Document Type

Research Paper

Publication Date

4-2026

Abstract

This study considers the factors influencing curriculum development in student affairs,  with a particular focus on housing and residence life contexts. Grounded in a constructivist and  interpretive framework, this qualitative study used semi-structured interviews with student  affairs professionals engaged in curricular work. Data was analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s  (2006) six-phase thematic analysis process to identify patterns in participant meaning-making.  Analysis shows that curriculum development is shaped by a set of interrelated organizational  dynamics, including tensions between flexibility and structure, the role of language in facilitating  understanding across staff roles, the influence of leadership and human resource capacity, and  the importance of collaboration and institutional relationships. Notably, participants described a  shift from rigid, process-driven curricular models toward more adaptive, outcome-oriented  approaches. These findings suggest that student affairs curriculum is best understood as an  organizational and relational practice rather than a fixed sequence of activities. Implications for  practice highlight the need for flexible curricular design, intentional communication strategies,  alignment of leadership, and sustained collaboration. The study adds to a growing body of  scholarship that reconceptualizes student affairs curriculum as a dynamic and context-dependent  process

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Matthew M. Inman

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