Leadership Advocacy of AI Can Change the Future of Student Affairs Work

You would be hard-pressed to find a higher education leader today who has not heard of, thought about, or dealt with the effects of AI in higher education. Yet despite promising opportunities, many higher ed leaders have buried their heads in the proverbial sand when it comes to strategizing and advocating for ways AI may support and improve their staffs’ workflows and efficiencies. As higher education administrators, we are aware of the challenges related to adopting and implementing new technology into existing processes. Academia is notoriously conservative toward new technologies and requires an ample amount of evidence that a technology is worthwhile before incorporating it into practice (Bates et al., 2020). Relatedly, with most coverage around AI being centered on ChatGPT and its implications regarding academic dishonesty and plagiarism, scholars have yet to investigate the critical implications associated with student affairs adopting AI. But for higher education managers and leaders to keep pace with the rapid changes to the workforce, they must discuss, strategize, and advocate for incorporating AI into their offices’ processes and procedures.