Source
Inside Higher Ed
Summary
This article examines the concerns expressed by student-success leaders across U.S. higher education institutions, reflecting a convergence of affordability challenges, diversity commitments and the accelerating influence of generative AI. While administrators generally maintain confidence in institutional missions, they report increasing difficulty in evaluating authentic student engagement and learning outcomes due to widespread AI use. AI-assisted work can obscure students’ actual competencies, making early intervention and personalised support more complex. Leaders warn that inequitable access to advanced AI tools and differences in digital literacy may widen existing gaps for underrepresented groups. These concerns extend beyond teaching and assessment policies to broader institutional planning, prompting calls for staff training, student guidance frameworks and integrated AI governance strategies. The article suggests that institutions must adopt more holistic responses that acknowledge AI’s influence on retention, equity, affordability and long-term student success. AI is no longer a marginal pedagogical issue but an influential variable in strategic decision-making.
Key Points
- AI seen as major pressure alongside affordability and DEI.
- AI affects measurement of engagement and outcomes.
- Risks of widening equity gaps.
- Need for proactive policy.
- AI now strategic issue, not just pedagogical.
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