Blogging from the Top: A Survey of Higher Education Leaders' Use of Web 2.0 Technologies

This paper examines the rise of blogging amongst college and university presidents and other higher education officials in the United States and Canada. Due to its accessibility, blogging has become the foremost Web 2.0 technology. Blogging has now emerged as a new communications tool for both private and public sector executives. This is proving true in the college and university environment as well. While prior research has examined the use of blogging in college instruction and for disseminating thought and research, the present research is unique for its systematic look at the state of blogging by top college and university officials. While the research finds limited blogging amongst top academic officers at present, the projections are that this will grow exponentially in the future as blogs become more common. The paper concludes with a research agenda as more and more top higher education administrators look to enter the blogosphere as an important part of their official job functions.