What would a leader in higher education tweet? Ready or not, social media use by college students is skyrocketing, challenging student affairs educators to meet them where they are. To explore this phenomenon, this Region VI Research Grant awarded study looked at sixteen senior-level Student Affairs administrators and their leadership practices on social media over a six-month period. This presentation was offered at both NASPA and ACPA national conferences, where attendees received a leadership framework and digital decision-making model based upon the results of the study.

1. Social Media
Leadership Framework
in Higher Education
@josieahlquist
#NASPA15

2. • Student Affairs Role in the
Digital Space
• SSAOs on Twitter
• Leadership
Framework for
Social Media
• Digital Decision
Making Model

3. Twitter
Friendly
#NASPA15
@josieahlq
uist#saSoMe

4. Do you want to connect
with these students?

5. You have my permission to
Accept a Facebook request
Interact on Twitter
Instagram Follow
With your Students

6. Reflect on your
perspective of
Social Media

7. SSAO’s on
Social Media

8. Can an #SaPro
display leadership
in the digital
space?

9. 25% of adults online in 2009
51% of adults online in 2011
52% of adults have two or more social
media profiles (Tess, 2013).
Facebook biggest growing demographic is
35 and older (Malesk & Peters, 2012).
Generational Gaps are Shrinking

10. Social media integration
in the classroom has
proven its’ weight

11. • Higher student GPA’s
• Creation of study groups
• Increased faculty &
student interaction
• Students feeling more
equip for the future
Twitter powering up learning
Cheung, Chiu, & Lee, 2011
Junco, Heighberger, & Loken, 2011
Laverie, Rinaldo, & Tapp, 2011

12. Grant Funded:
NASPA Region VI Award
Award Winning:
NASPA Technology Knowledge Community

13. Research Questions
1. In what ways do senior level student affairs
officers utilize and participate in social media in
their leadership roles?
2. What leadership characteristics are shared
by senior level student affairs officers who
participate in social media?

14. What Would You Tweet?

20. 100%
Twitter is Very
Important –
Important to their
work professionally

21. 60%
50%
44%

22. Digital Influence
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
1,000-3,000
6,000-9,000
11,000+
# of Tweets
# of Tweets
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
0-1000
2,000-3,000
4,000+
# of Followers
# of Followers
Average 2,000
Average 3,000

23. Who has time for Twitter?!

24. Early Morning
5-7am
Lunchtime
11am-1pm
Early Evening
7-9pm

25. Average
Time Weekly
3.3 Hours

26. What Would You Tweet?

30. The High Tech & High Touch #SApro

31. Digital Decision Making Model
Who How
What Why
Ahlquist, J. (2014)

32. Digital Decision Making Model
Digital Tools
& Strategy
User
Engagemen
t
Digital
Contribution
Intended
Purpose
Ahlquist, J. (2014)
Who
WhyWhat
How

33. Prioritize Relationships
F2F = #SoMe Philosophy
Strategic Communications
Embracing Change
Leadership Framework for
Use of Social Media
in Higher Education
Ahlquist, J. (2014)

34. Social Media is about
Relationships not
marketing
Student Engagement
Connecting People

35. “From being on Twitter I have
better and more significant
engagement with students. The
number of students I impact
and reach has significantly
grown.
I personally feel more
connected to them.”

36. “I think part of my role online is a
cheerleader, congratulating
people, kind of patting them on the
back, recognizing something that
they've accomplished.
A part of it I think is a connection
role. We’re bridging people.”
-Vice President in the Midwes

37. Value Added
Approach
to Social Media Use

38. =F2F(face to face)
Philosophy
#SoMe(social media)
Philosophy

39. Shared Leadership Philosophies
Service to Students Community of Care
Bring Your Whole Self

40. “Social Media elevates a sense
of humanity and a sense of
positive spirit; uplifting our
students and our institution.”
-Vice President in the South
“I want to be a student of
students.”
-Dean of Students in Southwest

41. Ready to bring your
Whole Self?

42. Whole Life
Lealdership
Be Real
Personalit
y
Positive
Lens

43. Family
Pets
Friends Hobbies

46. High Tech-Touch #SaPro is a
Strategic Communicator

47. Your Campus Position
Influences Your Online Impact

48. “I use social media to stay out
ahead of what issues are brewing
- it is a huge value add along with
the ability to give students an
accurate feeling of how much we
care and how one is engaged in a
really timely effective manner.”
-Vice President in the Midwest

49. SSAO Campus Customer Service Agents
University News
Real Time Information
Campus Safety

50. What Would You Tweet?

52. Story Retracted
From Twitter
Troubleshooting

53. “My theory is if I don’t know it’s
broke, we can’t fix it. And so, I don’t
want to hear all the bad things.
But, I need to hear what our
students are experiencing.”
- Dean of Students in the Midwest

54. “Social Media has been a great tool for me
as an SSAO. It requires staying up on
literature, best practices, and has a degree
of etiquette.
If we follow the rules, and engage
authentically, we can make a great impact
with social media.”
Have a National Impact
Through Twitter

55. National
Presence
Associations
Networking
Daily Twitter
Convo-Chats

56. Self
Taught
Campus
Resources
Conference
s
Social Media Exploration

57. Get Comfortable
With change
Not having the answers
Learning from students

58. @PaulGordonBrown
www.paulgordonbrown.com

59. What is Your
Social Media Happy Place?

60. Where Do We Tweet From
Here?

61. What Would You Tweet?

64. High Tech
High Touch
#SaPro
Prioritize Relationships
F2F = #SoMe Philosophy
Strategic Communication
Embrace Change
Digital Decision Making Model

65. Digital Decision Making Model
Twitter
Student
Engagemen
t
Contribute
as Whole
Self
Strengthen
Relationships
&
Communicatio
n
Ahlquist, J. (2014)
Who
Why
What/Wher
e
How

66. Digital Decision Making Model
Twitter
Student
Engagemen
t
Contribute
as Whole
Self
Strengthen
Relationships
&
Communicatio
n
Ahlquist, J. (2014)

68. Be real
Be thoughtful
Respect purpose
of each digital
community
www.josieahlquist.com
The Keys to Success as a
Student Affairs Pro on Social Media:

69. Resources
Eric Qualman: Socialnomics
http://www.socialnomics.net/
Ed Cabellon: http://edcabellon.com/
Liz Gross: http://lizgross.net/
Joe Sabado: http://paulgordonbrown.com/
Kristin Abelle: www.savedbyabelle.com
Paul Brown: http://paulgordonbrown.com/
Hashtags:
#sachat
#Casesmc
#satech
#hesm

70. www.josieahlquist.com
info@josieahlquist.com
@josieahlquist
/josieahlquist/