Student Affairs and Services: Enhancing Academic and Personal Development in Higher Education Institution

Student Affairs and Services (SAS) support students' academic engagement, well-being, and personal development in higher education. This study assessed the awareness, participation, and perceived contributions of SAS at BIT–International College (BIT-IC), and examined their relationships with academic performance and leadership development. A mixed-methods approach was employed involving 282 student respondents. Quantitative data from survey questionnaires were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation, while qualitative information from in-depth interviews and focus-group discussions was examined thematically. The findings showed that awareness of SAS was comparatively high, particularly for career and placement services (85.46%), peer mentoring and tutoring (84.75%), and student leadership training (83.33%). Participation was lower: extracurricular activities had the highest participation (31.21%), followed by mental health and wellness programs (24.47%) and student organization involvement (22.70%). Students generally agreed that SAS supported their academic life and well-being. Correlation analysis indicated very weak positive relationships between SAS participation and academic performance (r = 0.13) and between SAS involvement and leadership scores (r = 0.10). The findings point to an awareness–participation gap and the need to improve accessibility, communication, student engagement, and responsiveness. The study proposes the Student Success through Strengthened Student Affairs Services program to strengthen awareness, support, leadership development, and program evaluation.