In today's rapidly evolving educational landscape, the intersection of technology and student affairs is more significant than ever. In a recent discussion on the SA Voices from the Field podcast, guests James Quisenberry and David Chao, both seasoned professionals in student affairs technology, shared insights into their work at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the University of Pittsburgh. They highlighted the essential role of technology in enhancing student experiences and the ongoing efforts to integrate innovative solutions within student affairs.

The Journey into Student Affairs Technology

Both Quisenberry and Chao entered the realm of student affairs through unique pathways. Quisenberry transitioned from the private sector back into higher education, finding his niche in IT leadership for housing divisions. Similarly, Chao moved from the business world to higher education, recognizing the impact student affairs professionals had on his own college experience. Their experiences underscore the diverse backgrounds that contribute to the field, bringing fresh perspectives that help bridge the gap between technology and student affairs.

The Role of Technology in Student Affairs

In their conversation, Quisenberry and Chao emphasized the importance of technology as a tool to support student affairs work. They discussed the varying organizational models of IT within universities, whether centralized or more distributed, and how each affects the implementation of tech solutions. A critical point raised was the necessity of creating a collaborative environment where student affairs professionals and IT teams work together to design technology that meets the holistic needs of students. This approach ensures that tech solutions are user-centric and support the diverse aspects of student life.

Inclusion and the Future of Technology in Higher Education

A key theme that emerged was the role of technology in fostering inclusion. Technology, if leveraged correctly, serves as a great equalizer by providing access to resources and support for all students. Quisenberry and Chao highlighted ongoing efforts to develop competency standards for technology in student affairs, working towards frameworks that guide the ethical and effective use of data and digital tools. They stressed the importance of preparing for future challenges by collaborating across disciplines, ensuring that technology enhances, rather than hinders, the student experience.

Conclusion

As higher education continues to evolve, the integration of technology into student affairs will be crucial for addressing the needs of new generations of students. Leaders like Quisenberry and Chao are paving the way for a future where technological advancements not only support but elevate the student experience, ensuring that universities remain places of growth, inclusion, and innovation.

Questions We Are Asking At the Conference

Theme 1: Well-being and Healthy Excellence in Student Affairs

How can student affairs professionals model healthy excellence in their own lives and institutional cultures while supporting students’ well-being?

If you would like to share your voice and we cannot record it at the conference, you can send an audio recording to savoices@naspa.org by March 28, 2025.

 

TRANSCRIPT

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:00:01 ]:
Welcome to Student Affairs Voices from the Field, the podcast where we share your student affairs stories from fresh perspectives to seasoned experts. Brought to you by NASPA, we curate free and accessible professional development for higher ed professionals wherever you happen to be. This is season 12, continuing our journey through the past, present, and future of student affairs. I'm doctor Jill Creighton, she, her, hers, your essay voices from the field host. Today on SA Voices, we're visiting with our technology knowledge community or Tech KC with David Chow and James Quisenberry. David Chow started his career in the business world with a degree in computer science before transitioning to higher ed. He spent the last fifteen years working for the University of Pittsburgh where he currently serves as the director of IT for student affairs. He's been active in the NASPA community for over ten years and currently serves as the chair of the Tech KC.

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:00:50 ]:
His mission is with fifteen years of knowledge, experience, and engagement in student affairs, he believes that he can help bridge the gap between tech and student affairs pros so that together we can enhance the student experience and facilitate their growth in an open and collaborative environment. Navigating the complexities of tech and student affairs requires a holistic approach to the technology itself, how it's utilized in practice, and understanding the data and outcomes. Higher ed is being challenged to adapt and evolve, and often intimidating pace of changes requires greater innovation than ever before. James Quisenberry is currently the executive director for student affairs tech and chief information officer for student affairs at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign. In his previous role on campus, he served as associate director for the university housing department in tech services. Before joining the Urbana campus, he worked in the private sector with online learning systems focusing on curriculum and student information systems products in k 12 with Pearson Education, NCS, and Nova Net Learning. Mister Quisenberry holds both a BA and MS degree in computer science, both of which he received from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. He's an active professional in organizations including NASPA, EDUCAUSE, and Akuho Ai.

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:01:56 ]:
He's currently serving as a member of the NASPA Tech KC representing Region 4 East. Mister Quisenberry is also a founding facilitator for the Illinois IT leadership Workshop where he served for over fifteen years to graduate over 375 emerging leaders from all three University of Illinois campuses and the University of Illinois system. He has over thirty five years of experience using technology to support education and focuses on building strong teams in all areas of technology support and invest strongly in leadership and development for all staff so they can lead from where they are. David and James, welcome to SA Voices.

James Quisenberry [00:02:28 ]:
Hey, Jill.

David Chao [00:02:29 ]:
Thank you for having us.

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:02:30 ]:
And we are featuring you today as the current knowledge community co chairs for the NASA technology KC. We love to have our KC chairs on to tell us what's going on in your focus area of student affairs. So I'd love to start us off. Normally, we ask you how you got to your current seat, but I'd love to know first how you two met each other and decided to run as co chairs for the KC.

David Chao [00:02:49 ]:
So we met at NASPA, I think it was 2017. I think it was San Antonio at the national conference at one of the TKC group meetings. And we've been connected ever since then. I've enjoyed working. James has a lot of experience, and I've been able to really learn from him. And and he served as a mentor and a friend to me, as well as a colleague.

James Quisenberry [00:03:06 ]:
Yeah. We got together because technology folks that are focused on technology and student affairs, there's some of us, but there's not a lot of us. And so David and I and a few other people would run into each other at NASPA and at EDUCAUSE, which is the professional association for higher ed IT folks. And we knew we had things to work on, things that we could collaborate with.

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:03:28 ]:
You all approach the work in a little bit of a different way than those of us who have trained as a master's in higher ed. Tell us how you ended up using your IT background and skills in student affairs. And, James, let's start with you.

James Quisenberry [00:03:40 ]:
Yeah. Well, it was, I'll say, a little bit by accident. I started out in higher education in technology, but moved into the private sector for a while and decided I wanted to get back to higher education. And the opportunity that I found was leading IT IT for the housing division here at the University of Illinois, which is a a large operation, you know, 9,500 beds and about 1,200 apartments. And so I got into student affairs because they needed an IT leader because cause they had a complex IT environment. And I had a lot of background. I had spent some time in higher education, so it wasn't too big of a stretch for me. And so that's how I got into it.

James Quisenberry [00:04:16 ]:
And I spent a lot of time working with Akuho early on because I was in housing. And