Executive Director & CEO's Message

 October 2024

Generative AI in Higher Education Is Key to Continued Relevance and Growth

The rise of AI, especially the arrival of generative AI, which can produce a wide variety of media, has ushered in a new era of disruption. While the origins of AI can be traced back to the mid-20th century, the launch of ChatGPT in late 2022 pushed the technology—and the debate on its promise and peril—into the public consciousness.

“The next 25 years will be known as the period where we started to work with machines in a way that accelerates human thinking and capabilities,” observes Eric Horvitz, Microsoft’s chief scientific officer, in a Microsoft WorkLab podcast.

The debut of ChatGPT was unprecedented, with 100 million users signing up within just two months. This adoption rate, which exceeded even the most optimistic predictions, demonstrated the widespread popularity of this transformative technology. The popularity of large language models (LLM) has triggered a reassessment of the potential applications of AI across all sectors, including higher education.

While an overwhelming majority of higher education faculty and administrators believe that Gen AI will impact their institutions in the next five years, far fewer—just one in five—believe their institution is prepared for this change.

Higher education can adapt and use Gen AI, in concert with human judgment, across the entire academic enterprise, from shaping curriculum and transforming core operations to performing routine business tasks more efficiently.

Leaders at the forefront of AI integration are considering the impacts on three distinct fronts:

1. Curriculum evolution: As academic programs evolve, colleges should consider how to prepare students to work alongside AI, capitalizing on its strengths and critically evaluating the appropriateness of its applications. This transition strengthens the need for higher education to foster fundamental human skills, including critical thinking, creative problem-solving, and communication, which will be essential to complement AI-driven tasks.

2. Enhancing core operations: AI integration into core operations like teaching, learning, and community service will enable faculty and staff to strengthen human interventions, offering students highly personalized and accessible assistance at scale. AI integration will also enable the delivery of lessons and materials conducive to individual learning styles, catering to each student’s unique needs and preferences.

3. Streamlining routine tasks: By using AI to carry out everyday business tasks, institutions can unlock opportunities to reduce costs and increase efficiency. Rule-based and routine activities and processes are ideal for AI assistance, enabling staff to reallocate time for more creative, specialized, and personal tasks that positively impact the institution.

Effective governance will be critical in the integration and management of Gen AI. Robust governance structures are needed to ensure data integrity, guide AI development and deployment, and monitor risks. As the technology matures, campus governance committees can shift to overseeing crucial activities and risk management related to AI, establishing controls for its ethical and trustworthy use.

Successfully managing the change associated with adopting Gen AI on college campuses will be integral to success. The introduction of AI signifies a substantial shift in the operational paradigm that could be met with resistance from faculty, staff, and students alike due to fear of the unknown or perceived complexity. Change management can help address these concerns by facilitating a smooth transition.

A few very good, current examples of institutions leading the way in Gen AI in higher education and industry are:

• Microsoft Learn - AI Skills Challenge - Gaining AI skills can increase wages by an average of 21%.* Build in-demand skills with the Microsoft Learn AI Skills Challenge! Master cutting-edge AI technologies like Microsoft Copilot, GitHub, Microsoft Azure, and Microsoft Fabric. Engage in six curated topics, interactive community events, and expert-led sessions to deepen your understanding. Go further in a selection of the topics to earn a Microsoft Applied Skill to showcase your technical knowledge to potential employers. Start your AI journey today.
• Third-party players will continue to influence higher education’s options in the Gen AI arena. Keep an eye on long-standing players such as MainStay, which is expanding its successful student engagement tools into the employee space.
• Arizona State University announced a new collaboration with OpenAI. The partnership involves an AI Innovation Challenge for faculty and staff and seeks to define how the power of AI can be used in higher education in service of institutional mission. As Arizona State University Chief Information Officer Lev Gonick (formerly CEO of OneCommunity in Cleveland, Ohio) explains in an article published in ASU News, “The goal is to leverage our knowledge core here at ASU to develop AI-driven projects aimed at revolutionizing educational techniques, aiding scholarly research, and boosting administrative efficiency.”
• The birthplace of AI, Carnegie Mellon University, continues to champion and apply the scientific method as they teach their students to drive innovation across the institution. Their interdisciplinary approach includes the Simon Initiative, which leverages cognitive tutors and courseware to improve student learning outcomes. Carnegie Mellon University’s Eberly Center for Teaching Excellence and Educational Innovation helps embed AI across the curriculum, working closely with instructors on course design and pedagogy, incorporating AI with purpose and intent.

NCATC 2024 Conference, hosted by Gateway Technical College in Racine, Wisconsin, on September 25-27, was jam-packed with keynotes, expert panels, speakers, industry innovation tours, and an in-depth look at their SC Johnson iMET Center, which focuses on all things Advanced Manufacturing and Technology – Industry 4.0. Take a look at the 2024 Conference Digital Program. Thanks to everyone who made the event a success.

REMINDER: On October 3rd NCATC is holding our Q3-24 – Quarterly Drop-In, which focuses on one of the four Strategic Pillars of Success: Emerging Technologies: Future of Workforce – Industry 4.0/x.0, Advanced Technology, Smart Automation & Manufacturing – Promising Practices and Needs Discussion. REGISTER HERE

As always, we encourage you to stay regularly connected and up to date on all ATC, WFD, and CTE-related activities and guidance, via the weekly updated NCATC website, social media (LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.), and quarterly e-newsletters.

J. Craig McAtee

NCATC

Executive Director | CEO