning," Journal of Research Initiatives: Vol. 9: Iss. 3, Article 5.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.uncfsu.edu/jri/vol9/iss3/5