The Logic Positioning and Reform Path of College Student Affairs Management in the New Era

Abstract

In the new era context, the characteristics of college student populations exhibit significant generational shifts. Post-00s and post-05s students have undergone profound transformations in their core values, behavioral patterns, and overall demand structures, making traditional student affairs management models increasingly inadequate. To address these emerging complexities, this study conducts comprehensive empirical research on the current challenges, underlying influencing mechanisms, and potential optimization pathways in university student affairs management. Based on a robust dataset comprising 2,476 valid questionnaires collected from 31 universities across China, alongside in-depth qualitative interview data from 12 diverse higher education institutions, the analysis provides a multifaceted evaluation of the current landscape. Findings reveal that overall satisfaction scores for student affairs management average only 3.42 out of 5. Furthermore, there are notable gaps in the delivery of precision services, psychological support, and targeted employment assistance when compared to student expectations. The analysis identifies three core variables—professionalism of management teams, data governance capabilities, and interdepartmental collaboration efficiency—which account for 22.7%, 18.9%, and 16.3% of the variance in management effectiveness, respectively. Consequently, the study proposes an integrated reform framework combining ideological guidance, data-driven decision-making, diversified service provision, and comprehensive team capacity building. This approach offers actionable solutions for achieving high-quality student affairs management. Ultimately, these conclusions not only enrich the local theoretical framework for student affairs management but also provide vital empirical evidence for strategic policy formulation in higher education institutions.