Differences in the Administrative Organization of Summer Sessions: AUSS, NAASS, NCCSS, and WASSA Member Institutions

This article reports on the first phase of a two-phase study. Phase 1 aimed to determine how summer sessions are organized at member institutions of the Association of University Summer Sessions (AUSS), the North American Association of Summer Sessions (NAASS), the North Central Conference on Summer Schools (NCCSS), and the Western Association of Summer Session Administrators (WASSA), to better understand the range and diversity of responsibilities for performing essential summer session functions. Results of Phase 1 indicate that the organization of summer sessions among member institutions falls along a continuum, from centralized (most functions and services are performed by a summer session office) through hybridized (some functions/services are provided by a summer session office while others are devolved to other campus units/departments) to decentralized (most functions and services are performed by various other campus units/departments). Phase 2 will examine whether differing organizational models affect performance-based outcomes important to the success of the summer term.