The Strain on Leadership: Senior Student Affairs Officers Leading Through the Pandemic Crisis

• In Event: Reimagining the Leadership and Change Playbook: Synergizing Emerging Perspectives on the Cultivation of Equitable Postsecondary Education Systems

Abstract

Senior student affairs officers (SSAO) are often at the forefront of navigating campus crises; the pandemic has presented new leadership challenges. Through interviews with a diverse group of 23 SSAOs, we examine the unique aspects of the COVID-19 crisis and the leadership traits required to navigate through it. SSAOs. SSAOs identified several characteristics (e.g., no playbook, duration, ever-changing, involvement of others, and intensity) that made leading during the pandemic different from other crises and discussed the importance of adhering to values, self-care, communication, and flexibility as strategies for effective leadership. The findings from this study have important implications for the development and training of effective student affairs leaders and reiterate the critical role of SSAOs in leading higher education institutions.

Authors

• Ann M. Gansemer-Topf, Iowa State University

• Carmen R. Jones, Iowa State University

• Kabongwe Gwebu, Iowa State University